Hello forum members! On New Years day I was heading home and started getting a chatter/squealing noise from the front of my Disco. I have a rebuilt or aftermarket propshaft with three grease fittings that was fitted to the Disco when I purchased it. I lube all of my u-joints at each 3k mile oil change and havent had any issues until now. I lubed the u-joints upon returning home and the noise was the same, undiminished in any way. The noise varies from being produced on throttle at times and off throttle at others. It does seem to be coming from the front center of the vehicle but it is difficult to pinpoint the location from behind the steering wheel. Damn cold outside so I took to my nearest shop to get their opinion and after they drove it and put it up on a rack they decided the serpentine belt was the squealing. Wrong, the noise only announces itself when the wheels and driveshafts are in motion. Frustrated and slightly disgusted, I limped it back home and checked the u-joints again. They look good. I added grease to the centering ball with a needle fitting then took it for a short drive around the block and noise is still there. I am inviting opinions for what to do next. Could this be a wheel bearing? I am reluctant to replace the propshaft before I eliminate other possible causes. Thanks.

 

Too bad it's a 2003. If you had a CDL, you could remove the front prop shaft and lock the CDL. It is hard to tell a bad u-joint while it's installed on the truck. You might have to just take out the shaft and check it for play. When I replaced my original factory prop shaft, I kept it and replaced the u-joints in it. I have swapped it back in after a u-joint prematurely failed on my aftermarket shaft.

 

could be in the diff. a half shaft or what not, i would find someone else to check it out. possibly run it on the lift.

 

I had time to drop the propshaft this morning and found that one of the u-joints in the double cardon joint was the cause of my problem. I installed a new heavy duty shaft from BP Utah and all is well with the Princess again. A tip of the hat to BP Utah for meeting me at their warehouse so I could pick up the part on Saturday morning. The shaft was on sale as well! I will have the old one rebuilt so I have a back up.