Clicking noise in left front tire?

[jdawg33]

So when I got home from camping and twin cone yesterday I noticed a clicking type of noise coming from the left front tire. Happens forward and backward. Visual inspection revals nothing. Next step is to pull tire and see what I find. But I thought I would ask here for thoughts of what it might be first. I'm thinking caliper/rotor issue or maybe bearings?

Ideas? :mad:

[Coonburger]

hrm...... id check the ujoint might be getting ready to go . caliper/rotor i doubt it be more of a scrappign noise.

[jdawg33]

Thanks Josh. I'll add that to the list too.. Might have to crawl back under there and check it out

[Haku]

Definitely sounds like a u-joint to me too. Could be something in the hub too. Not sure if you have auto locking hubs, hub flanges or a manual lockout hub, but they can can cause a clicking noise if they aren't engaged or disengaged all the way.

With u-joints, if that is the issue then definitely replace it with a quality unit. I've heard bad things about some of the auto parts places and the ones they sell, so its worth going to a place that deals with drivelines and such. I bet Bill at Englewood driveshaft can get a nice quality unit for you for close to the same price as something Autozone will sell it for.

[Brody]

What those guys said about the u joint. Spray some WD40 into it and see if some rust comes out. That is usually a sign that it is about to go as the bearings are shot. You can also stick a long screwdriver or pry something below or into the u joint and try to move it up and down or back and forth, depending on axle/ u joint orientation. You shouldn't get much side to side play within the u joint. If you do, that is another sign that the u joint is going.

I wouldn't think it would be the caliper, either as that would cause a scraping noise like Joshua said.

If it is the wheel bearing, you can check this by taking a quick drive and placing you hand on the hub. If the hub is too hot to leave your hand on, then the wheel bearings probably need grease or they are their way out.

[Robert B]

muhahaha it could be the caliper...mine is....i have had a clicking also (right front) and i didnt find it but it would go away when i would press the brake lightly sometimes so i knew it was breaks but i didnt find it....my dad found it and it is the caliper moving on the pins the bolts go through so we got a little bushing kit and it should be quiet once i get it in tomorrow or the next day so that might also be your problem :)

[Brody]

HAHA...I heard that clicking noise when your rig was turned off and you were talking to me. It is coming from your brain pan, Robert, not your rig...:lmao:

[Robert B]

brody me man i have many clicks in my front end lol my calipers my front spring bushings.... my motor mount on the passenger side is gone so the header rivet hits the frame once in a while.....my rear pinion has soooooo much play i could live in that space!!! :)

[jdawg33]

Thanks guys.. Lots to check out in the AM.. I'm going with u joint for now... Fun times.

[BlackRubi]

Like others said, check U-joints. Axle shafts are easy to replace, if that is the problem. I'll give you a hand if you need it.

[Haku]

Thanks guys.. Lots to check out in the AM.. I'm going with u joint for now... Fun times.

For the record, when I said u-joint I meant the ones on the axle shafts not the drive shaft. I know Hotchef said you were talking to Bill about getting a driveshaft this morning or something. It could be an issue with either, so check ALL the ujoints.

[jdawg33]

Checked them all. The only one that is loose and looks really worn is the drive u joint. So time to get it replaced. My only concern is that it's getting replaced but may not be the root cause, it's just happens to be in need of some TLC.

[Aaron]

THe one attached to the axle? That is the one I replaced...twice :-/ I know the little hooeydingers what hold it in look rough (due to the aforementioned needing to replace them twice) but the actual U-Joint is bad.. Damn. I suck.

[MelloYello]

I know this sounds too simple to be the case, but it's happened before... small rock stuck in rim/ between caliper and wheel... had one get inside a hub cab once, drove me nuts until i figured it out :redface: ....start by removing all chrome parts from vehicle.. :D

Funny! I also had a rock get in behind my center cap on my front wheel that drove me nuts trying to track the "click" noise down.

[jdawg33]

Tried looking for rocks... I might take everthing apart again and do the eyeball inspection one more time...

[Brody]

Forgot about the stupid stuff...It may very well be some rocks behind the dust shield for the brakes....

I shouldn't have forgotten that as we used to stick rocks or marbles into people's hub caps for a lark growing up, including my folk's cars. Later on, we stuck dead fish into the hubcaps on people's cars we had a beef with. Nothing like a dead fish in a hubcap in Florida heat to make the car almost a biohazard......I was not a nice kid.

[jdawg33]

Victory!!!! No more clicking noise. So it turned out to be a smashed collar and the u-joint kept slipping with each rotation of drive-shaft. It was pretty mangled from years of abuse (I blame Aaron :)). The u-joint was actually fine... the rest, not so much. Thanks for all the suggestions and help, and for sending me over to Bill at Englewood Drive-shaft. He does great work! So drive-shaft is back in the jeep and no more click click click.

Thanks guys!

[RockyMtnHigh]

my rear pinion has soooooo much play i could live in that space!!! :)

Since you're responding to Pete, I sure hope you're talking about your rig and this isn't a euphemism for something else! :eek::lmao: