Topic: New squeeking sound coming from the drivetrain

[jfrabat]

OK, guys, I need your help here...  Last weekend I did some work on the Jeep, and as ussual, I fixed one thing, and a new problem came up!

On Saturday, I replaced the rear D35 diff cover with a new ARB cover that I got as a gift (actually, I got both the D35 and the D30, but have only installed the D30).  On Monday, I noticed that there was a squeeking sound coming from somewhere in the drivetrain (I would guess it's the rear axle, but it can really be from anywhere) that is associated to the wheel speed.  It is specially audible at lower speeds...

At first I thought maybe I had a leak in the diff cover and had lost some oil there, or maybe I did not fill it right, so I got under the Jeep and checked, and the fluid level was fine (I increased a little over the level of the stock diff cover to compensate for the rotated axle to start with, and added a little more just to be safe).  I drove it again, and the noise was still there.  So I got the jeep up on jackstands, and put it into gear...  NO SQUEEKING!  I figured, well, maybe I WAS a little low on oil, and it just took a little time to get to wherever it was needing lubing...  Next morning, I get on the Jeep, and the squeeking is back.  Wednesday I did not hear it, but today I hear it again.

Any ideas what this could be?  By the way, I used a Valvoline Synthetic Blend 80W-90 Gear Oil; could this be the problem?  I know the book calls for 75W GL5 Oil, so I am not sure this is the issue...  But the weight difference is minimal, so I would not think this is the cause.  And I am assuming that the cause of the noise is the diff oil change, but it is not necessarily so; keep in mind that when I tried locating the sound, the sound went away.

Any advise is welcome...

[jcsanders79]

Hmm, I doubt that its the diff just from basically changing the oil.  What kind of driveshaft do you have and are your U joints good?

[neale_rs]

There are only a few things that rotate next to a fixed point on an axle. Maybe something stuck between brake backing plate and drum. The axle shaft and the seal.  The drive shaft next to the pinion and TC seals.  The u-joints themselves.  The brakes themselves.  Can't think of anything else just now.

[jfrabat]

Yeah, I was thinking it coul dbe the brakes also...  It seems to me that the sound comes from the driver side, but that could be just because I am sitting there when I hear the sound.

[jfrabat]

I put it into 4L today so that I could walk next to the Jeep and figure out the source of the noise.  It seems it is coming from the rear passanger side, which leads me to believe it is the brake on that side causing the squeeling...  I'll check it out this weekend.  At least I feel more confident that the D35 wont blow while driving around town!