Urgent Help needed...Drivetrain noise, dangerous to drive...stranded 3 hours from home.

[Johnnymac2k6]

Alright guys...here's my current dilemma. Its long, i'm sorry...

I had a business trip 3 ours from home. Ended up taking my truck. Suspension is stock minus a 2 inch level in the front. Always ran/drove smooth.

ya'll all may remember i was in a minor non-fault accident about 5 months ago where truck was repaired.

so 1/3 of the way through my business trip, and a dog runs out on the freeway. i stand on the brakes...,ABS pulses... miss dog...continue on my way.

make it 5 miles and something starts GRINDING in the front end...i liken it to a BAD wheel bearing...or a CV joint is GONE... So i pull over. check my axles, wheels...nothing sticking out at me, put it in 4wd, tromp on it in the parking lot, noise goes away...

think MAYBE i just had a rock, or ice in a caliper or something.

i drive another 1.5 hours. going 70...all of a sudden...the ass end whips around, i do a 360, somehow keep it off the wall, and out of other traffic. seemed like a front wheel locked solid...or maybe even the rear...IDK what caused it to happen, i was luckily to be alive. So i skid to the side of the road, expecting i'm missing a wheel...it makes the same GRINDING noise all the way to the shoulder.

I get out...wheels straight...no obvious damage... so i put down the shoulder, Still GRINDING... make it to a rest top.

I back up, pull forward, grinding stops. So i call a tow truck, get it to a dealer.

They can't find ANYTHING WRONG...ZERO...

Here are my thoughts..
1. the used axle or stub that the truck got from the insurance repair 5 months ago gave out, and locked up a wheel.
2. the front or rear ring gear lost a ring tooth, or C Clip...and ended up jamming the gear, and then dropped in the bottom of the pumpkin


The dealership claims NEITHER...they flushed the pumpkins, checked the axles... they want to test drive it again tomorrow morning, and send me on my way. i'm 3 hours from home... i fell its a death sentence.

this thing didn't magically grind after i stood on the brakes...then lock up and spin me, and then make the same noise...and then magically fix itself...

I am up a creek...3 hours from home, with a chrysler dealership telling me i'm ok to go...

thoughts, help, suggestions, every heard of anything like this???

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

dry roads also...

 

[chrisp2493]

Wow...that’s crazy! No idea what that could be. Was it the front or back wheel?

 

[wgreggking]

Don't know your financial situation, rent a car,tow somewhere else, continue the inspection process at the dealer or elsewhere life's short trust your gut.

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

Wow...that’s crazy! No idea what that could be. Was it the front or back wheel?

I honestly think it can only be the front. Thats where the grinding noise came from, and of course my mind goes to the driver side axle assembly b/c i know they yanked it from a bone yard. but seriously...bone dry roads, and it whipped around line i was on ice...when i skidded to a stop, and then it GRINDED to the shoulder...i full expected to find the front wheel barely hanging on, or the knuckle broken...something major...only thing i think i saw (in the dark) is front diff fluid on the driver side front axle.

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

Don't know your financial situation, rent a car,tow somewhere else, continue the inspection process at the dealer or elsewhere life's short trust your gut.

dealer is ready to send me on my way. i'm left with towing it 3 hours, or towing it somewhere else, 3 hours from my home. idk what i'm gonna do.

 

[chrisp2493]

Were you driving in 4wd at the time? Just wondering. And I’ve always heard the dodges gears have a habit of exploding, seems weird only one tire locked up.
I’ve spun out on the highway before heading towards the concrete sidewalk. It’s scary stuff

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

Were you driving in 4wd at the time? Just wondering. And I’ve always heard the dodges gears have a habit of exploding, seems weird only one tire locked up.
I’ve spun out on the highway before heading towards the concrete sidewalk. It’s scary stuff

nope..2wd, dry roads. i only put in in 4wd in the parking lot to see if i could induce the noise again.

 

[chrisp2493]

Well...I really wish I had some help but that’s a new one on me...in all seriousness good luck

 

[Gordinho80]

Rent a u-haul truck and car transport... cheaper then a tow that far.

