Bad cv axle on 97 yukon?

[westman995]

I have a 97 Yukon 4 door 4x4. 4 wheel drive seems to work fine. However whenever the 4 wheel drive is engaged the front end is pretty loud and does not sound right to me. Its hard to explain the sound but it sounds like humming or slight vibration maybe?

And now just a few days ago I can hear it like clunking or something when I step on it. It does it much worse when I am turning. These noises ONLY happen when the 4 wheel drive is engaged. Is this more than likely a bad cv axle?

I also suspect that the front axle seals are leaking. I see grease/oil by the seals that looks like it flies out of the shaft when its spinning. How hard is it to replace both side seals and axle shafts?

Am I better off just replacing both shafts or should I just do the one that is making the noise? I suspect it to be the drivers side as that's where the noise seems to be coming from.

 

[Dowsewashere]

Are your cv boots are broken? If not it maybe more than just a cv boot

 

[westman995]

I just got it in the garage and pulled the wheel off the drivers side. The boots do not look broken or anything. Is there a way I can check the cv axle now that I have the wheel off of it?

 

[westman995]

Should there be ANY ply in the cv shaft when I try to spin it by hand? It does move a little bit, I guess im not sure exactly how much but I am guessing it is not supposed to have any play.

It only has play when I try to turn it. I couldn't get it to move any other way

 

[Y2KpewterZ]

Just put a new cv axle in mine, on left side. For comparison sakes, i shook, spun, etc both sides. Ive concluded that both sides have equal the play. Rotational play is non existant. Side to side play, probably a few mm.

 

[westman995]

I mentioned the sound to someone at a shop today while I was getting some tires put on. He said its usually the u-joint on the transfer case side.. Checked it out and sure enough it was junk. It was super sloppy, im sure all the bearings were out one of the caps.

I went ahead and did both front u joints tonight. Seems to have fixed my problems. It doesn't make that clunking noise or that loud humming noise. Sure glad I didn't end up putting a cv axle in it.

I checked the fluid in the front end and it seems almost "milky" or something. I am going to change it at the very least. Any ideas on how to clean it out pretty good? Anything I can put in it to stop or at least slow down the leaking seals?