Droning from rear

[Fishfan]

Been getting louder recently or perhaps I've just noticed it more recently. Rear axle bearings? Differential?

 

[Mr C]

Generally, in my experience, drone means diff. Does the noise change when cornering? That would give a hint as to whether or not it's the axle bearings.

 

[Fishfan]

I only notice it at higher speeds. 40+. No vibration. Just the droning. The faster I go the louder it gets.

 

[LocuMob]

I'll guess ring & pinion.

 

[Fishfan]

Saturday's job: drain and replace oil in Diff with fingers crossed.

 

[Fishfan]

Changed the oil in the diff and no improvement. Was hoping for an easy fix. No such luck.

 

[Fratzog]

Generally, in my experience, drone means diff. Does the noise change when cornering? That would give a hint as to whether or not it's the axle bearings.

A few years ago similar symptoms on the Polara turned out to be bearings. These days it's more likely to be Tinnitus....

 

[78Brougham]

Axle noises are the worst! You can chase your tail with them. I also have a drone in the rear of my Imperial. Been dreading chasing it down.I guess I'll have to start with the easiest...the bearings and go from there. It can wait till spring though..almost time to put her up for the winter anyway

 

[63Fun]

You can test this by jacking the rear of the car up, and putting the car in gear. Then go under the car and put a screw driver on the rear in different places, and put your ear to the screwdriver. It'll amplify the sounds and help you narrow down the problem between the gears and the bearings.

 

[F Preston]

Axle bearings.

Period.

 

[Fishfan]

Axle bearings.

Period.

I think you're right.

 

[F Preston]

I know my C bodies - I've been driving them, exclusively, since the mid-seventies.

One of the weirdest things I ever encountered was in the rusty old Fury junkheap I drive around in - one day a few years ago the alternator stopped charging. Changed it, and the regulator, ohmed out the wiring, checked the molex connector - all good - turned out to be an open - in the ignition switch. The damn car shouldn't have even started with that problem - I have never seen that before - nor since.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

If it sounds like snow tires its a bearing if it is a howl/whine its in the ring and pinion( doubtful with a poly unless run dry) clunking is carrier or spider gears drive directly home or garage pretending there is a egg between your toe and acc pedal.

 

[Fishfan]

It's not high pitched. But when I first started hearing it I thought the car wasn't shifting out of 2nd because it gets louder as you go faster, I assumed it was the engine revving. A quick test by manually downshifting to 2nd under the correct conditions (slowing down on expressway offramp) disproved the transmission theory.

Already ordered bearings, seals and gaskets. Will report back to say if it was the bearings or if the search continues. If the driveshaft were out of balance I'd think there would be vibration, which I don't feel.

 

[65sporty]

Do you have a press or are you taking the axle's to a machine shop? The bearing retainers press off quite hard.

 

[Fishfan]

I'm having my mechanic do it. I did the fronts but that looked like a piece of cake compared to the backs.