KCRickSS

I installed my 9" about a month ago. Have about 600 miles on it and it was completely built out when I bought it - came with axles/backing plates all pressed and installed, ready to bolt up to the car.

My problem - just this week I noticed when driving through my parking garage at work that I could hear an odd squeek/thumping when turning left slowly - seems to come from the drivers side but hard to tell. I thought I had a flat at first but obviously that is not the problem. I also noticed when I take off hard from a stop and turn either left or right that my wheels want to hop, which doesn't feel right to me.

I've been searching and it seems like I might have a bad axle bearing(s)? Could it be more than that? What happens if an axle bearing goes out?

Since it was completely built out before I installed it I am not familiar with how the axles get put together. Need help with diagnosing/fixing this...please!

NoMoreLS1

iTrader: (65)

Did you put a bottle of Ford posi additive in the rear end?

KCRickSS

Yes...actually it was GM additive but I did add one 4 oz bottle. I used 80w90 dino Oil in it also.

sykotic

Does it kinda sound like a winding noise when you turn left? Is it only turning left? If so, the driver side axle needs to be ground down about 1/8", I had that problem too with mine and I talked to Scott @ DLS and he said sometimes that axle is too long and causes the differential to bind. Mine caused my axle bearing to bust, but Moser reimbursed me for a replacement bearing. You can grind down that axle on a bench grinder.

KCRickSS

I was reading your posts on some other threads and to be honest, I'm not 100% sure if it is only left turns or not but it is very noticable in my work parking garage which forces me to turn left all the way through it. I will try to verify on my way home.

I do notice that the wheels wants to hop on either left or right turns - basically if I gas it from a stop and turn either left or right (inducing a slide) it wants to hop a bit first...maybe that part is "normal" for the TrueTrac?

And it isn't so much a winding noise...it is really a kinda squeeky thumpa thumpa sound (very hard to describe)...it is not really metalic sounding but is more like a flat tire (rubbery thumpa thumpa?).

Here's another tidbit that could be related...whenever I reinstalled my springs/shocks I got something goofy because when I hit a hard bump it sounds like I'm bottoming out (only big or sudden bumps do this). I think that is relatively common if you get them put in the wrong direction (?) and I plan to readjust the springs in the near future but for now I'm just going very slow over known bumps.

sykotic

I had that same issue, exactly how you described it after my 9" installation, it eventually went away and all i had was the winding noise. I am pretty sure that the bearing probably busted and that's why those symptoms went away and all I heard was the winding. It really isn't a big deal, I actually probably took off about 1/4" when I did it but if you have a bench grinder or know somebody who does it shouldn't take long, just pull the wheel, remove brakes, unbolt the brake backing plates and pull the axle out and be careful not to let it smash the axle seal, if you do no biggy just replace it($5 or so).

That bottoming out I also have that problem and I figured out that it is my torque arm bracket hitting the floor pan, I haven't got around to it yet but i'm just gonna beat in that part of the floor pan a little with a BFH.

But the turning thing, definately find out if it's only on left turns because I was never able to hear anything on right turns when I was messing around with it. The TruTrac does not make any noise and it shouldn't, if you hear anything coming from back there it is a problem, mine makes no noise at all right now, not even with the steering locked and parking.

KCRickSS

On the way out of the garage tonight I went to the top floor and did some circles both directions. I could only hear it when turning left but it was quieter than when I hear it after driving for 15-20 minutes first. I didn't notice any noise at all when turning right. I assume that I could barely hear anything when turning left because I tried it first thing with no "warm up" -- I normally hear it pretty clearly when I arrive after driving to work (lots of "warm up" on the axle).

Stupid question time - when I pull the axle, which side do I grind? Any idea if there is any pictures of the axle that I can see before I pull it out?

I guess I will have to give it a shot on Saturday AM. I'll let you know if it seems to help - thanks for the feedback!

sykotic

You will grind it down at the splines, don't worry if you do too much, a 1/8" or 1/4" is hardly anything at all, mark it and start grinding. There is plenty of spline that goes into the differential. Here is an auction on ebay for a moser 9", it's for a mustang but axles look about the same(not the lengths), has a few pictures.
http://cgi.ebay.com/9-FORD-MOSER-AXL...QQcmdZViewItem

Let me know if you have any questions.

KCRickSS

Wow - that is a great picture of one - thanks for digging that up!

