And the clicking sound is...
06-17-2008, 04:14 PM
#11
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OK so mine's not as bad as you guys say....although it may get worse....
.....when my boot ripped it slipped a clamp loose and... slid it down the shaft
....sorry couldn't resist....therefore when the shaft turned the clasp rattled making noise....removed the clasp and no noise....
...although now the boot is ripped and could cause problems down the road....I left a piece of the boot somewhere on the trails otherwise i would have tried to reapply the clasp to hold the boot on...but oh well we'll see how she does
.....when my boot ripped it slipped a clamp loose and... slid it down the shaft
....sorry couldn't resist....therefore when the shaft turned the clasp rattled making noise....removed the clasp and no noise.......although now the boot is ripped and could cause problems down the road....I left a piece of the boot somewhere on the trails otherwise i would have tried to reapply the clasp to hold the boot on...but oh well we'll see how she does
06-17-2008, 04:18 PM
#12
I had the same problemo! It was after a replaced engine and driver axleshaft though ...
both my axles were replaced. It was a clicking grinding (Reeally LOUD , could be heard a 1/4 mile away) ...
i forget what it was called but the part that holds the driveshaft to the diff. and the bearings were all screwed! BUT the gears were still good.
Time to upgrade!
Hope its not too costly and a easy fix for you. I know I have been there. Finally have my jeep back after 10,000 on repairs of a month!
both my axles were replaced. It was a clicking grinding (Reeally LOUD , could be heard a 1/4 mile away) ...
i forget what it was called but the part that holds the driveshaft to the diff. and the bearings were all screwed! BUT the gears were still good.
Time to upgrade!
Hope its not too costly and a easy fix for you. I know I have been there. Finally have my jeep back after 10,000 on repairs of a month!
06-17-2008, 04:52 PM
#13
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I just find it hard to believe that the budge boost is causing the driveshaft to sit at too high an angle... if that were the case, hundreds more people on here should have the same problem. The ripped boot scenario sounds more feasible. I'm pickin her back up tomorrow before work, and I'll try to arrange to get it up in the air tomorrow night. As for the sound, the clicking gets faster as vehicle speed increases. It is noticeable in both forward and reverse, 2wd or 4wd. What I don't understand is why I can noticeably hear it for about a week, and then magically it goes away for a day or two, and then comes back. Eh, oh well... if its broke, just make it better 
06-18-2008, 09:53 AM
#15
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The stock drive shaft is referred to as a "CV Style". CV stands for Constant Velocity joint... just like the ones on the front end of FWD cars and such.
A CV joint on a car usually goes bad after the boot is ripped open. Once the boot rips open the grease is flung out and dirt gets in. This accelerates the wear on the joint which is nothing more than four or five or any number of solid steel balls in a cage that ride on the inner surface of the joint.. they look like pinballs.
Once the grease is gone, or old and hardened, or the joint is just old and worn, the balls begin to "Click" around inside the cage making for the sound you hear.
On cars, they usually click real bad when the wheels are turned and the joint is stressed... when real bad, the joint fails and the balls come flying out and the half shaft flops around.
So the clicking you hear under your rig is the joint on its way to failure... most likely because the boot is ripped and lubrication is lost.
I am going to guess that the lifts are causing the boots to rip or steep drive shaft angles are stressing the joint or boot.
Or, it could be just the clamp like wayoflife suggested.
A CV joint on a car usually goes bad after the boot is ripped open. Once the boot rips open the grease is flung out and dirt gets in. This accelerates the wear on the joint which is nothing more than four or five or any number of solid steel balls in a cage that ride on the inner surface of the joint.. they look like pinballs.
Once the grease is gone, or old and hardened, or the joint is just old and worn, the balls begin to "Click" around inside the cage making for the sound you hear.
On cars, they usually click real bad when the wheels are turned and the joint is stressed... when real bad, the joint fails and the balls come flying out and the half shaft flops around.
So the clicking you hear under your rig is the joint on its way to failure... most likely because the boot is ripped and lubrication is lost.
I am going to guess that the lifts are causing the boots to rip or steep drive shaft angles are stressing the joint or boot.
Or, it could be just the clamp like wayoflife suggested.
i have seen and heard what a JK driveshaft sounds like when it's going bad and trust me, it's no 'click' or 'clicking' that you hear. if it's going out, the sound you hear will be something closer to a loud ratcheting sound and typically under load.
06-18-2008, 12:12 PM
#16
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Actually... other members that have already been down this road have reported that you can not buy just the boot- the entire driveshaft has to be replaced 
That being the case, it makes more sense to go with an aftermarket driveshaft because they are smaller diameter, thus solving the problem altogether.
Plus, even if you were able to replace just the boot, it's just going to tear again the next time you flex out.
That being the case, it makes more sense to go with an aftermarket driveshaft because they are smaller diameter, thus solving the problem altogether. Plus, even if you were able to replace just the boot, it's just going to tear again the next time you flex out.
I just replaced my rear driveshaft 2 weeks ago and was getting the same clicking sound - 1st/2nd gear was really noticeable, then not as much as speed picked up, wind noise, road noise, etc. Did it in reverse too... As I stated, I got 11k out of the rear shaft before it failed (after doing some hard mudding).
06-18-2008, 05:40 PM
#17
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Alright, well I didn't get a chance to get it up in the air tonight. Buddy was still working on this kid's gay Honda. I did get a chance to look underneath and both boots and clamps were in place from what I could see. Should have some more info. on it tomorrow. I've only had the lift for 2000 miles :(
12-29-2015, 06:34 AM
#20
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When I had a clicking noise start, it would click when under acceleration in 4wd. When I crawled under to take a look a noticed the front drive shaft boot at the transfer case had given out due to too steep of an angle. Tell tale sign is grease on undercarriage around it. I jumped online and ordered me a Tattons front driveshaft right away.
I had got away with the stock drive shaft for quite some time, probably because I had never disconnected my sway bar. The weekend before I noticed the clicking, I had disconnected it for the first time. So I assume that was the straw that broke the camels back.
I had got away with the stock drive shaft for quite some time, probably because I had never disconnected my sway bar. The weekend before I noticed the clicking, I had disconnected it for the first time. So I assume that was the straw that broke the camels back.