89 tracker viberation

[Seberth]

8v 89 tracker, just started noticing driveline vibration during acceleration only, could be u-joints could be wheel bearings or worse rear end. Drained rear end and found no evidence of metal. after seeing procedure for wheel bearing r&r , guess ill start with u-joints and hope that is all it is. When I had it up on jack stands with drums removed I could feel notching on axel as I rotated it. not sure if that was gear mesh or rough wheel bearing. Should I feel anything at all with gear lube drained? I know there's a problem somewhere, u- joints just seemed like the easiest place to start. shows 160K miles on odometer. Wish I could at least keep one of my two trackers on the road. Frustrating and getting costly. Although only gave 500$ for the 89 and put engine out of my rusted out 93 that I gave 500$ for because it needed a clutch. My other is 96 16v with removable hard top I gave 900$ for that needed the keyway repair. Having issues with it as stated in previous post. Still love em

[fixkick]

bad VIBS.


ok 1989s will have lots of things wrong. all of them do, this old and not kept up.

is car 4wd or 2wd? its 5speed guess, if 4wd, ? drive yet with both hub locks removed (or just the cap off if manual locks is it?) no vibs now? easy no? just 1 simple test.
does it fail in 2wd,
does the CV go dead in unluck hub, if not we cant do this test can we, we must repair or lube or replace said hub locks, first.

first learn the art of CV and UJoint tests.
Ujoins, grab the axe (car on full lift up 4 corners jacks stands,
then man-handle it we say
grab both ends at Ujoint and and try to force it in all directions, look at he STAR cross, at there rubber rings, do you see that star move and not the yoke, move, bingo bad bearing there.
bad u-joint, even pry it with a large screwdriver, try to force it in to natural directions, easy no?
CV , car off ground, try to force a CV
turn the tire, see the CV (axles locked at hub if the locks are dead, test is harder)
feel the tire, move it inward (wrong) see if bearings are loose,. there.
then turn the tire, see CV turn, yes, see or feel it jump, bingo bad CV>
A CV 10x more smooth than any Ujoint that is why they are used and for sure at sharp angles.
The axle in your car is not bad. i bet.

cv and ujoints and hubs bad, and wheel bearings front bad, not rear, the rear leaks GL5 fast if rear end fails bearings, that destroy the seal.

fix the front locks first, gee never have i seen a 89 with good original locks, ever, unless i fixed them myself.
then drive it UNLOCKED, and with shifter in 2wd, vibs gone now? yes./no?

the front wheel bearing play is .002 " 2 thou. at the hug rim with a dial indicated attached, more is bad.
If you took off the front hubs (or cap)( and the outer bearing was dry or full of metal what then, oops. its all bad there.

we inspect this first, all that, not the axle ring gear until all else is proven good.

even dropping drive drive shafts rear or front to prove the point (on 4 stands) ,
it can be issues in the transfer case too.
but all that is lasts, did you check all levels in all gear case first, that be super wise that. transmission, transfer case and both axle levels first.
then front hubs. + front wheel bearings.

[Seberth]

bad VIBS.


ok 1989s will have lots of things wrong. all of them do, this old and not kept up.

is car 4wd or 2wd? its 5speed guess, if 4wd, ? drive yet with both hub locks removed (or just the cap off if manual locks is it?) no vibs now? easy no? just 1 simple test.
does it fail in 2wd,
does the CV go dead in unluck hub, if not we cant do this test can we, we must repair or lube or replace said hub locks, first.

first learn the art of CV and UJoint tests.
Ujoins, grab the axe (car on full lift up 4 corners jacks stands,
then man-handle it we say
grab both ends at Ujoint and and try to force it in all directions, look at he STAR cross, at there rubber rings, do you see that star move and not the yoke, move, bingo bad bearing there.
bad u-joint, even pry it with a large screwdriver, try to force it in to natural directions, easy no?
CV , car off ground, try to force a CV
turn the tire, see the CV (axles locked at hub if the locks are dead, test is harder)
feel the tire, move it inward (wrong) see if bearings are loose,. there.
then turn the tire, see CV turn, yes, see or feel it jump, bingo bad CV>
A CV 10x more smooth than any Ujoint that is why they are used and for sure at sharp angles.
The axle in your car is not bad. i bet.

cv and ujoints and hubs bad, and wheel bearings front bad, not rear, the rear leaks GL5 fast if rear end fails bearings, that destroy the seal.

fix the front locks first, gee never have i seen a 89 with good original locks, ever, unless i fixed them myself.
then drive it UNLOCKED, and with shifter in 2wd, vibs gone now? yes./no?

the front wheel bearing play is .002 " 2 thou. at the hug rim with a dial indicated attached, more is bad.
If you took off the front hubs (or cap)( and the outer bearing was dry or full of metal what then, oops. its all bad there.

we inspect this first, all that, not the axle ring gear until all else is proven good.

even dropping drive drive shafts rear or front to prove the point (on 4 stands) ,
it can be issues in the transfer case too.
but all that is lasts, did you check all levels in all gear case first, that be super wise that. transmission, transfer case and both axle levels first.
then front hubs. + front wheel bearings.

sorry reply took so long, its a 4x4 , 5 speed manual locks , I reworked them last winter (locks) It only vibrates during acceleration in 2 wheel dr, that's why I'm think drive line, transmission rear end or u joints. U joints didn't seem to have excessive slack. haven't tried, but would assume it would vib in 4 wheel mode also.Gear case levels good.

[fixkick]

so no vibs in 4wd you say?
noises are not easy to find, I have wired remote, microphone stethoscope kit, ($30) i can clamp on 4 microphones to find noise but not Ujoints
but the rear axle is childs play easy with this device.
clamp on, drive and wow, hear which of 3 places on the axe rear ( left center right is screaming.)
you can clamp to front and rear of transfer case and the 5speed.

you can drive to suspension shop, they do this easy, find the noise
any other way besides hands on flexing is very dangerous, to do, lacking the electronics stethoscope.

why wait to flex joints by hand,its like 15min job, i can even do it car on ground, crawling in less time. with a large screwdriver in hand i jam it in the joint and yank and look.
the bearings joints are there to see, and there must not be any differential movement seen from Cross star ends to yokes,
even the front yoke can fail at the spline (at case), so i flex that too.

some must put in new rear prop shaft 2 ujoints set and when doing that just check the front spline for excess wear. all shops do this.....
heck seen many oif yoke, 4 bolts loose a hell, why wait ,for such easy simple was work, looking and flexing parts.
there are like 100s of youttube videos showing how to flex these. ? show the illegal moments,etc.

doing 4wd , you must be on slippery surface or it will CRY BLOODY load , in pain, as the front end fights the rear for sure in turns of any kind.
to test. it.