Here we go again. Same old CLUNK when put in reverse. Like a LOUD clunk. Does it even when the u-joints are new. Never tried the slip yoke grease thing. It has become a part of the truck. I guess when I drop the LS1 in I'll have to go through it and figure it out, sounds like its coming from the transfer case. But the clunk is old news.

My 3" DJM drop LCAs have been giving me headaches for a year now. Everytime I get under the truck to change the oil one of the frame to control arm bolts is loose, never this loose though. I torque it back up and voila, does it again. I recently went thru and replaced all balljoints, inner and outer tierods, BOTH axle shaft seals....front calipers....so its all new.

SO now after spirited driving I hear some clinking under truck...sounds like ujoints. The rear driveshaft has no play whatsoever but the front has like a lot. But even though the ujoints do need replacing, I dont think its the ujoints themselves making the slack, think its either in the transfer case or front diff. Dunno.

Either way, Ive changed these freaking u-joints on front and back twice since I've had the truck in 4 yrs. Gettin ready to do it again I guess. Also gotta figure out a way to make this damn bolt stay in.

'nother problem is the damn grease boot on the inner tierod likes to slide down the rod and grease gets over everything....Guess Ill wrap that bitch with some electrical tape...

Thanks for reading, rant over.

BTW, thinking about offering ben some money to let me put this thing on the lift to fix em this time.....make it easier

 

get a nylon lock nut with a lock washer and locktite, that should hold the bolt in there

 

+1 on the lock nut. my truck makes the same clunking noise. The noise could be coming from your suspension, not the driveshaft. i think some of my suspension bushings need to be refreshed, because mine makes a bunch of noises on several occasions. Hard stops, footbrake stalling, etc make it squeak and creak like hell.

 

Lock nut & washer. Or if u that's not handy, 2 nuts, 1 snugged against other. Whatever, long as it makes it safer.

Tie rod boot: cheap & easy, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I've never done this, bought thought of it as I read your issues. Electrical tape may fall off / not stick in 1st place due to grease. Ziptie just under boot just where it catches it from sliding.

 

yeah i was thinking about that nylon lock nut. Tomorrow I'll go ahead and get new ujoints, a new plastic inner fender for the passenger side, (it was torn up already and I thought it was bouncing off of the tire making that clunk noise (not the one going in reverse) this is a different noise, only when I turn left...clunk clunk clunk...lol. def sounds serious, maybe a cv axle, who knows.


Ive been all over this truck in the past 4 yrs From lifting the bed to install new fuel pump, to lifting it again to install drop, to dropping the tank to install another fuel pump, to ******* with the rear axle and having to shim it to get pinion angle right, to having the whole ******* front end out of the truck numerous times.....3 brake jobs....to 3 different sets of wheels. My neighbors think I'm crazy. Had the entire interior out twice and did dynamat, pulled the whole damn dash to paint.....changed hoods, changed drivers side fenders twice in the yard....lol. then when its not in the freaking driveway on stands someone elses ride is. I'm like the neighborhood mechanic. Ive done everything from changing headlight bulbs in neighbors cars to changing complete air conditioning systems....it never ends.

I'm tired of working on this truck.

 

sounds like a good excuse to buy a 6.2 to me

 

You could do what 1 of my bros. did. He needed tires for his van, so he just bought a new one.

Even better. On his old van, for all his tools, he wanted to make & install oak storage / drawers for lack of a better term. He bought the new van, & IIRC, he had to trim it different to fit. Forced to do something, he did a quickie melamine setup in meantime. He works 80hrs. a wk., & still doesn't have oak setup in after all these yrs.

Better yet. His new van is taller than old van. It doesn't fit in garage. I do his oil changes in drive, he usu. picks the most windy, rainy or snowy, coldest/ hottest days for me to do that too!! I fixed that tho.

 

lol well If I could stop spending money on this truck then I could finish my '85 silverado, only about 5-600 away from dropping the motor back in. Gonna burn some copper this weekend and hopefully make about 7-800 so thatll take care of that. Then I can drive the 85 and get away from low4x4 for a while, that oughta renew my interest in it after awhile.

 

We will get this sorted out man. No sweat. Gremlins like this is what caused a lot of hard feelings between me and my truck but now were all better the sound is consistant which tells me it's just one thing making the sound. we will have a look at it this week and get it figured out.

As far as the bolts go, locking nuts, locking washers and/or loc-tite or some combo of all 3 is probably what you'll have to do. I had the same problem for a while and lock nuts fixed it and haven't gotten loose in over 2 years.

 

Why? It takes less than 10 minutes if you fall asleep halfway through.