Hey Guys,
I have been experiencing a metallic ticking noise, only when i start from a dead stop, or up a hill going very slow. My mechanic went for a test ride with me and he feels that it is one of the u-joints on the drive shaft, due to the hollow ticking sound and the frequency, at slow speed. No sound is not audible once the truck gets going up to speed.

Anyone ever have an issue with the main drive shaft? U-Joints?

The drive shaft is one piece and the u-joints are non-serviceable. DAMN LR!

 

Do you have the HD Package?

 

HD package? Not sure what that is?

 

Locking rear diff and full sized spare.

I ask because I had a very similar-sounding noise that I chased for a while. It turned out to be failing clutch packs in my locking rear diff due to the locking motor being wonky. I wound up replacing both.

 

Ahhh..... (google to the rescue).... You mean the electronic locking rear diff. No, i don't have that.

 

Yes that's what I mean. Well...in this case you're lucky. Your problem is different than mine! The rear drive shaft has plenty of joints (U, CV) and a carrier bearing or two. There are definitely parts that can fail. I changed mine when I changed my rear diff, because there'd be no labor charge to do so and LR gave me 20% off the part. Still cost me $500 but I figured it'd be a good move.

Hahahaha....maybe I should sell you my old one! It's perfectly good. PM me if you live anywhere near Seattle and/or are otherwise interested.

 

Thanks for that! I will definitely keep you in mind. I am in Victoria, so just a boat ride away.
I am going to let this continue for the next few weeks and see if it gets worse, which will allow me to diagnose it much more definitively, before I start throwing $$$$ at it.

 

Fair enough. One suggestion: your local LR Service Dept should be willing and able to drive it around with "Chassis Ears" on it to help figure out where the noise is originating from. Definitely if it's the rear drive shaft, let me know. Mine is in my shed. I thought I'd keep it for a trail spare...but realistically, I have a BRAND NEW one up there now and I only drive the LR3 5000 miles per year these days. So....I could sell it.