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

I think in going to see if they will throw it on a lift' and run it in gear...in 4wd...and see if I can replicate the noise. Idk if they will even do it

 

[chrisp2493]

So what ended up happening? You still stranded? Need a ride? lol

 

[Jerseystyle]

Interested too.

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[Johnnymac2k6]

"no defects noted" cost me $200 for the tow, and $350 at the dealer. They pulled the axles out, checked the CV's, brakes, wheel bearings, drained the diffs front and rear. The $350 was for the diff flush/service. I kept in contact with them, and kept telling them...you're going to find a C-clip in the diff, or a busted ring gear tooth, or SOMETHING. Allegedly nothing is wrong with it. I drove it home 2.5 hours with no issues. I flogged in it, did figure 8's, etc. I also can't replicate.

I had sprayed it off at the self service wash before i set out on this trip. I'm really stretching/speculating....but maybe some Ice got in the abs reluctor or into a caliper.

This thing locked up, spun me, and grinded like a wheel had fallen off when i drove it to the shoulder....now its magically Ok...

I guess all is right in the world. Thanks for checking in guys. I'm baffled.

 

[Jerseystyle]

"no defects noted" cost me $200 for the tow, and $350 at the dealer. They pulled the axles out, checked the CV's, brakes, wheel bearings, drained the diffs front and rear. The $350 was for the diff flush/service. I kept in contact with them, and kept telling them...you're going to find a C-clip in the diff, or a busted ring gear tooth, or SOMETHING. Allegedly nothing is wrong with it. I drove it home 2.5 hours with no issues. I flogged in it, did figure 8's, etc. I also can't replicate.

I had sprayed it off at the self service wash before i set out on this trip. I'm really stretching/speculating....but maybe some Ice got in the abs reluctor or into a caliper.

This thing locked up, spun me, and grinded like a wheel had fallen off when i drove it to the shoulder....now its magically Ok...

I guess all is right in the world. Thanks for checking in guys. I'm baffled.

I was thinking caliper from your description. Check your pads and see if they're wearing evenly.

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[Johnnymac2k6]

I did get under it and make sure one of the rotors wasn't galled to ****, by a piece of **** or something getting stuck. mirror smooth. I honestly though the front axle snapped, and then the only thing holding the wheel on was the caliper...which then locked it. Especially with the noise it was making.

 

[chrisp2493]

That’s insane, I wonder if the abs module locked a wheel up randomly

 

[Johnnymac2k6]

That’s insane, I wonder if the abs module locked a wheel up randomly

thats what i'm thinking.... the truck didn't have ABS forever, as i found he sensor was broken when i did the pre runner conversion. When i put it back together, i replaced the sensor (so cruise would still work) im hoping thats all it was. the tone ring full of ice or something. who knows.

 

[smiley]

I would have thought it was a loose pinion nut like the recall based on what you said.

 

[yoda]

If it weren't for the grinding noise I would say inner C.V joint on the side that the truck spun to, do you remember if the front end went left or right when you spun out?

I have had a few vehicles with intermittently would pull violently to the left or right, induced by hitting a bump or hitting the brakes hard. Very intermittent and the rest of the time drive normal.

The inner cv joint has spring inside it, it has to be able to go in and out freely and smoothly, Basically allowing the halfshaft to get longer and shorter with suspension travel and when turning.

One of the worse cases I had was on my wifes (Girlfriend at the time) 1980 something chevy citation. She kept telling first her Dad, then me that it pulls left sometimes. I took it for a drive, raised it up and inspected everything and couldn't find anything wrong, but she insisted she was afraid to drive it, something was wrong.
So we switched cars for a few days, finally it did it after hitting a bump at about 45mph. Holy **** scared the crap out of me, it literally yanked the steering wheel out of my hands it pulled so hard.

That's why I never say there is nothing wrong, when I can't duplicate something. My wife still brings it up "remember when you didn't believe me when my citation was acting up" That was almost 25 years ago