Need some advice

[l1a1man]

M1009 has been running great for the last 10,000 miles. Yesterday I put it in reverse and there was a heavy klunk, as I backed 10 feet to get out of the driveway there was a clanking sound, I put it in drive and the noise went away but at cruising idel there is a bad vibration through out the entire truck. When i parked I found it is leaking what appears to be tranny fluid coming for where the tranny and engine come together at the top(By filler tube?). Gets better, it use to drive straight as an arrow but now pulls to the right. Where and what do I start to look at? At 65 MPH it also makes a strange noise(can't describe) not a metalic sound but humm sound now. anyone else have these problems?

 

[Shop Rat Fab]

Clunk clanking--Check your u-joints, rear diff ring and pinion drive side vs. coast side of the gears, a broken rear axle shaft, maybe some clown locked in one of your front hubs and you didn't notice, check 4wheel drive shifter to make sure its still in 2wd.

Questions: does turning make the noise change? Is a gradual turn vs. a tight turn worse?
Could be side gears or spider gears if turning make a difference as well as the posi unit.

Trans leak could be just that a leak ,the engine and torque convertor are spinning in the same direction in drive or reverse.

 

[l1a1man]

turning is good. No issues or noise there. (tight or wide turns)

 

[Crash_AF]

Definitely sounds like a U-joint is dead. I'd start there.

Later,
Joe

 

[simoncrk]

 

[l1a1man]

Crawled under it and there is about 1/16 to 1/8 inch play left and right, the U joint closest to the tranny has a fresh piece of metal missing. Looks like it is time for some new ones. Glad this happened at home and not in the desert.

 

[ohfisherman]

lucky it broke at home and not on the interstate. pretty amazing feeling when the back of your vehicle is 5 feet in the air!!! breaking a front u-joint while traveling is nasty. i went throug2 of them myself. 67 chevelle doing about 30 flipped the car 90 degrees in the road. m1009 broke while plowing so it was not scary at all.