Rear end creaks when pushing car in garage...what gives?

My 39 Chrysler has a brand new Ford 8" rear. The rear end creaks when pushing it forward or backward. Last year it only creaked when pushing it backward.

The creak lasts about 1/2 turn of the wheel...then it's silent....then it creaks again.....then it's silent.

I've put about 14,000 miles on it.

Could the gears be too tight???

 

loose lug nuts maybe?

 

Put some grease in it....

 

If its a 'creak, creak, creak' then it is a universal joint.

A worn universal joint will show small grooves worn into the surface when you remove the cups.
This is the result of the needle bearings running dry at whcih point they will wear small grooves into the U joint. The U joint will then be said to have "brindled".
The resulting 'creak creak creak' is the noise associated with the dry/worn needle bearings spinning in the brindled grooves.

http://books.google.com/books?id=o-...ook_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg

.

 

Or is rivet rivet rivet.......2x moefuzz

 

u joint diagnostic
Start it up,
Foot on brake,
Reverse
Drive
Clunk indicates bad u joint.

No clunk could still be u joint ..
Trouble shoot,
Jack up car and rotate spin wheels front and rear by hand,
listen, feel for irregularities.
Rotate drive shaft,
Listen / feel for irregularities.
Don't forget your stands.

I'm going to guess it'd wheel related. 1/2 turn? Same spot? Rust ridge, debris in brake drum.
If your gears were squeeking pushing it. It would be howling like the wolf man at a full moon when youdrove it.

 

Does it have a posi/limited slip? They can make noise and some need additives in the oil.

 

U joint or brakes dragging

 

after reading the title of the thread I was afraid to open it for fear of what I was going to see.
Rusty springs from sitting is my 2 cents worth.

 

It likely isn't a ujoint unless you've got a 1:1 or 2:1 rear end ratio, based on you saying it happens every 1/2 turn of the wheel. I'agree with it being a dragging brake or backing plate to drum interference. Could also be a cracked wheel.

 

No kidding my rear-end goes "putt-putt-putt" alla time

 

Don't push so hard.

 

Rust on the brake drums from sitting all the time. Just enough surface rust to cause a squeek when that rust spot goes past the shoe again.

I'd check the U joints though as that is a real possibility.

 

U - joint !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ditto!

 

I agree. My truck did the same and it was the locker.

 

The U Joints have it!

 

Or just look at them, most any U-joint dry enough to make noise will have rust powder coming out around the seals.

 

I'm really struggling trying to do the math that would point to a u-joint being the source of a creaking noise every half rotation of the wheel? Can anyone shed some light on what gear ratio you'd have to have in the rear end?


Hell, it could be as simple as a wheel cover making the noise. Wheels do flex enough to sometimes make the wheel covers creak.

 

Math :
We are lacking critical info to make exact calculations here.
so lets assume its a 3.0:1 rear gear.

Drive shaft goes around 3 times for 1 wheel rotation correct?
360 degrees in one rotation x 3 for the drive shaft = 1080 correct?
ujoint at 90* correct? Yes and save for later.

1 wheel rotation= 360 * and 1/2 rotation = 180* correct

Lets pick just one u joint cup to watch .
If the wheel goes around 180* that u joint cup went around 180x3 = 540* or 1.5 times.

If it Only squeaked on the ( you pick any binding position, I'm picking upward) upward bind ; it passes this position only one time in 1/2 wheel rotation.
Like this: 1/2 wheel "squeak" stop change direction 1/2 wheel "squeak"

It will go past binding position 3 times for every 1 complete wheel rotation with a 3.0:1 gear but only once for 1/2 wheel rotation.

My guess is wheel related also , 10 seconds in the drivers seat would determine drive shaft u joint problems. If its squeaky its clunky too.

 

It definately sounds like the clutches are "jumping".

Solution : Make sure you have the Rearend filled with Gear Oil and make

certain that you have a Posi additive.

Good luck.

VR&C.

 

i've had hubcaps make a creaking noise.

 

This would only happen if you were turning, not straight ahead or straight back.

 

The Locker in my Sedan made noises like that for about a 1000 miles until it was broke in. Surely not 14,000............

 

so what was it ?

 

You should probably do some stretching to warm up before trying it again

 

Had a beater once that I just drove till it dropped. Someone riding with me once said "what's that noise coming from"? Cranked up my what was then outrageous (mid 1970's) stereo with my 15" home stereo speakers till the windows were shaking and said "what noise"?

 

Arthritis? Can't you use a 4 wheeler to push it to save wear and tear on your "rear end"?

 

What type of lugnuts? Could they bottom out before wheel is tight? I'm thinking wheel/brakes, then u-joint.