One more question - do I have to drain the oil first? I assume I will have to but since it was all put together originally I just filled her up and bolted it on so I wanted to double check (don't want to mess with it if I don't have to).

I will let you know how it goes...thanks again!

sykotic

No, don't have to drain the gear lube, you will only have a little bit on the axle, the axle tubes shouldn't have any standing lube in them. Make sure to readjust that ebrake when you are done, my first time putting it in I didn't have an ebrake for a week. Don't worry about making it pretty like it is right now, just make sure to clean it off after you are done and make sure there is nothing stuck between the splines.

KCRickSS

I was going to try avoiding driving it until I pulled the axle but had to go to th the office this AM. I drove to work and after arriving could hear the "thumpa" sound going up the garage (turning left). I went straight to the top and tried turning right and could still hear it a bit - not nearly as loud but I could hear it.

I'm still going to try pulling the driver side and grind it down to see if it helps but I'm not sure what to think now. Maybe it is pushing on the entire assembly? I wish I could isolate the sound...when I turned right I couldn't tell if the sound moved or not.

KCRickSS

Well, I pulled the driver side and ground it down about 1/4 inch (a bit less). It was pretty easy to get it out and back in.

When I pulled the axle I noticed that the axle bearing had grease that appeared to squirt out of the differential side (it looked like it had been pushed out to some degree). After reinstalling I took it for a spin and noticed I still had the "thumpa" sound but it seemed like it was only on left turns. So do you think my axle bearing is already shot? It seems like it to me...

When I replace it, will I have to have it pressed onto the axle I can I get it on there any other way?

sykotic

No you will need to press it on, the axle bearing should be a sealed bearing, check for cracks on it and see if its busted, try spinning it and see if it makes any grinding noises and try rocking it side to side, it really shouldn't be able to move. Like if you were trying to pull the bearing off the axle, put a hand on each side and push and pull each side of the bearing to see if it has any play in it, a tiny tiny bit is normal but it shouldn't really move at all. If it spins freely and seems to stay in place I would look somewhere else about for the noise.

How close is your exhaust to the driveshaft? Get the car on jack stands and load the suspension by jacking up on the rear end until it barely lifts it off the stands and see how much clearance you have, if you are as close as mine was when I first installed mine, when I went to turn a certain way and was in first gear and would push in the clutch, my driveshaft would hit the exhaust just barely.

If the bearing seems ok I wouldn't replace it, it's like a $60 bearing. Only other thing I can think of is to make sure your brake backing plates are bolted all the way to the housing, if the axles are moving in and out it could make that noise on a turn. Are you lowered? Are you sure it's not something else hitting like the tires rubbing etc?

If you do end up replacing that bearing, yes you have to have it pressed, you might be able to manage it with the right size pole and a hammer but I wouldn't recommend it. The press fit from that bearing and it's press ring above it is all that holds your axle in there, if done incorrectly and somehow that bearing manages to come off the axle, you could really do some damage.

KCRickSS

I wish I had taken a pic.

By sealed...does that mean that no grease should have gotten out of it? It definitely looked like the grease was "squeezed" out on the differential side of bearing...it left a bunch on the tube and there was more left on the seal of the bearing itself. I debated prying it open and trying to pack more into it but didn't. I tried spinning it and it did spin without grinding but it seemed like it took a little bit of effort to do it - I expected it to just turn real easily.

KCRickSS

Here's a sound clip I captured today. I was turning left and you can hear the odd squeeking/rubbing sound. I captured this from inside the car - just left my video camera sitting in the backseat.

http://home.kc.rr.com/kcrickss/camar..._end_noise.wav
or
http://home.kc.rr.com/kcrickss/camar..._end_noise.mp3


Ideas anyone? I'm beginning to wonder if this is an axle bearing or something else altogether. I do hear a small bit of similar "squeek" when turning right but it is not nearly as noticeable or loud. I don't hear anything at higher speeds or large radius turns (a medium/large size intersection left turn doesn't seem to do it).

I think this all started after my first hard romp on it this past week too - rowed through 2-4 gear shifting relatively hard.

sykotic

This might be a pain but if you can go somewhere and do some circles and have a buddy walk beside the car and listen for the noise and try and narrow down the general area it's in, it may just be the sound clip but that sounds like tires rubbing to me.