Rear end clunking

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4Factor

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Just picked up an '06 CRD. Had my mechanic look it over, he drove it, safetied it, no problems. I've put about 1000kms on it so far, i go away for a weekend, and 5kms from the destination (300km drive) the rear end craps out over a small dip in the road. The rear end (diff or axle) is clunking on a repetitive rate (once per revolution) and feels awful when it does it, kind of like a small shudder. I'm expecting since I drove it at 10km/h for the final 5.8kms that the rear end is totally screwed but does anyone have $$ ideas on rear axle or the rear diff? I don't know if it's a trac-lok diff, but I'm sure that's just more $$
 
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HoosierJeeper

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Doesn't it have a warranty on it? Sounds like it could be something to do with the driveshaft or pinion as the movement of the axle seems to have something to do with it.
 

4Factor

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Doesn't it have a warranty on it? Sounds like it could be something to do with the driveshaft or pinion as the movement of the axle seems to have something to do with it.

I'm hoping it's a driveshaft, should be cheaper... unless I messed up the rear diff driving the last 5.8kms. My main issue is I don't know how to get it, from where it is now, to the only mechanic I trust (300kms away). I really don't want to take it to the dealership, which is 60kms away. I've never had good experiences at dealerships, and I refuse to give them any of my money.
 
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TwoBobsKJ

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Could it possibly be a problem with the brakes instead? Especially the parking brakes - the shoes are known to come off their backing and get stuck in the rotor.

If not the brakes let's hope it's the driveshaft and not in the differential itself.

Bob
 

4Factor

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Could it possibly be a problem with the brakes instead? Especially the parking brakes - the shoes are known to come off their backing.and get stuck in the rotor.

If not the brakes let's hope it's the driveshaft and not in the differential itself.

Bob

Thank you for the suggestion. Anything is helpful... well anything that I can do with limited tools. Alas I took both rear brakes all apart and nothing is out of the ordinary. Guess its axle or diff after all. :-(
 

4Factor

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Doesn't it have a warranty on it? Sounds like it could be something to do with the driveshaft or pinion as the movement of the axle seems to have something to do with it.

Bought it last week, used, private sale. I don't know of any manufacturers warranty that lasts up to my current kilometers of 147,000+, at least not in Canada, so I'm certainly out of luck there. I'm also hoping I didn't get someone else's lemon... don't think I did, but you can never be sure, even though I have a clean CarFax report.
 

Doublecardan

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I know I was able to do this with my three Broncos, Take the rear driveshaft off and use the front after locking the transfer case. I am not so sure with the Jeep. But if you can you will be able to take to where you need it to go.
 

4Factor

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I know I was able to do this with my three Broncos, Take the rear driveshaft off and use the front after locking the transfer case. I am not so sure with the Jeep. But if you can you will be able to take to where you need it to go.

I didn't have the tools (jackstands, drain pans, etc) for removing an axle but along that same line, I did try 4fulltime during the 5.8kms that I did drive it. My thought was exactly that, if the rear went out, the front would pull it along.
Nonetheless I was going there to spend the weekend with my parents, so I left the Jeep at my property and hitched a ride home with them. I'll now try to figure out how to get it here, or find someone up there who can fix it. My dad is going up on Wednesday and can probably have it towed to some local shop. I had to drive it a few feet to position it for easier towing access before I left, it was still clunking, but it goes forward and reverse without any other noises other than the repetitive clunking.
 

4Factor

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So I found a shop to take it to locally (where it broke down) cost me huge for a tow, the mechanic is good, and I'm happy, he showed me the problem. They stethoscoped everywhere until locating the problem was DEFINITELY in the rear diff and it wasnt just sound traveling along the axle from some other broken part. So they took the diff cover off and out fell two bolt heads from the main gear (crown gear??). It appears that the gear is now only held in by 3 of 10 bolts and I likely just broke 2 of them on the weekend. The other 5 missing bolt heads are fine filings all through out. So he's going to clean up the mess, pick out all the studs that are still in the gear (only the heads sheared off), get new bolts and put them in to the correct torque. The mechanic expects the person who installed the gear WAY over torqued the bolts and that's why they sheared. Other than that a lengthy inspection shows no damage to any teeth of any of the gears. This experience also let me know that there's no trak- on this rear end (I dont know whether 06's can get trak-lok?). So it's going to be a week or better before I get all 10 bolts as a search in southern Ontario only netted 8 of the 10 bolts needed, we've been led to believe that 2 more need to be sourced elsewhere and that it'll "take time". Another thing learned is that this is not the original factory rear end. It's been replaced at least one already... by someone who got the torque specs wrong. The gear has numbers painted on it which means its not factory but from someone's inventory where they painted the numbers on (common amongst wrecking yards etc)
 
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