Groaning noise and light vibrations coming from front undercarriage...differential fluid

jeepXcore

jeepXcore

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
269
Location
Collingswood, NJ, United States
So when I brought my Jeep into my mechanic a few weeks ago to have to break pads replaced, he mentioned he noticed I had a very slow fluid leak coming from my front differential.

Lately, I've noticed some faint groaning/growling noises coming from my front end accompanied by some light vibrations when moving from a stop. All the symptoms stop when I hit about 2000 rpms.

Does this sound like a symptom of low differential fluid/differential fluid leak?
 
Have you or your mechanic checked / changed the differential fluids lately? Like in the last year? Light vibrations and a growling noise coming from a differential can get very expensive very fast. It could be u-joints or differential bearings.
 
Check the front u-joints to see if one or both are going away on you. Get the tires off the ground and rotate each tire back and forth while observing the front u-joints. If one's bad, it'll be pretty evident. There will be rotational slop between the axle shaft and the stub shaft.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cliffish
I’m sorry, but your thread title had me thinking I was on the port hub page . :risas3: I hope your Fix is not too costly.
 
Changed the differential fluid this morning. Took a look at the gears. Didn't see anything out of the ordinary(no metal chunks of anything).


Guess I'll take a look at the u-joints next?
ee933140ab216149fc0642ea915baa9a.jpg


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
It is probably just the angle but the tooth on the right facing up looks a bunch more "shiny" than the rest...did you further look at that one? I am assuming you spun the gears all the way around to look at all the teeth?
 
cliffish said:
It is probably just the angle but the tooth on the right facing up looks a bunch more "shiny" than the rest...did you further look at that one? I am assuming you spun the gears all the way around to look at all the teeth?
Click to expand...
Yeah I popped it up on Jack stands and spun it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the angle

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
jeepXcore said:
Update: I inspected behind the front differential and noticed this. Looks like a liquid coming out of where the differential meets the u-joint. Any thoughts?View attachment 29499View attachment 29500

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Can you move the yoke back and forth? Could that bearing be on The way out? Sure looks like you are losing fluid from the seal there.
 
Stockli said:
Can you move the yoke back and forth? Could that bearing be on The way out? Sure looks like you are losing fluid from the seal there.
Click to expand...
I tried to find play in it, but it's minimal(if any). Could there be a seal bad in the differential itself that's causing )what I'm assuming) is differential fluid to leak and cause all the chatter I'm hearing?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
jeepXcore said:
I tried to find play in it, but it's minimal(if any). Could there be a seal bad in the differential itself that's causing )what I'm assuming) is differential fluid to leak and cause all the chatter I'm hearing?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Could be a bad u joint killed that seal and may be causing your vibration
 
Top Bottom
Back