Clicking noise

[dvdswan]

1978 K10, 350, 4sp, 205, 4" lift, 33s. Clicking is motion related, more so as a tire rotation, starts about 10 mph as a slow click and will gradually speed up. At 20 mph I can swerve left and right, as the left side loads (swerving right) the clicking will stop or slow down, as the right side loads (swerving left) the clicking will speed up.

Best way to describe the clicking, imagine you have a bearing that has balls in it, say 10 and you are missing 4, so as the bearing rotates the ball will fall and click as it hits the next ball. If that makes sense.

My experience with wheel bearings if load bearing noise goes away that side has your problem. But not get noisier if its unloaded.

I've thought of the center caps and trim rings (rally wheels) but really don't think that is it because it wouldn't make the noise just going straight down the road unless the tires were really low psi. BFG All-Terrains are at 32 psi and have been since owning the truck. Center caps are tight and lug nuts are as well. Rear left tire is missing one wheel stud and others are tight.

Any helps from you folks would be great.

 

[bedwards]

are your valve stems long and tapping your trim rings?

 

[Blue Ox]

Interesting. Mine ticks at low speeds, particularly in turns. It sounds like ball bearings in the hubcaps. I'm thinking the steel wheels may be getting tired. Now that you mention it, I'll have to listen to it now that I have the Aluminum wheels on it and see if it's still there. I'm waiting to see what you find.

 

[dvdswan]

are your valve stems long and tapping your trim rings?

Interesting thought, I certainly didn't think of it. I will look at them to see if they are close the trim rings.

Interesting. Mine ticks at low speeds, particularly in turns. It sounds like ball bearings in the hubcaps. I'm thinking the steel wheels may be getting tired. Now that you mention it, I'll have to listen to it now that I have the Aluminum wheels on it and see if it's still there. I'm waiting to see what you find.

I did buy these rims / tires about 2 years ago, used of course. I think I'll pull the wheels and look for cracks around the lugs and welds if the centers are welded (I don't remember), I have a hard time believing that steel wheels can crack but it does happen.

This click really doesn't sound like a hard metal click though, almost like a tinny click or pot metal type click. What gets me is it speeds up when its unloaded and goes away when loaded.

 

[hatzie]

Bad needles in the outer Universals in the axle? Similar to bad CV joints... I always thought of this as a snapping and popping noise. but...

The needle bearings around the end of the axle stubs inside the spindles can make ticking a noise when they're on their way out as well.

 

[Blue Ox]

I did buy these rims / tires about 2 years ago, used of course. I think I'll pull the wheels and look for cracks around the lugs and welds if the centers are welded (I don't remember), I have a hard time believing that steel wheels can crack but it does happen.

This click really doesn't sound like a hard metal click though, almost like a tinny click or pot metal type click. What gets me is it speeds up when its unloaded and goes away when loaded.

Mine are 8 lug and there's no cracking that I can see anywhere, but they are riveted. After over a quarter of a million miles it could just be things starting to loosen up. Can't say I remember any noises from the alloys, but I usually don't pay that much attention either. I'll try to give a listen next time I drive the truck.

 

[dvdswan]

Bad needles in the outer Universals in the axle? Similar to bad CV joints... I always thought of this as a snapping and popping noise. but...

The needle bearings around the end of the axle stubs inside the spindles can make ticking a noise when they're on their way out as well.

I did think of that and did not investigate much further as the hubs were unlocked. I did rotate the tires when I jacked it up, locked and unlocked the hubs to see if the axles were turning and not turning. I mainly checked to see if the spindles were loose, right side had some wobble, so I tightened that side up but the left side had no play so I didn't open it up and take the wheel hub off.

 

[hatzie]

The solid front axles are essentially full floating axles. The axle stubs stay still and the spindles rotate when the hubs are unlocked.

Lock the hubs and see if the noise goes away anyway. Prolly won't change

 

[dvdswan]

The solid front axles are essentially full floating axles. The axle stubs stay still and the spindles rotate when the hubs are unlocked.

Lock the hubs and see if the noise goes away anyway. Prolly won't change

I am aware of that, but didn't think about driving with the hubs locked. Good point.

Sadly, on my drive home, I had NO clicking, so now its intermittent. WONDERFUL! Looks like I have to wait until Sat. to investigate, I out of town until then.

 

[rt66paul]

Do you have any jokers at work or in the neighborhood? Ball bearings, marbles, or even a couple of pebbles in your hub caps will drive you nuts.

 

[elcamman50]

Pebbles in the hubcaps! Use to do that on Halloween in the early 60s when all cars still had hubcaps.

 

[idahovette]

Pebbles in the hubcaps! Use to do that on Halloween in the early 60s when all cars still had hubcaps.

Neighbor kids out playing will put anything in hub caps or wheel covers. NO NOT MY KIDS!!

 

[legopnuematic]

I did buy these rims / tires about 2 years ago, used of course. I think I'll pull the wheels and look for cracks around the lugs and welds if the centers are welded (I don't remember), I have a hard time believing that steel wheels can crack but it does happen.

Made it from Winnfield Louisiana to Saint Louis Missouri (600 miles) like this. Tires were from 2007, so I'd assume its had been broken for a good part of that time. Both of the overload springs were busted in half, rear u joint had a 1/4 inch play in the yoke. Front tow hook ripped out of the frame, everything caked with mud.

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[dvdswan]

Yeah, that's not a good sign.

 

[dvdswan]

So... I've pretty much pulled the hubs apart to the last bolt, locked the hubs, checked the drivelines, even checked the rear brakes. Nothing showing any signs of wear, loose, broken, etc. Again this noise was intermittent. Today I got in to go home from work, heard the clicking, and for whatever reason I looked at the 4wd shifter and thought, "gee that's close to the console" yep, I was in 4HI. I'm an idiot, I think my son is playing games with me again. Time to put a coat hanger on his driveline. grrrrr.