Driveshaft

[Davids442]

Hi everyone, I joined this morning and this is my first post, lol.

I have a 1995 Tahoe, 4 wheel drive, 5.7L. The truck only has 111,000 miles on it. I bought it 3 months ago from someone who didn't take care of it, lol. But the truck is solid and I am pretty good at mechanics so I jumped at it, I was always a Tahoe fan.

I have been chasing a popping sound in the rear of the vehicle for 2 months now. At first it seemed to be a braking problem, it felt like the rear brakes were grabbing and then they would release when the throttle is pressed, causing the popping. I installed new brakes on the rear, drums, shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders, all the brake lines have been done also. I had two parts replaced in the differential. The p/s axle shaft was seriously out of round so I replaced that too. I put a different brand of shoes on it last night and the popping still remains. I have done research on the driveshaft from the transfer case to the axle and have seen a lot of comments on a bushing in the tail of the transfer case. Maybe the driveshaft is binding and that is what is causing it. So, I thought I would throw all this out there and see if anyone else has ever had the same situation.

Thanks, David

 

[SunlitComet]

You can also look at loose mountings on your rear suspension components or driveshaft u-joint or perhaps a defective differential(from your description the most likely cause). Get underneath and start shaking things as hard as you can to see what happen.

One more thought make sure you don't have any loose objects in your rear storage bins like vehicle jacks or components.

 

[95TwinTT]

Hi everyone, I joined this morning and this is my first post, lol.

I have a 1995 Tahoe, 4 wheel drive, 5.7L. The truck only has 111,000 miles on it. I bought it 3 months ago from someone who didn't take care of it, lol. But the truck is solid and I am pretty good at mechanics so I jumped at it, I was always a Tahoe fan.

I have been chasing a popping sound in the rear of the vehicle for 2 months now. At first it seemed to be a braking problem, it felt like the rear brakes were grabbing and then they would release when the throttle is pressed, causing the popping. I installed new brakes on the rear, drums, shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders, all the brake lines have been done also. I had two parts replaced in the differential. The p/s axle shaft was seriously out of round so I replaced that too. I put a different brand of shoes on it last night and the popping still remains. I have done research on the driveshaft from the transfer case to the axle and have seen a lot of comments on a bushing in the tail of the transfer case. Maybe the driveshaft is binding and that is what is causing it. So, I thought I would throw all this out there and see if anyone else has ever had the same situation.

Thanks, David

You are probably referring to the noise made when the spline on the driveshaft binds and then releases.

Every time the truck comes to a stop and then accelerates again, the drive shaft yoke, slides in and out of the transfer case on the splines. Through the years, the splines often get corroded or dry out and need some lubrication. If that is the case, as the truck comes to a stop, the spline slides out a little and sticks. When power is applied, again, it snaps back in making a sound. The spline is supposed to slide smoothly for normal operation.

The cure is simply to remove the drive shaft. Clean the splines as much as possible (inside the yoke as well as on the tail shaft). Apply a small amount of grease and reassemble (I use lithium grease). If the condition has gone on long enough, there may be a “catch” in the splines that may require a new yoke to cure.

 

[bowtiefreak]

95twin is right, very common problem. The fluid is supposed to lubricate it but the grease does a better job and it is quick and easy to do.