rear end click/clack from P to D

[TerryD]

Hey all,
I'm getting some clicking clacking noise from the rear of the car when I put the car into gear and even sometimes driving. I've heard it could be the pinion bearing maybe. Does anyone know any good local & reliable St Petersburg shops that could diagnose and repair this. It is an auto Lt-1, 1996 CE with 3.07 gears. just put in new u joints but this did not solve my prob

 

[Toms007]

Sounds like you may have a lack of positraction lubrication. Have you tried putting in the GM Positraction-lube? Back when I had my '64 I had a similar "ratcheting" sound. After I added the Positraction-lube the issue went away. I think that this is an issue with the C4s as well. The part number for the lube is 1052358, this is a current GM part number.

 

[gmjunkie]

Hey all,
I'm getting some clicking clacking noise from the rear of the car when I put the car into gear and even sometimes driving. I've heard it could be the pinion bearing maybe. Does anyone know any good local & reliable St Petersburg shops that could diagnose and repair this. It is an auto Lt-1, 1996 CE with 3.07 gears. just put in new u joints but this did not solve my prob

Check and make sure the rear wheel bearings are not loose,that the Large Axel Nuts are torqued to 164 Ft Lb and that the rear brake pads aren't worn on the ends and moving front to back,back to front in the calipers!!

 

[TerryD]

thanks guys, I'm jacking up the rear and checking those items today.

 

[jonszr1]

that noise might also be the u-joints on your 1/2shafts. these have atendancy to freeze up after a while . if it is them make sure you replace with good spicer u joints without the zerk fittings .

 

[Hib Halverson]

If you just installed new universals....were these the u-joints for the driveshaft or the axle shafts? Or both? I ask because, if you replaced the all the joints that would tend to eliminate u-joints as a possible cause but, if you just changed the joints in the driveshaft, it is possible the joints in the axle shafts are bad.

Also, C4s will make a clicking sort of "snap" noise at slow speeds when drive torque changes if there's a problem with the thrust washers used in the stub axle assembly are worn or defective.

 

[TerryD]

If you just installed new universals....were these the u-joints for the driveshaft or the axle shafts? Or both? I ask because, if you replaced the all the joints that would tend to eliminate u-joints as a possible cause but, if you just changed the joints in the driveshaft, it is possible the joints in the axle shafts are bad.

Also, C4s will make a clicking sort of "snap" noise at slow speeds when drive torque changes if there's a problem with the thrust washers used in the stub axle assembly are worn or defective.

Hib, thanks for the reply...where is this stub axle/thrust washers located. I have the car at Van Steels now in St Pete FLA to diagnose this click/clunk and they believe it might be the ujoints to the driveshaft. I've thought about swapping the rear diff with 3.54, replacing the stock 3.07. Would this help the afforementioned noise? Car drives good, it just doesn't sound normal and I want to take some preventative measures!

 

[jonszr1]

the stub axle washers are the ones that are in the wheel bearing assembly . the stub axles that come out of the rear end are adjusted by the thickness of the snap rings . if you have a fsm the exploded view will show them . hope this helps