Noise from rear of BRAT

[ducunee]

Have 85 BRAT at dealership to diagnose noise from rear, always run in 2WD. Conclusion that u-joints were bad. Question, does drive shaft turn when NOT in 4WD?

[jono]

yes, if you think about it ...when rear wheels turn the splines cause the rear double offset joint axles to turn, causing diff to turn and by now still not have anything to stop this rotation, so this in turn causes the tailshaft to turn and then somewhere in the gearbox this is free wheeling until 4WD is selected.

 

Often the uni joint grease nipples are forgotten about, uni joints get dry and then rust and decay. Often hear a 4WD EA81 in FWD no load on rear drive components and a ting ting ting metallic noise , present even when engine off and rolling . I use a quiet street with buildings either side to echo the ting ting noise back at me, engine off. Just a grease at the nipples has revived a noisy uni joint several times in the past

Edited January 2, 2016 by jono

[subi82]

re: "Just a grease at the nipples has revived a noisy uni joint several times in the past "

 

riiight... but how do you get at it?    I'm hearing metallic clicking , sometimes clunking, coming from rear of 82 Leone.  Its either a CV, or the rear U Joint...    I can't find any grease nipples anywhere back there.  (rear CV boots are fine by the way).   There might be one on the U joint, but its way too tight to even get a finger in there to check?   how would you go about greasing rear CV and Uni Joint?