I have a 99 jimmy.The rear passenger tire area has been grinding like a bad wheel bearing has lead into some fluid leaking which can't tell if its brake or gear oil.I get a clunking type sound now with vibrations at 25mph.The sound would go completely away and come back leave and come back.Any idea if this could be u joints?or wheel bearing with a bad axle or neither.Your help would be appreciated.It still sounds like in the wheel but you can feel it in the center and afraid of messing up differential.Shifts good and really no clunking going into gears..None at all so I am puzzled.

 

Have you pulled off the tire and checked the brakes? Sounds like the pads gone and its metal on metal...

 

It has done this for sometime.The tire was off earlier on and I changed the brakes.But I also shook the hub/spindle and had some play unless its normal.I still here the grinding along with clunking and vibration at 25mph.Now the caliper is leaking .The truck goes in gear well.I am aggravated on this.

 

When you changed the brakes, how did the caliper feel like? Was it hard to put back in?

Was the brake pads worn evenly when removed?

Did you see if the noise is made when moving wheel free hand on jack stands?

 

Its not the brakes.I replaced them a few months ago and did notice caliper was frozen.The brakes worn funny so I pit on a new rotor and brakes made no difference.I am wondering if the wheel bearing is shot and worn the axle down to cause it to clunk.But what I thought was gear oil was brake fluid but its not losing it very much.What does a differential sound like going bad or can u joints sound that bad like a grinding and clunking driving down the road..

 

Yes I have a few months ago and replaced rotor and brakes.Still didn't make a difference.Where is the axle bearing at?or is this still considered the wheel bearing?I mean I heard of front wheel bearing going out but not rear ones but it does have 203,000 and well maintained.Both front were replaced past summer.I just hope there is nothing messed up in the rear end but shifts well,doesn't clunk going into gear just the rear passenger rear.

 

The axle bearing is in the end of the axle tube and rides directly on the axle shaft. It's not uncommon for the axle shaft surface to wear. There are offset bearings that will run on a "new" section of axle shaft, but the right way to fix it is to replace the axle shaft and bearing.

 

Ok took my jimmy to the garage and they said its the rear end.Its leaking gear oil and he said what I am hearing is a gear or bearing inside the rear end and either the gear or bearing or a seal I don't understand needs replaced and the part he said runs $36.He said it can be fixed in about 2 to 3 hours.So any idea what he is talking about?

 

My 99 jimmy was looked at and was told that a bearing or seal etc is what I hear clunking inside the rear end.He said the part is about $30-$36 and could be done in about 2 to 3 hours.It is leaking gear oil not brake fluid which I knew it was gear oil.But the part is moving around inside so now does he mean a axle bearing or seal?So we are 1 step ahead and believe Tom said the axle bearing but was told the cover needs taken off and that something needs removed in order to replace the part but I just hope and pray nothing else was damaged.It doesn't clunk going in gear and shifts fine.Now starting out before it automatically shifts it will shift hard sometimes but gear oil is low.So anyhow anyone know what the guy meant about what piece?

 

The axles are held into the differential by c-clips on the inboard end. They need to remove the cover and the differential cross pin to get them out. It sounds like this is what he's talking about. But $36 in parts would not include a new axle shaft.