Squeak in A4 tail - video inside
Squeak in A4 tail - video inside I pulled the rearend this weekend for some maintenance; I had noticed that when I spin the rear wheels by hand there seemed to be a squeak. Long story short, I didn't replace any u-joints, but I did inspect them an found no issues.
I greased up the front yoke/shaft with marine grease and slid it back into the tranny, gave it a slight spin and the squeak was there (in neutral). I moved the driveshaft in all directions and it didn't make any noise.
The noise is coming from the tail of the transmission. Anyone heard of this or know the cause?
I greased up the front yoke/shaft with marine grease and slid it back into the tranny, gave it a slight spin and the squeak was there (in neutral). I moved the driveshaft in all directions and it didn't make any noise.
The noise is coming from the tail of the transmission. Anyone heard of this or know the cause?
Last edited by WhiteStallion00; Mar 18, 2012 at 08:44 PM. Reason: Updated title to reflect video link
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
Squeaky driveshafts were common -but way back in 2000 or so.
I have a 1998 Camaro. The aluminum driveshaft according to the dealer who replaced the driveshaft under warranty said it had a small crack in one of the welds. The replacement eliminated the squeaky driveshaft.
Back in the day - a lot of driveshafts were replaced when Fbodies were still under warranty.
I have a 1998 Camaro. The aluminum driveshaft according to the dealer who replaced the driveshaft under warranty said it had a small crack in one of the welds. The replacement eliminated the squeaky driveshaft.
Back in the day - a lot of driveshafts were replaced when Fbodies were still under warranty.
Figures 
It does kinda sound like it's reverberating through the driveshaft; I checked the welds , and thought about getting out the magnifying glass, but didn't. Are we sure it's not in the tranny?
Tiny cracks get big, so I suspect I'm in for a not so pleasant surprise pretty soon
It does kinda sound like it's reverberating through the driveshaft; I checked the welds , and thought about getting out the magnifying glass, but didn't. Are we sure it's not in the tranny?Tiny cracks get big, so I suspect I'm in for a not so pleasant surprise pretty soon
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
I'm not suggesting that all of the problems (noises) from the driveshaft's back then were due to faulty welds. There were many instances where GM replaced the driveshaft several times on the same vehicles (Fbodies) and the noises continued.
As I recall after adding new parts to my drivetrain, I got a squeak when spinning the driveshaft. The squeak was a result of the wrong pinion angle because the aftermarket A4 transmission mount was off by about 3/4 of an inch causing the transmission trailshaft to be lower than stock height. I removed it and put the stock transmission mount back on to get it to the correct height.
These cars are very sensitive when adjusting pinion angle especially after replacing the transmission tailshaft rubber mount with poly or aftermarket parts.
Just a half inch on the height of the rubber mount can throw the front angle off causing the rear angle to be wrong. The front u-joint angles always have to be equal or higher than the angle at the rear end of the driveshaft.
There are hundreds of posts concerning this issue. Two things to check first are the rubber transmission mount and then pinion angle at the rearend.
BTW - I have done extensive modifications to the suspension and drivetrain on my car. Adding or fixing weak links in the drivetrain sometimes can cause new issues to deal with.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1835930...7623345499537/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1835930...7623345499537/
As I recall after adding new parts to my drivetrain, I got a squeak when spinning the driveshaft. The squeak was a result of the wrong pinion angle because the aftermarket A4 transmission mount was off by about 3/4 of an inch causing the transmission trailshaft to be lower than stock height. I removed it and put the stock transmission mount back on to get it to the correct height.
These cars are very sensitive when adjusting pinion angle especially after replacing the transmission tailshaft rubber mount with poly or aftermarket parts.
Just a half inch on the height of the rubber mount can throw the front angle off causing the rear angle to be wrong. The front u-joint angles always have to be equal or higher than the angle at the rear end of the driveshaft.
There are hundreds of posts concerning this issue. Two things to check first are the rubber transmission mount and then pinion angle at the rearend.
BTW - I have done extensive modifications to the suspension and drivetrain on my car. Adding or fixing weak links in the drivetrain sometimes can cause new issues to deal with.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1835930...7623345499537/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1835930...7623345499537/
Tranny mounts are in great shape, as is the torque arm mount.
I didn't record it then, but I got the noise w/o being hooked up to the rearend. I then tweaked the driveshaft every possible way but could only get the squeek to occur when rotating, this was regardless of the angle of the driveshaft. When it wasn't hooked up to the rearend, just a tiny spin would squeek. Maybe I'll pull it out again and try spinning the tailshaft, that may give me a hint.
I didn't record it then, but I got the noise w/o being hooked up to the rearend. I then tweaked the driveshaft every possible way but could only get the squeek to occur when rotating, this was regardless of the angle of the driveshaft. When it wasn't hooked up to the rearend, just a tiny spin would squeek. Maybe I'll pull it out again and try spinning the tailshaft, that may give me a hint.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
My hunch after your last post is that the grease in needle bearings in the U-joints are starting the dry out.
A quick diagnosis would be to shoot some lubricant into the u-joint if it doesn't have a grease zerk. If the squeak goes away, then you will need to replace the u-joint. It's probably time to replace the front u-joint anyway considering the age of these cars and the power they produce (even stock) back to the weak drive-train.
