Ive got a few problems here. First when i shift into reverse there is a loud clunk and it is coming from my driveshaft, there is a fair amount of play in my shaft and it is NOT from the u joints. it might be from my pinion not being tight enough in the rearend. Second when im slowing down and the truck downshifts into second and first gear there is a squeaking sound kind of like a metal on metal sound, is that from the transmission? i checked the fluid level and it was fine and the fluid looked good still. Third when braking there is a cyclic ticking sound coming from the rear, i think it might be u joint but i inspected them and they seemed fine, just a little stiff on one side. Fourth there is a squeaking sound whenever i drive over bumps and uneven parts of the road and it doesnt change tone no matter how fast im going. Im thinking it could just be the shocks rubbing. I know these seem like small problems but i just want them fixed so they dont turn into big problems.
It sounds like your first and third problems are related. If it's not u-joints, go through and make sure all the other bolts are tight. How many miles do you have?
Im thinking its my pinion nut thats not tight enough and thats causing a little bit of play. Im at 168,000 miles.
Third sounds like a drum brake issue. Fourth is deffinately balljoints going out. Had the same problem with my 97 when the joints were shot, any bump would make them squeal like crazy
The truck has fresh ball joints and upper control arms as of a few weeks ago. i was thinking about replacing the rear brakes but i hate drum brakes with a passion so i want to avoid at all costs.
I put a new pinion bearing in my rearend and changed the gear oil and there were no metal shavings in the diff and everything looked good, the spider gears looked just fine, and the truck drives just fine as well.