Rearend noises

[dfeagins@domain.elided (Denni Feagins)]

>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 12:22:42 -0500
>From: Dirtball@domain.elided (Paul Brakefield)
>Subject: Strange rear-end noise (no, not gas :-))
>
>Here we go again!
>
>I'm driving home from getting new tailpipes run (they had turned down in
>front of the rear axle- hack, hack, hack!!), going about 40 mph, when
>suddenly I get this sound from the rear that sounds like a baseball card in
>a bicycle wheel.  It is speed sensitive, i.e. it gets faster as I speed up.
>
>Anyway, it stops when I put on the brakes.  The harder I push, the less it
>gets.  When I come to a stop with the brakes on (duh!) it is non-existent.
>
>Anybody experience this before?  Ideas, other than "check the brakes?"
>Even I'm smart enough to do that, but I thought someone might have some
>specific ideas on what would be rubbing something else that would enable it
>to make a clicking sound as it went around.  I've also thought ring and
>pinion and u-joints (new), but don't see how the brakes would affect them
>so far as making the sound stop.
>
>I'm open to any and all suggestions, and thanks for your thoughts-
>
>
>Paul Brakefield
>"Dirtball"
>
>1966 IHC Scout 800- "The Beast"
>Chevy 350/SM465/Dana20
>
>1973 Scout II
>345/727/Dana20
>
>IHC Mailing List
>Georgia Bounty Runners
>Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
>United Fourwheel Drive Associations
>Proud Member of the NRA
>

Of course, make sure you haven't got any debris (weeds, sticks, Geo
Metros...) wrapped around your axle or stuck in your wheel.  Then, check for
anything coming in contact with your driveshaft.  Finally, check for
excessive play in your rear ring and pinion gear (and take that with a grain
of salt, as mine just destructed last Friday night...:).  You might really
want to open up your rear diff and check for loose ring gear bolts,
incorrect contact between any of the gears, and to check for metal in the
housing.  I had a customer break a ring gear because the ring gear bolts
backed out, so safe is better than sorry.

Denni