I have a 95 f150 with a dana 44 front end, four inch lift and 31 inch tires. Ever since I bought the truck five years ago, it has made a growling noise when the front hubs are locked in and when it is in four wheel drive. It starts around 20-30 mph. Im pretty sure it either has to be the u joints on the front front drive shaft, one of the three cv joints on the front axle, or one of the bearings on the differential. I know it is not one of the wheel bearings because it never makes the noise when the hubs are not locked. I put the truck up on jack stands and then put it in gear to try to hear where the noise is coming from but its too slow to make any noise. I know no one could say exactly whats wrong because there are so many joints and bearings, but has anyone had similar problems. I only use the four wheel drive in the snow but im afraid something is just going to take a crap one time while im driving, so i would like to find it and fix it before it breaks. Thanks everyone.

 

Sounds kinda like the needle bearings inside the spindle that the stub shaft runs through. Pull the front drive shaft and try it. At least that might narrow it down.

 

I assume you change the T/C fluid regularly. I change mine every 20-25K

 

Yes I change all of the fluids regularly so I feel like it shouldn't be the t/c or the front differential.

 

That was what I was thinking, my rear u joints went a few thousand miles ago and when I took them off the needle bearings were dust so im thinking after 19 years the needle bearings in the front drive shaft probably rusted away. I think im going to replace the front u joints and if it still does it ill do the cv joints on the front axles when it warms up.

 

Your front axle doesn't have cv joints. Wish they did, though. When you pull the front drive shaft to re-joint it, take a lap around the block with the hubs locked and see what happens.

 

Minor detail, but there are no "CV" joints in the front axle, they're just single Cardan U-joints (usually just called "U-joints").
(Edit: Sorry, posts crossed in the mail. I didn't see the previous 2 posts as I was writing that)

My '95 F-150 had the same issue. It was mildly objectionable originally, but got terrible when I lifted the truck 3", to the point where I rarely drove it with the hubs locked, and never over 50 mph.

On my truck if I took the driveshaft out and locked the hubs it would be smooth. But two different shops checked out the driveshaft and said it was balanced. One spent a lot of my time and money looking over the front diff and the t.case and couldn't find anything wrong in either place. I ended up just living with it.

After I sold the truck someone I was talking to told me that those trucks need a CV joint (double Cardan) at the rear of the front driveshaft, and that if I'd have done that it would have been fine. I didn't have the truck anymore to check it out, so I don't know if he was right. I do know that there are a lot of lifted F-150s with non-CV U-joints out there that don't seem to have that problem. But it's one (unproven) theory.

 

[QUOTE=eakermeld;13919295]Your front axle doesn't have cv joints. Wish they did, though. When you pull the front drive shaft to re-joint it, take a lap around the block with the hubs locked and see what happens.[/

Are the 3 connections on the front drive shafts just u joints then? theres one on the drivers side and two on the passengers side.

 

Could you find the part you are talking about online and post the link. I would rather replace it with what you said and do it right. The sound does not sound like an unbalanced drive shaft and there is no wobble.

 

Yes, all the joints in the front axle are regular u-joints. If you look up a front drive shaft for a F350, that is the one with the double joint at the transfer case. If you do change to that style, you will need the yoke off the t-case and probably have to customize the length to your truck.

 

First off, I don't know that a CV joint on the driveshaft is "doing it right." I had one person tell me that, but I never tried to confirm it.

If you do decide to go that route, I've just had driveshafts made for my Bronco at a local (to me) shop. If you look for one I'm sure they're not that hard to find. The advantage of a local shop is that you can take your truck there and they can help you figure out exactly what you need. I felt better doing that than sending measurements to some place I read about in a magazine and having then believe that I knew what I was asking for.

I've heard (like eakermeld says) that a CV joint takes a different yoke on the t.case, so that's probably true, but I'm not seeing any real differences between the yokes on my Bronco's t.case (that attach to CV joints) and other yokes on my vehicles. Again, a driveshaft shop will be able to get you exactly what you need.

 

The 94 F150 I had did the same thing. I replaced the two outer u-joints on the front axle and that made the noise a little quieter. I never did get around to replacing the u-join in the center of the front axle. I believe it was the one making the rest of the noise. When I took the u-joints out, they would not move freely. They did not appear to be bad until they were taken out and looked at.

 

I got under there today and jacked the passengers wheel up and locked the hub and spun the front driveshaft to make the wheel go forward and it was substantially harder to turn than when I did the same thing for the other side. That may just be the problem. Did you pull the front axles to replace the u joints?

 

Yeah you need to tear it apart to get the u-joints out.

 

There is a spindle bearing inside the spindle that the stub shafts ride in. If those needle bearings go bad they will make a growling noise with the hubs locked. Mine was doing this in the fall: new spindle bearing and no more growl. My needle bearings didn't look all that bad, but still were the source of the growl.

The lift could have screwed up the pinion angle--so the front driveshaft u-joints are operating at too much of an angle for smooth operation. A CV joint will operate smoothly at a greater angle, so that would be why it was suggested over the u-joint setup.

As was suggested, pull the front driveshaft, lock the hubs, go drive. If the growl is gone, look to the driveshaft angle issue (ie go to a shop or live with it). If the growl is still present, check/replace the needle bearings (and front axle u-joints while its apart).