Squeaking Rotational Noise

[Danger-Ranger96]

Well seeings how its snow, and i'm going to have to have the 96 in 4WD all winter, it's already starting to give me probs, the front passenger side is squealing and squeaking and i'm not sure what it is, i've just took the diff out put it all back together and i'm thinkin it's a u-joint, anyone else figure the same? sounds like metal on metal, and it sounds like a tinging (sort of like a rear drive shaft noise). i dunno if the axle shaft could be rubbing against the beam either?


*note*

i just went out lifted the front end of my truck up and spun both wheels with the hubs locked, looks like the passenger side u joint on the shaft is having a little bit of movement, this is probably the issue.

 

[AllanD]

While the TTB front axle is rugged it isn't indestructable and is also intolerant of neglect.

Everyone with a TTB front axle should make it a point to completely
dismantle both sides (pull the spindles off) clean and regrease
everything atleast annually.

and actually according to ford if you run in mud or water. that comes up to the bottoms of the hubs you shoud dismantle everything for cleaning and re-greasing.

The fact that almost nobody does this and MOST get away with it
is another discussion.

If you have a squeeking/squeeling it's obvious that you need to disassemble further for cleaning/regreasing/replacing whatever might be the cause.

BTW, I use MARINE grade (Green stuff sold as "Pennsoil full synthetic marine grease") grease on all the rotating parts in the front end of my truck.

I started using it after leaving a golfball sized lump of this grease on a 10" square of cardboard set on top of an unused pickup topper for all of last fall, winter and spring.

The grease got "mushed" a bit by being covered with deep snow,
but other than a very slight discoloration, being left out in the sun,
wind, rain & snow for nearly eight months the grease was basically unaffected.

Parts that are properly packed with grease will not get filled with water
and thus won't require replacement.

But USING 4x4 tends to expel the grease so it needs to be replaced periodically.


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