Vannin' Home Forums Astro/Safari General Discussion i have a whirring noise, maybe someone has an idea

My van makes a whirring noise when I'm on the gas above 50mph and does get louder the faster I go. Sounds like it is rotational, I have 4.11 gears. The noise stops when I am coasting. Wheel bearings?

The noise stopping when it is coasting would point to something driveline related that is making noise when loaded. I would grease u-joints, driveshaft slip yokes (if you have these), and rear end gear oil. I am assuming your van is rear wheel drive. AWD would include other things to check.

could be the rear end

Rear end bearings , u- joint , man it could even be a tranny mount etc. Good luck with finding the problem...

Thanks guys, was looking for ideas, will start with those.

I vote for the U joints.

Does it "clunk" going into gear? If so, it's most likely a U joint. As for whining at load it sounds like the rear axles ring and pinion aren't matched up correctly anymore. Things come loose.

Jiggle the drive shaft up, down and around at the pinion. If it wiggles, new bearings are most likely needed but it honestly sounds like the ring and pinion are about to go.

Good luck.

Is it just a sound, or is there also a vibration? I recently did a 2/4 drop on mine. Shorter coils up front and a spring under with drop shackles. I had a very nasty vibration starting at 50. I re-clocked the drive shaft 180 and the vibration was much less noticeable. I think I need to get some shims to reset the pinion angle too.

It's really a resonating sound and not a whine. Seems to do it at lower speeds too if I listen real closely. Today on my way home from work I did get a vibration around 50mph, almost like tires need balanced and when it shifts gears it's not always smooth. Sometimes you can feel it a bit when it goes into gear. I'm going to take a look at the U-Joints first. That's something I know I can take care of easily.