okay so a while ago i noticed i would get 1 "pop" from the passenger side when making a hard right turn upon inspection there is a real small leak at the axle seal (not even enough to top it off between oil changes) but i noticed a lot of in and out play on the cv axle and when i move it in and out i can see a drip of gear oil come out

so my question is does this sound like just the seal or am i looking at cv axle and bearing also?

i'm hoping i don't need to do the bearing as i don't have the tools to pull the bearing or put it back in properly

 

really 81 views and no one has any idea

 

when I put new CV axles in mine I found there was allot of "in-out " movement from the new axles , but the movement was in the cv joints themselves and not really at the inboard location where the spring clip locks. can you reproduce the popping noise with the truck jacked up ?

 

Have you inspected the upper or lower ball joint for vertical or lateral play?

 

i cant get it to make any noise unless i'm driving it the main reason i suspect that is because when i move it by hand i can see a drip of gear oil come out so i assume when i turn the pop i hear is that axle moving in and out

all the balljoints were replaced pretty recently with the moog problem solvers but that was the first thing i checked when the noise started

my main concern is if i have to replace the axle bearing or not

 

anyone

 

Check the upper control arm bushings where the control arm mounts to the frame. They will make that popping noise you are describing when they get play in them. This is also a very common thing to fail.


Some lateral play is necessary in the axle so the suspension can flex up and down. Axles will usually make a constant popping noise while turning when they go bad or if you can rotate the axle shaft and the ends don't move.


If you really want to check the axles, put it in 4x4 and in park. Then pick up one of the front wheels but leave the other on the ground. Now rotate the tire back and forth and see if there is any play in the axle CV joints. The tire will move some forward and backwards due to some play in the differential but this is normal. You want to make sure the outer portion of the axle shaft where the wheel is at, the middle shaft and the inner portion where the differential is don't have a lot of rotational play.

 

control arm bushings seem ok there are a few cracks but seem ok yet

i have checked the cv axle and the joints are good its just right were the shaft slides into the axle tube seems to be a lot of play if i pull it in or out (like if i was trying to remove it) up and down side to side play all seem normal

 

How many miles on the blazer?
Would you be able to post some pictures of the cracks in the bushings? usually cracks means they are bad or starting to go bad. The bushings should not have any play in them.

Also how much lateral (in/out) play is in the axle? Hopefully someone else with a 4x4 can compare with theirs.
But some lateral play in the axles is normal and necessary for the suspension to function.

 

about 150000 miles
its just surface cracks due to age i assume but there is no play at all in the bushings

as for the cv axle it slides in and out about 1/8 - 1/4 inch or so more than the driver side does