Hi

My Son has a 2002 Ford Ranger and is slowly destroying it!!

Anyway this problem is on the drive shaft see picture (I think that's what it is called anyway - the silver bar!). At slow speeds its like something is lose inside and bangs against the side of the tube as it turns 180 degrees - its like a lose nult or bolt. Its definatley seems to be inside the aluminum tube.

any ideas what that could be? Is it a hollow tube?

thanks for your help

[IMG]local://upfiles/19099/5BB79759FAA44ADB82AE17D3AF4F7EF3.jpg[/IMG]

 

That is the drive shaft and it looks normal. What is the speed you are refenencing? Does the noise go any way at higher speed or change?

 

Hi

It happens at slow speed - 5km or so - its a clunking sound as something in the drive shaft falls from the top to the bottom as it turns. I also took the wheel off and turned the drum slowly - and it is definatley coming from inside the shaft. At high speeds I either cannot hear it or the drive shaft is spinning so fas it has no time to 'fall'

 

The sound is consistant at 5km or it is more like a clunk and goes away? The extended cabs are know for drive shaft noise/thump after stopping due to friction at the yolk. If it is more than this you probably need to take it to a drive shaft shop for a balance test.

 

From the picture, it looks like you have stuff rubbing against the shaft. I would suspect that the clunk is from a bad U-Joint and is resonating thru the shaft when it "CLUNKS". Grab the drive shaft and turn it back and forth lookin for free-play from crushed needle bearings. There should be very little back and forth free-play.Ifno free-play, you could also have a seized U-Joint. Not an uncommon issue. Is it a Super cab or regular cab? Super cabs have a carrier bearing that can also go bad causinga clunk/pop noise.

 

Hi

Thanks for the info - the noise is from inside the tube - I can turn the wheel very slowly and the clunk happens when something inside the tube falls down from the top to the bottom as it rotaes. Is the tube hollow?

many thanks

 

The drive shaft is hollow. However, I can't imagin anything being inside the shaft. All balance weights are on the outside. Also can't dicture anything that would stay on the side of the shaft untill it got to the top. Seems like any item would just slide along. Have you grabbed the drive shaft and rocked it back and forth for play?