Help with front end noise

[RHL]

Hello all! I've been registered on this forum for about a year and this is my first post- I have learned so much from you here.

I have an 02 Libby, limited 3.7L, auto ******, 4x4 with ~190k mi. have owned her for almost 5 years.

A little background on me - redneck girl raised by single dad, who always kept me out in the shop with him, so I'm somewhat mechanically inclined. At least understanding fundamentals and at the least, common sense approaches to vehicle maintenance - who knew I'd become an almost mechanic owning this vehicle! I'm always researching and fixing something on this car. But I love her... Despite my husband and kids telling me I'm insane for torturing myself.

I have a problem I can't figure out. When moving at 5-10 mph (never more or less than this range) I hear a high pitched whistle - very much like running your finger around a wine glass. It seems to come from LF wheel.

It is not stopped or started when I press the brakes. It doesn't change if I turn corners or hit bumps or if I purposefully try to change the load on the differential. I have taken it out of gear during the noise to rule out bearing noise (service manual step).

I have checked tires, rims, brake calipers, pads, rotors and wheel bearings. I don't have any play in the suspension/wheels. I have been thinking there's a bit of drag on acceleration for a while and my mpgs have gone from around 18/19 to 13/14 in the past year.

My research is pointing me to the pinion gear. I would LOVE to be wrong. Has anyone had this issue? Any ideas? When I figure out how to post a video, I recorded the noise today.

 

[nocTurNalX]

I always admire females doing some mechanic work. Is there any vibration felt? I suppose the noise is loud, share it here.

 

[RHL]

She has a lot of needs that I can't afford, i.e., bushings, struts, ball joints, lol. I would say I haven't noticed a NEW vibration. The last time I had this noise it was stuck e brake/springs in rear drums.

I uploaded vid to YouTube. 5-7 mph, thru my sons' school parking lot. Sorry for wind noise.

http://youtu.be/NSZne2WMcgA

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I had a noise that I described the exact same way (rubbing finger on a wine glass) although it was a little bit lower in pitch and happened like up to 25mph (above that it probably just got drowned out). It was the CV joint on the transfercase end of the front drive shaft. About a $50 fix. Might be worth looking at yours and seeing if the point is torn/missing.

 

[RHL]

Thanks, I will check it out!

 

[RHL]

@HoosierJeeper, I'm not sure what you mean by 'point' missing?

 

[uss2defiant]

@HoosierJeeper, I'm not sure what you mean by 'point' missing?

he probably meant the rubber boot.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Yeah. Sorry

 

[dude1116]

Best thing you can do to diagnose it is to remove the front driveshaft and see if the issue goes away.

 

[RHL]

Development?

I have been convinced for weeks the noise was from the driver's front. I have had this jeep on a hoist inspecting various things for two days. The only thing I found was a slightly stuck caliper slide pin.

I don't know if it has anything to do with my noise, but
I went to look at transfer case end CV boot, passenger side yesterday and this is what I saw. This is new... the rubber seems to be intact everywhere except the pinion boot on that side but it has been torn for 18 months.

Now I'm really confused. And irritated!
Link to noise: http://youtu.be/NSZne2WMcgA

 

[HoosierJeeper]

That CV axle is done...the intermediate shaft is probably done too. Get a remanned CV from Napa and then get the intermediate shaft from ebay or something. I'd start there. How did the CV boot on the front driveshaft transfer case end look?

 

[RHL]

It looks pretty bad. I've already replaced that CV axle and the output shaft. Yay! I get to do it again.

I found the noise, though - a metal line was resting on this shaft and the metal-on-metal noise was my wine glass sound.

 

[M38 Bob]

It looks pretty bad. I've already replaced that CV axle and the output shaft. Yay! I get to do it again.

I found the noise, though - a metal line was resting on this shaft and the metal-on-metal noise was my wine glass sound.

Do you know if they're covered under warranty? Many come with lifetime warranty, check it out. Re-doing the labor's a pain. Re-doing the labor plus out of pocket additional parts REALLY bites!

Bob

 

[RHL]

How do I find out? I bought kj almost 10 yrs old - I paid to have the axle done last year, I know they used factory parts - almost $500 after all done I was afraid to take on the output shaft on my own. my husband had to put an engine in after I owned 6 months. He's a carpenter, not a mechanic--and he washed his hands of kj afterwards, ha. So I'm on my own in the repair dept (which is fine). If the axle could be under warranty that would be awesome!

 

[M38 Bob]

If they used MOPAR factory parts, you're pretty much on your own. Do you have the invoice so you can look back? Any REMAN from A1 Cardone, AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, and I believe, NAPA will have warranty.

Bob

 

[RHL]

It was a local mechanic - mopar parts. More good news. Thanks for the info, though!

 

[M38 Bob]

Given the choice between finest part in the world (although the original did fail) with very limited warranty backup, vs, cheaper, though perhaps lower quality, part with unlimited free replacement, I'll sell the one with warranty every time.

Bob

 

[RHL]

The axle is the only repair I've commissioned purely out of time constraint and frustration. I was led to believe I didn't have options. Knowing what I know now, I will always go the warranty route.