I have a 2008 Class C Tioga 31M. In the last few months, a noise has developed somewhere near the rear end. I have suspected it may be the driveshaft or u joints. I got underneath the motorhome and they seemed fine, and there was no movement in the driveshaft, either clockwise, or counter clock wise. I am not a mechanic, so it was not an actual inspection. This is a crackling kind of noise and only happens at very, very low speeds, like at 5 mph. I had my wife stand toward the rear of the motorhome, and she told me it was coming from somewhere near the middle, which is where one of the u joints is. It is a two piece driveshaft. Does anyone with a Ford Class C, particularly a Tioga 31M, experience such a noise and can shed some light as to what is causing it? I mentioned this noise to a mechanic and he did not think it was the driveshaft or u joints. So now, what?
Noise in driveshaft and/or u joints
- Thread starter cgmartin
- Start date
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TonyDtorch
Guest
I saw a guy on Utube that found an odd undercarrage issue by duct taping his phone under the vehicle and observing everything as it was going down the road.
I absolutely love the 'University of Utube'...
I absolutely love the 'University of Utube'...
Rene T
Site Team
With the tires sitting on the ground, chances are you wouldn't see any movement in the joints. You probably would have to jack the entire rear end off the ground then check them.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I'm having a tough time imagining a "crackling kind of noise" from a U-joint or carrier. Or that it goes away as speed increases. I think you need to be looking for other possible causes.
_Rusty_
Well-known member
cgmartin said:
TonyDtorch said:
I don't suppose duct taping the loved one under there to identify the issue is a choice..
Sounds like bearings loosely moving about at low speed then settling in at higher RPM.
Molaker
Well-known member
I agree with this possibility (assuming you have wheel covers). Bits of gravel or debris trapped inside can tumble and make "cracking" noise when turning slowly, but centrifugal force soon stops the tumbling as speed picks up.kdbgoat said:
Not the wheel covers. No gravel. The motorhome is totally empty. This sound is just in front of the rear axles, and is not the type of clunking sound like some transmissions make when you come to a stop, and it is not a vibration, but the sound of two metal parts clunking together. The noise appear to go away after I have driven the motorhome a while, like after it warms up. I will be attaching a Go Pro camera to capture images where the u joints are. I also don't think my wife will want to be taped to the under carriage to hold it. The drive shaft and joints are the only moving parts that can be making the sounds my wife and I hear, plus it is smack in the middle of the motorhome, right about where the drive shaft is located. About a year and a half ago, my motorhome broke down and the tow truck driver had to unhook the drive shaft to tow it. Any possibility he did not tighten everything back up?
I have found in the past, a u-joint going bad can be very hard to detect when the driveshaft is on the vehicle. If you are suspecting the u-joints or carrier bearing, I recommend you pull the driveshaft, or take it to a shop and have them pull and inspect.
Rene T
Site Team
jubileee said:
Must be an echoe in here.
: ;D
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rls7201
Guest
Old dry "U" joints can make a crackling kind of noise. They sometimes get tight from the rust and just shaking them will not show the problem. The drive shaft will need to be removed and the "U" joints exercised to see if they are OK. That would also be a good time to check the carrier bearing.
Richard
Richard
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TonyDtorch
Guest
Almost every two piece driveshaft has a Slip-joint that is supposed to be cleaned and lubed periodically. They can make a snapping sound when they get all rusty sticky.
Thanks. I think I will be taking it to a nearby auto shop that has a heavy duty lift which was previously used to lift my motorhome. They also work on motorhomes, so I will be asking him to take another close look at those items mentioned by you guys. With one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel, I think I would rather pay someone to do it instead of doing it myself and dislocating my shoulder like I did a couple of months ago. Well, maybe my condition is not all that bad, but sometimes when I sneeze, something else breaks. Thanks to all.
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TonyDtorch
Guest
As an old mechanic, I too would rather just pay a younger mechanic (kid) to fix all my stuff, I could even offer to be there for technical assistance/moral support too.
However as a former shop owner, I would never allow that to happen.
so I was thinking....what about duct taping a phone to his forehead....)
However as a former shop owner, I would never allow that to happen.
so I was thinking....what about duct taping a phone to his forehead....
)
Old_Crow
Well-known member
TonyDtorch said:As an old mechanic, I too would rather just pay a younger mechanic (kid) to fix all my stuff, I could even offer to be there for technical assistance/moral support too.
However as a former shop owner, I would never allow that to happen.
so I was thinking....what about duct taping a phone to his forehead....
As both an old mechanic and a former shop owner, I want to know how you get the young kid to listen. I hated it when one of my old guys quit and I had to find someone to replace him.
