Is there a way to check if the rear pinon bearing is good or needs to be replaced? if the rear end had issues, such as the pinon bearing going out, what would be some things to keep an eye out for? basically, im not sure if my rear end need to be rebuilt or not. I have a clunking sound that i cant locate. i know the exhaust sometimes hits the cross member, but this is a different clunking sound (replaced TC, clutch, u joints) but still seems to have a problem. i know i get a bad vibration when in 5th gear and trying to coast while still in gear, but i figured that was due to the exhaust hitting the cross member, but i could be wrong. any help would be appreciated.

 

play in the yoke on rear axles a good sign the brearing going out

 

should there be any slip in it, such as going in and out? like how the drive shaft yoke slips in and out of the TC, should it have any play such as that?

 

Shouldn't have any play if its moving in and out its bad.

 

k, thanks for the help! will check it out tonight.

 

Got under and pulled the rear drive shaft. the rear knuckle where the u joint blots to the rear end, does not move in or out, but it does have about 1/2" of play, turning it left or right. Is this normal? As far as the pinon moving in and out, its solid as a rock.

 

bump

 

it will have a little bit of play, that is because of the back lash in your r&p.
if the pinion bearing goes out it will change the pinion depth and make crazy noises. my friends pinion bearing did this and it pushed the pinion into the carrier, it was neat looking when we pulled it apart lol.
youll know if that happens

 

then mine is normal, thank goodness. thanks for help!!!

 

get under it and try to push up and down on the pinion yoke. there should be no play.
then grab the driveshaft in one hand and the pinion yoke in the other and twist it to see if there is any play in the u-joint itself. again, should be none.
check the other end too.

 

ya its fine, i swapped the ujoints about a month ago. no movement what so ever with the pinion, solid as a rock. sadly the problems im facing are with the tranny...

 

If the rear pinion bearing was going out, besides slop, the axle should make noise under a load. If it's the inner bearing, generally they make noise on decel. Under what driving circumstances do you hear your clunk? Have you checked your motor and tranny mounts?

 

I hear the clunk sound when I take it out of gear and I come to a complete stop. If i come to a slow stop out of gear, sometimes i get the clunking sound, but normally its when I hit the breaks hard to slow down suddenly. But if i leave it in gear and just press the clutch, no clunk sound. I really think its the tranny, I've replaced the TC, new Clutch kit, new u joints (front and rear drive shafts). The other thing is I get a really bad vibration in 5th gear when trying to cost while in gear, so im 99.9999% sure the tranny is doomed =/ also i can feel the clunking through the shifter if its out of gear, like the gears inside the tranny are shifting in there or something. i dont know, im no tranny expert but its the only thing i havent swapped out.

 

Check your mounts first. Have someone sit in the Jeep, put it in gear, hold the brakes, and torque the motor up. While they're doing that, check both the engine and tranny mounts. No need to doom something before checking everything over.

 

that was the first thing done when this all started. both motor mounts are in great shape, tranny mount is also in good shape.