Ticking on the driver side of my 84 K 20

[wanderinthru]

Don't do it for the first say 3 miles. Then it just starts a "Tick" sounds like something running loose ball bearings, like an old ceiling fan. Have not taken the hub apart, have jacked it up, spun the tire, taken the tire off, spun things around, looking and listening, can't get a sound out of it? Drive as far as ya want nothing gets even warm? Hit the brakes, it quits, turn the wheel, it quits. This sound, is running 30, 40 mph, were i do most of my driving, so??
Any one have any idea?

Thanks!

Shakey.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Does it get faster as you drive faster?

 

[HotRodPC]

Have you by any chance tried locking the hubs in to see if it goes away or that your hubs are even locking? Could it be a broken spring in the hub?

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Have you by any chance tried locking the hubs in to see if it goes away or that your hubs are even locking? Could it be a broken spring in the hub?

I was also wondering if it could be something jingling around in there or maybe something happening between the rotor and and caliper since braking seems to stop it, and maybe turning unloads it enough to stop the noise. How it changes with speed if it does at all would be a good clue.

 

[HotRodPC]

I was also wondering if it could be something jingling around in there or maybe something happening between the rotor and and caliper since braking seems to stop it, and maybe turning unloads it enough to stop the noise. How it changes with speed if it does at all would be a good clue.

Or something in the hubs, maybe the bearings and when on the brakes the pads squeezing the rotor kinda stands the rotor back up. Almost sounds like it could be something minor at this point but could turn catastrophic. One thing most of us don't do often enough is pack our axle or hub bearings. Last time I went through that ******** I ended up having to replace a spindle along with the bearings.

 

[AuroraGirl]

he does run an np203 yes?
If its the NP203, My dads did that to.. He had that real nasty wear on the driveshaft u joints and had to pull the driveshaft to limp it home before it blew up and either smacked some stuff on the way or impaled the ground

if not transfer case, then i would look at brakes AND bearing because if brakes have been cooking the grease you would have to do both and if it was the bearing going bad you would be in there to change bearings, so either way take it all off and assess in there. but i would hold off buying a bearing and parts till you look, because if it was just some weird characteristics of the rotor or something, you wowouldnt want to throw parts at it.

when thinking independent front suspension, like 2wd, i would say inspect any alignment affecting parts.

in the case of my park avenue, my struts were wearing on the mount where it hooks to the car. the amount of toward the car or away it has is directly effecting the angle of the tread-mating the road, and it had characteristic vibration and memory steer to where it would set, BUT would only change when turning and braking in reverse. So the weight would shift off, allow the mount to spin freelyer and then turnign the wheel would change where it sat in the mount and then you drive and it changed. like from death wobble and noise to perfectly straight down the road and quiet

 

[HotRodPC]

he does run an np203 yes?
If its the NP203, My dads did that to.. He had that real nasty wear on the driveshaft u joints and had to pull the driveshaft to limp it home before it blew up and either smacked some stuff on the way or impaled the ground

if not transfer case, then i would look at brakes AND bearing because if brakes have been cooking the grease you would have to do both and if it was the bearing going bad you would be in there to change bearings, so either way take it all off and assess in there. but i would hold off buying a bearing and parts till you look, because if it was just some weird characteristics of the rotor or something, you wowouldnt want to throw parts at it.

when thinking independent front suspension, like 2wd, i would say inspect any alignment affecting parts.

in the case of my park avenue, my struts were wearing on the mount where it hooks to the car. the amount of toward the car or away it has is directly effecting the angle of the tread-mating the road, and it had characteristic vibration and memory steer to where it would set, BUT would only change when turning and braking in reverse. So the weight would shift off, allow the mount to spin freelyer and then turnign the wheel would change where it sat in the mount and then you drive and it changed. like from death wobble and noise to perfectly straight down the road and quiet

84 K20 wouldn't have the full time NP203 so he doesn't have fixed hubs. He'll have an NP208 if it's an auto trans, NP205 if it's manual so either way, auto locking hubs or manual locking hubs. But yeah, checking the U joints is not a bad idea at all.

 

[wanderinthru]

@HotRodPC @1987 GMC Jimmy @AuroraGirl. Sorry, not enough info, it is a manual, and 208, the aluminum one. Manual hubs, that work as they should, the front drive does not spin when not engaged, works fine when engaged, and I dont know if it ticks when engaged? Been a while since it was?? Yes, the tick runs right along with speed, and goes away around 45/50 ish, speedo is broke.
Has to be something with the rotor, the bearings are not loose, to tight?? spins as it should and doesn't get warm...so??? Reason, I haven't taken it apart is because I don't have the special socket and always forget to get one when I'm in town, lol.
U joints are all tight, or I cant get any wiggle out of them, The slip yoke on the drive shaft is a little sloppy, but again, not turning.

Thanks guys and gal!!

 

[dvdswan]

When you had it jacked up, did you grab the tire at top and bottom to see if the bearings were loose? When you turn both ways the sound goes away? Or just one way? Do you have center caps over the hubs? If so, take them off and see if noise goes away. Air the tires low on air?

 

[wanderinthru]

When you had it jacked up, did you grab the tire at top and bottom to see if the bearings were loose? When you turn both ways the sound goes away? Or just one way? Do you have center caps over the hubs? If so, take them off and see if noise goes away. Air the tires low on air?

Yes sir I have, they feel right. Neither tight nor loose. Quits no matter turning direction, No sir, no hub caps of any kind. Alum stock(?) wheels. Tires are good, and didn't change with new ones a while back.

 

[Bextreme04]

I once knew a guy that drove himself crazy with the exact same issue... turned out to be a bolt in his tire that only made contact under certain speeds and steering directions. Check the tires carefully for FOD.

 

[TubeTruck]

I know you said you checked the u-joints but I just want to ask if you checked the axle u-joints? Maybe a cap backed out out and is making contact with the axle? Or the grease fitting if there is one? There might even be a rock in the axle tube that is being flung around by the axle.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I know you said you checked the u-joints but I just want to ask if you checked the axle u-joints? Maybe a cap backed out out and is making contact with the axle? Or the grease fitting if there is one? There might even be a rock in the axle tube that is being flung around by the axle.

This! Although the cap doesn't have to back out to make noise. Worked on a dodge once and it had a speed matching tick. Ended up being the outer axle u-joint, all dried up. Have also had similar ticking from main driveshaft u-joints.

This can also be a tricky one cuz the braking, steering, and suspension all can affect it. This is my best guess without getting hands on it.

 

[Poppy 87]

I would check brake hardware and caliper mounting as the noise goes away under braking. My truck is 2wd but had similar symptom and found brake pad anti rattle hardware loose. Good luck

 

[DoubleDingo]

If you have a gopro you could mount it under there and maybe see or hear the exact location of the culprit.