A quick diagnosis would be to shoot some lubricant into the u-joint if it doesn't have a grease zerk. If the squeak goes away, then you will need to replace the u-joint. It's probably time to replace the front u-joint anyway considering the age of these cars and the power they produce (even stock) back to the weak drive-train.
Trending Topics
I'm fairly sure I had them replaced a few years ago; but I can check my records. It's got a "strange" grease fitting I haven't seen before; kinda like a needle used to blow up a football, with a flathead groove cut into it to unscrew it. It's screwed into one of the outer caps. I did push some grease into it, , but I could try more.thing is, while it was plugged into the tail, I moved it on both axis' and no noise. Only when rotating.
I'd just replace the damn things myself but I don't have a press and I don't think my homemade methods for pushing out bushings and bearings would be wise on such a delicate part. the crack DOES make sense, I could see how it would sound that way if it was echoing through the shaft.
I'd just replace the damn things myself but I don't have a press and I don't think my homemade methods for pushing out bushings and bearings would be wise on such a delicate part. the crack DOES make sense, I could see how it would sound that way if it was echoing through the shaft.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
My guess is that one/or two bearing caps is causing the squeak and on the front u-joint.
You also have to be careful when tightening the u-bolts for the the cap ends.
Don't overtighten one side. Both sides have to be equal when tightening.
All of the threads I would guess, are no longer available about this issue - at least on LS1Tech.
The consensus was that GM finally gave up and just quit honoring the squeak under warrantly. Some said they even went so far as to fill the driveshaft tube with material trying to get rid of the resonance noise.
Mine would do it when shifting from park to drive. It was very annoying, especially since the car was practically new when I bought it (8500 miles) in 1999. A new GM driveshaft fixed the noise.
After adding the ATI D1 supercharger I replaced it with a 3.5 inch PST (900 rwhp) aluminum driveshaft with spicer u-joints - I now have about 565 rwhp at 10 lbs of boost.
You also have to be careful when tightening the u-bolts for the the cap ends.
Don't overtighten one side. Both sides have to be equal when tightening.
All of the threads I would guess, are no longer available about this issue - at least on LS1Tech.
The consensus was that GM finally gave up and just quit honoring the squeak under warrantly. Some said they even went so far as to fill the driveshaft tube with material trying to get rid of the resonance noise.
Mine would do it when shifting from park to drive. It was very annoying, especially since the car was practically new when I bought it (8500 miles) in 1999. A new GM driveshaft fixed the noise.
After adding the ATI D1 supercharger I replaced it with a 3.5 inch PST (900 rwhp) aluminum driveshaft with spicer u-joints - I now have about 565 rwhp at 10 lbs of boost.
The front joint is pressed in, or I would have replaced it this weekend when I was under there. Not sure I'm willing to lose a driveshaft going down the freeway (fortunately there's a brace there to keep it from digging in and making an acrobat out of me. Might be time to get the front joint replaced and if that doesn't solve it, have it re-welded or toss it. It just started recently; if it had been doing it for a while I'd be less paranoid.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
I had all kinds of issues after replacing so many aftermarket parts on my chassis and drive train.
I finally found a shop that had a drive on lift that also could suspend the car as if it were on the ground - unsuspended - and where we could actually put the car in gear and get it up to a speed where we could hear and see the vibration in the driveshaft from underneath the car. With this lift the car runs same as if is on the ground.
It was hard to believe that the driveshaft would vibrate as much as it did only because of a 1/2 difference on the tailshaft height when mounted on the Yank aftermarket transmission support. In my case it was the Yank transmission support.
The grease zerk requires a needle nose adaptor on the grease gun - easy to find.
I still think shooting some wd4 on each end cap on the front u-joint will tell you if the squeak is caused because of dry needle bearings on the front u-joint or one or more of the needle bears has bit the dust. Any grease is eventually going to dry out after 10-15 years.
I doubt you have a broken weld - it take some extreme horsepower to break the driveshaft before something else would fail. The u-joints and an axle or even the puny rear-end would break first.
I finally found a shop that had a drive on lift that also could suspend the car as if it were on the ground - unsuspended - and where we could actually put the car in gear and get it up to a speed where we could hear and see the vibration in the driveshaft from underneath the car. With this lift the car runs same as if is on the ground.
It was hard to believe that the driveshaft would vibrate as much as it did only because of a 1/2 difference on the tailshaft height when mounted on the Yank aftermarket transmission support. In my case it was the Yank transmission support.
The grease zerk requires a needle nose adaptor on the grease gun - easy to find.
I still think shooting some wd4 on each end cap on the front u-joint will tell you if the squeak is caused because of dry needle bearings on the front u-joint or one or more of the needle bears has bit the dust. Any grease is eventually going to dry out after 10-15 years.
I doubt you have a broken weld - it take some extreme horsepower to break the driveshaft before something else would fail. The u-joints and an axle or even the puny rear-end would break first.
Good to know. I'll drop it out again in the next couple of days and grease it up a bit to see if that helps. I'm suffering massive handling problems that I can't pinpoint; I'm to the point I think I might have a tweaked chassis since I've ruled everything else out and torn both front an rear suspension apart no fewer than 5 times. There's a bind in it somewhere, so that could have things twisted around a bit.
