Gears & Axles - Help rear axle/wheel noise!?

ok so for a year plus now my car is making a noise in the rear. now i have posted on here before and i never got a straight answer. i tried replacing rear wheelbearings and seals and when i got in there they were fine, so swapped out the seals and tried replacing the rotors and pads...nothing. im running out of ideas on what it could be!! someone said a pinion bearing and i youtubed the noise and that sounds like a high pitched squeel/whine. mine is like a rubbing or a waawaawaawaawaaawaa. Any idea? i know i have heard people say they had the same problem but ive yet to see a solution.

Are you sure it isn't just gear noise? Bob

I have a similar noise and determined that it was the
rear brake pads dragging on the rotors, with the axle
on stands I could pinpoint the source by slowly turning
the wheel.

What was your solution? Change to different pads?

Mine made the same noise and ended up being rear pinion bearings and axle bearings. Quiet as can be now.

I am getting a griding noise, but only from under 25mph when cruising down to a stop. I have changed rotors, pads, axle bearings, rebuilt differential, and the noise does not stop. The last thing to change is the axle shafts, which are not in bad condition. When I lifted the rearend and put the car in gear to spin the wheels, I could not replicate the grinding noise. So I have no idea, other than the pads possibly dragging, but the calipers aren't too hot after driving, if they were dragging.

Op yours sounds like a carrier bearing from your description.

Guy, when you say rebuilt diff do you know if your pinion and carrier beatings were replaced? How does your diff magnet look...if you have grinding that typically means failure is imminent. Have you pulled the axle shafts and looked at the bearing surface? Remember if you change them you need new axle bearings too.

All bearings where replaced, except axle tube bearings. The magnet hasn't really had metal shavings the times I have taken a look . The bearing surfaces on the axles are not perfect, but not pitted. The shop said they were still good, but are showing signs of wear. I am guesing they may be the originals. :confused: I have seen the axles myself too and didn't look as bad as others I have seen online. That is the next thing I will replace, axles/bearings.

Update: I replaced the axles with Dorman 630-122, and national bearings and seals. The noise is still there, but not as loud as before. The old axles did have grooves in them, but were not pitted.

I have same problem. i replaced the rear bearings and one axle that was pitted. I have a little bit of noise still. I plan on replacing the other axle even though it had no pitting. It is more annoying then anything else. Not loud like before I did the bearings GL