Greeting,

I have a 2002 Suburban and decided to put in four wheel drive on dry pavement to make sure everything is in working order. It shifted into four wheel drive just fine but I noticed a grindy howling sound from the front end. It isn't terribly loud but noticable. I slid under the front end and found gear lube all around the passenger side output shaft which tells me it is a worn out axel seal. After talking to several repair shops, many said this is a common problem. My question is, is the grindy howling noise due to low gear lube level since some leaked out? Am I hurting anything or should I have the seal replaced and the gear lube topped off right away?

Thanks,
Happy Holidays

 

well the grinding could be due to the loss of lube in the axle(broken boot),i would replace it and hope for the best..hopefully it's not completly shot....i think thats where you are?.....any pics for reference



(1) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft
(2) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Seal
(3) Front Drive Axle Inner Axle Shaft Bearing
(4) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Housing
(5) Front Drive Axle Clutch Gear Thrust Washer
(6) Front Drive Axle Clutch Gear
(7) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Retaining Ring
(8) Front Drive Axle Clutch Sleeve
(9) Front Drive Axle Clutch Shim
(10) Front Drive Axle Actuator
(11) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Housing Bolt
(12) Front Drive Axle Clutch Fork Shaft
(13) Front Drive Axle Clutch Fork Outer Spring
(14) Front Drive Axle Clutch Fork
(15) Front Drive Axle Clutch Shaft Retaining Ring
(16) Front Drive Axle Clutch Fork Inner Spring
(17) Front Drive Axle Clutch Shaft Bearing
(18) Front Drive Axle Clutch Shaft
(19) Front Differential Carrier Bolt
(20) Front Differential Carrier
(21) Front Differential Carrier Half Location Pin
(22) Front Differential Case Bearing
(23) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster Nut
(24) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster Nut Sleeve
(25) Front Differential Side Bearing Cup
(26) Differential Ring Gear Bolt
(27) Front Differential Side Bearing
(28) Front Differential Pinion Gear Shaft
(29) Front Differential Case
(30) Differential Pinion Gear Shaft Lock Bolt
(31) Differential Side Bearing
(32) Differential Side Bearing Cup
(33) Front Differential Ring Gear
(34) Front Differential Half Carrier Location Pin
(35) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster Nut Lock
(36) Differential Pinion Gear
(37) Differential Pinion Gear Thrust Washer
(38) Differential Side Gear Thrust Washer
(39) Differential Side Gear
(40) Differential Pinion Gear
(41) Differential Pinion Gear Thrust Washer
(42) Front Differential Side Gear Spacer
(43) Front Differential Side Gear
(44) Front Differential Side Gear Thrust Washer
(45) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear
(46) Differential Drive Pinion Gear Bearing Shim
(47) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Inner Bearing
(48) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Inner Bearing Cup
(49) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Bearing Spacer
(50) Front Differential Carrier Bushing
(51) Front Differential Carrier
(52) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster Nut Lock
(53) Bolt
(54) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Yoke Nut
(55) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Thrust Washer
(56) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Yoke
(57) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Bearing Dirt Deflector
(58) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Seal
(59) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Outer Bearing Cup
(60) Front Differential Drive Pinion Gear Outer Bearing
(61) Front Differential Carrier Bushing
(62) Differential Bearing
(63) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster O-Ring Seal
(64) Front Differential Bearing Adjuster
(65) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Seal
(66) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft Retaining Ring
(67) Front Drive Axle Inner Shaft
(68) Front Differential Carrier Vent
(69) Fuel and Oil Resistant Hose
(70) Clamp
(71) Front Differential Carrier Vent Hose Connector
(72) Front Differential Carrier Oil Drain Plug
(73) Front Differential Carrier Oil Drain Plug Washer
(74) Front Differential Carrier Oil Fill Plug
(75) Front Differential Carrier Oil Fill

 

Is part #66 a snap ring or a c-clip? I am trying to remove the short axle, the long one popped out with 1 pop of a hammer but not the other side. Do i have to disassemble the case to slide it out???

 

No it pops out like the other side. It must be pulled perfectly straight. I bolt a side hammer to the axle bolt holes. I LIGHT hit and it comes out.

 

I have 1997 K1500 tahoe, after looking at the drawing of front axle differential, have
concluded that part #13(clutch fork outer spring) and or part #16(clutch fork inner spring)
are not keeping apart part #6(clutch gear), part #8(clutch sleeve) and or part #18(axle
clutch shaft) when driving in two wheel drive, hence my grinding noise during two wheel
drive.
Part #8, part #6 and part #18 must all engage during four wheel drive operation, coupling
the left side to the right side of the differential to be able to transmit power from the front
drive shaft through to the wheels.
These 3(three) parts would or should free wheel at different speeds or directions during two
wheel drive operation, since the front drive shaft would not be turned by the transfer case
during two wheel drive operation.
The questions I have are:
1. My vehicle has flanges that bolt up at each CV, one at the differential, and one at the
wheel spindle, with the CV joints and drive axle between them. The Chilton’s manual doesn’t
show a flange at the wheel spindle, (just the spindle shaft at the end of the CV joint without
a flange), and the procedure has the reader disturbing the suspension to remove the drive
axles from the wheels. Can the drive axles assemblies be just unbolted at the flanges and
be removed without messing with the suspension and ball joints?
2. Based on answer from question #1 being YES, will all parts from 1 to 17 accessible
without taking the whole differential apart or even out of the vehicle?
3. The whole assembly of part #4(axle inner shaft housing) come off as one assembly, parts
#1 through 15 come off as one when you remove the bolts (part #11[axle inner shaft
housing bolts])?
4. Based on answer from question #1 being YES and #2 being NO, Can the vehicle be safely
made operational in two wheel drive without the front differential and front drive shaft
installed? (This is my primary vehicle to get to work, can’t have a long down time for DIY
repairs)
5. Which way is part #12(Clutch fork shaft) being moved when putting it into four wheel
drive? Pulling on fork, or pushing on fork, in other words is part #13 the return spring or is
it Part #16?
6. The drawing doesn’t show any electrical wiring, there are two set of wires going to the
differential, one set to the actuator, and the other is on part #4(axle inner shaft housing),
on other side opposite the actuator. I am assuming the other set of wires is a switch for the
indicator lights that it is in two wheel drive versus four wheel drive. Correct?
7. Part #67(drive axle inner shaft) should be able to be popped out without disassembly of the
case? The grease seal, part #65(axle inner shaft seal) is leaking and making a mess.
Front axle grinding noise, similar or same