angry sparrows chirping

[glwood]

May I ask why?

I have read many times

Mark the driveshaft orientation before beginning. This will help return the driveshaft to its original position on the differential which can help avoid driveline vibrations once the driveshaft is reinstalled.

Always did it that way...

 

[bobthetj03]

I have read many times

Mark the driveshaft orientation before beginning. This will help return the driveshaft to its original position on the differential which can help avoid driveline vibrations once the driveshaft is reinstalled.

Always did it that way...

I've read this on occasion as well. I just question why. I've had my front drive shaft out so many times and didn't mark its orientation. Didn't seem to make a difference either way. What happens when you replace the drive shaft for a new one? How do you orient the new one? Just curious about this. Do the u-joints retain a memory after X amount of rotations?

 

[glwood]

I've read this on occasion as well. I just question why. I've had my front drive shaft out so many times and didn't mark its orientation. Didn't seem to make a difference either way. What happens when you replace the drive shaft for a new one? How do you orient the new one? Just curious about this. Do the u-joints retain a memory after X amount of rotations?

Heck, I don't know! I don't even know if it is necessary, I just always did it that way. When you get a replacement DS, it's not going to matter, so like you said...I have even had drive shaft shops tell me the same thing, to orient them the same, so I did. I had a drive shaft rebuilt by a local shop, and I marked the two ends in relation to the yoke they came off of, and the shop marked the ends the same...

 

[bobthetj03]

Okay, fair enough. I'll be replacing my rear drive shaft soon. Maybe I'll question the makers and see if they can enlighten me. I'll report back if I can get a solid answer.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Yes you definitely need to have the front & rear u-joints "in phase" with each other or the driveshaft can, and usually will, vibrate. The u-joints move in an ellipse when operating at any but a straight angle so each u-joint's velocity speeds up and slows down twice per revolution of the driveshaft. If the f/r u-joints don't do this together, you get a vibration.

To better understand that and driveshaft geometry, click on http://www.4xshaft.com/ then click on 'Tech Info' at the top-right of the page, then click on 'Geometry 101' and skip down to the information just above and (mostly) below the first illustration on that page.

 

[bobthetj03]

I think I was misinterpreting glwood's post. I understand the drive shaft has to be in phase. The only way to make the driveshaft out of phase is if you separated it from the slip yoke splines. If you are removing the drive shaft as a complete unit who cares how it is bolted back up to the yokes as long as the u-joints are in phase. That's what I was getting at.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

If you are removing the drive shaft as a complete unit who cares how it is bolted back up to the yokes as long as the u-joints are in phase.

Exactly. So long as the driveshaft wasn't pulled apart, it can be bolted back in without worry about its u-joints getting out of phase.

 

[glwood]

Well there you go.

 

[Germanshepherd]

Can anyone comment on my post #17 about the transfer case lever( as far as if there is any more room to push the lever down once it gets to the point where the level seems to be down in its normal but can push it down about another inch with some resistance.) Thx

 

[bobthetj03]

Can anyone comment on my post #17 about the transfer case lever( as far as if there is any more room to push the lever down once it gets to the point where the level seems to be down in its normal but can push it down about another inch with some resistance.) Thx

Mine has about a 1/2" of bounce back. I can push it down till I feel the lever hitting solid and let go of the lever and it will rebound just a bit.

 

[Germanshepherd]

Thanks, exactly what I'm looks for. Mine may be little more than 1/2 inch before the bounce back but what I'm needing to know. Thx for checking. Wonder if thats normal. When I keep pressure on it I rarely get the chirping sound.

 

[bobthetj03]

I've never had an issue with mine. Shifts just fine.

 

[Germanshepherd]

I've never had an issue with mine. Shifts just fine.

She shifts good etc, no problems there, just that chirping noise. Will just turn up the radio.

 

[Stinger]

She shifts good etc, no problems there, just that chirping noise. Will just turn up the radio.

Pull that front shaft off and drive it. Mine was doing very much what you are talking about before the TC exploded. If the noise does not go away pull that TC and split the case. Put the oil pick up tube back in place IF the output bearings on each end are still in good shape. It only cost me $5k to learn this lesson.

 

[BigWheel88]

I had what sounds like a similar issue. It would only happen to me if i was in 4hi (or low) and when I put it back into 2hi it would start chirping for a while. It would go away if i slightly pulled on the lever. Though the next day I could not hear it at all while in 2hi. Looked underneath and wiggled the shift linkage a bit and could hear the same sound.

There is a dust cover for a spring which was not attached on one end and was basically providing no dust protection. I hit it with an air can to clean out the dirt i could, then just sprayed some white lithium grease on it, got the dust cover basically where it looked like it was supposed to be and spray mored white lithium grease on the different parts of linkage where metal touched metal. This was last summer and have not heard it since.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

She shifts good etc, no problems there, just that chirping noise. Will just turn up the radio.

A chirping noise is not something you can just live with without investigating its source. If it's a u-joint or centering joint in the front driveshaft, that needs fixing as a bad front CV joint (u-joints + centering joint) driveshaft can take out the transfer case.

 

[JeepNWilly]

Exactly. So long as the driveshaft wasn't pulled apart, it can be bolted back in without worry about its u-joints getting out of phase.

I think maybe what the online articles might be referring to is to be careful to assemble the CV portion in the same position. They tend to put balancing weights on them and also weights on the tube itself. If you take it apart to rebuild the centering yoke make sure the CV housing goes back in the same position. I would mark it in reference to the tube before taking it apart.

 

[Germanshepherd]

Will take it to the shop to be checked out. They just fixed my rear end howling noise I heard on deceleration. Pinion nut was loose and said there was a quarter inch of play some where back there, driveshaft I believe.
Will have them check out the chirping noise.
I guess what I'm not getting is the relationship between pushing down on the lever a bit to make noise go away and a bad cv joint etc but will see what they can find out.

 

[Germanshepherd]

Moisture can act as a lubricant to quiet/reduce the squeaking coming from the front driveshaft's CV joint, so can pulling it into 4x4 to put a load on the CV. Like a door may squeak under no load but go away if you hang on the door.

The CV joint can be rebuilt for less than the cost of a new driveshaft, that is for sure. Make sure to go for the sealed Spicer 5-1310x u-joints and the sealed version of the CV joint. Contrary to some misconceptions, sealed u-joints are stronger and more durable than the greasable versions with the zerk in the body like the Spicer 5-153x u-joint.

Hey Jerry, I am taking the jeep in soon to have the chirping noise checked out. I see you recommend the Spicer u joints and sealed version of cv joint. I am a guy who puts less than 3k miles a year on the jeep. it will take me 10-15 years to put just 30k more miles on it.
are there cheaper options or brands for me if the problem is the CJ or Ujoints considering I dont drive much or are the spicer 5-1310x a reasonable option to begin with.
thanks

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Hey Jerry, I am taking the jeep in soon to have the chirping noise checked out. I see you recommend the Spicer u joints and sealed version of cv joint. I am a guy who puts less than 3k miles a year on the jeep. it will take me 10-15 years to put just 30k more miles on it.
are there cheaper options or brands for me if the problem is the CJ or Ujoints considering I dont drive much or are the spicer 5-1310x a reasonable option to begin with.
thanks

I won't recommend anything but Spicer 5-1310x u-joints & Spicer centering joints no matter what the driving circumstances are. In the grand scheme of things, the slightly higher cost of Spicer is inconsequential.