nitrorea

Hello all,

I have a 2002 Ranger, 3.0L, manual tranny, 56K miles and I am starting to hear some squeeling/squeeky noises coming from underneath. I will try my best to describe when and where I hear the noise.

I hear is most when I let the clutch out and when the gears are engaging. It sounds like it is coming from the rear of the truck, not so much the tranny. I also only hear it through 1st and 2nd gears and in reverse. The noise seems to go away after I get about 30-35mph. Also, it is not a constant noise. I mean when I go real slow it seems to sounds as if someithing is rotating and only squeeking at one point, which makes me think it is something in the driveshaft.

Any ideas? Need more info?? Please advise.

Thanks

Natedog

U-joints greased properly and on a regular basis? If they are squeaking, they are toast!!! Could be rear brake shoes dragging...if they are squeaking they are probably worn out.

Anything under there rubbing on the driveshaft?

nitrorea

I have done everything by the book as far as the maintance schedule goes. Are the U joints in the driveshaft? Are those the joints that connect the driveshaft to the rear differential?

Unless they are greased when I take it in into a jiffy lube shop....I have never greased them. But like I said that is not in the normal maintance schedule in the manual.

Is there a way to tell between the U joints and the rear brakes?

administrator

Tie someone under the truck and go for a drive, they can maybe hear it better from under there

But seriously, it all depends on what speed the sound starts. If its as soon as you move just have someone walk beside the truck and see how that goes. grease the u-joints anyway and see if it goes away. If it does change them. You can also see if they are dry while doing that and check for extensive backlash (play).
Since its work under the truck and you probably dont have a grease gun and grease so you may as well just get it checked at a reliable shop. Have them show you the problem before they fix it and tell them you want the old parts back.

nitrorea

Are the U-joints, the joints that connect the driveshaft to the rear differential?

Natedog

Yes, and they should be regular maintenance but most lube shop yo-yos don't know what they're doing. They are the same people who don't know that you should lube the suspension and steering grease nipples too.

thomas04

If u-joints are not the case check your throw out bearing or even your bearings in the rear end.

Natedog

Did you check it out yet?

nitrorea

Sorry guys...have been traveling.

I think it is the u-joints. A couple of days ago I doused the u-joints with WD-40 and the squeeking seemed to stop. It still does it in reverse gear but not if any forward gears. So I am guessing that the problem is the u-joints since when I lubricated them they stopped squeeling.

Thoughts??????

nitrorea

Well that is what the problem was. Changed both the front and rear u-joints and now it runs like new again. In one of the joints in the rear, when I pulled the joint off it was all dust inside.....

One thing I learned is that both the front and rear u-joints are the same size!!!! There was not a part number listed for the front u-joint on a 2002 ranger. So I got two of the same and it worked in the front.