U-Joints bad?

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George - 13 Mar 2008 00:33 GMT

I have a 99 silverado, 4x4 extended cab. It has 5.3L and 4L60E
transmission. I recently noticed some strange symptoms. When I come to a
stop, it sometimes feels like a klunk. Its almost imperceptable and kind of
feels like something "letting go." It doesn't happen all the time, maybe
one in five. Sometimes, when I leave from a stop, I get a very light klunk.
Today, with the window down, I was driving about 10 mph, and it sounded like
something rubbing. Like the noise you might hear with a piece of gravel
stuck in a tire tread. The driveshaft doesn't appear to be loose or have
unusual play at the u-joints. Can the u-joints be bad and not have
excessive play in them? Is it more probable that the clutch pack in the
limited slip (G-80) rearend is about to fail?

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Eugene - 13 Mar 2008 03:15 GMT

> I have a 99 silverado, 4x4 extended cab. It has 5.3L and 4L60E
> transmission. I recently noticed some strange symptoms. When I come to a
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> excessive play in them? Is it more probable that the clutch pack in the
> limited slip (G-80) rearend is about to fail?

The g80 is not a limited slip, it is a locker which locks at a specific
time, there are no clutch packs. I've had u joints get squeaky and noisy
without being able to feel play in the drive shaft. Buy both and swap
them, they are cheap, just watch out they are sticking chinese made ones in
the boxes now.

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Steve W. - 13 Mar 2008 06:27 GMT

> I have a 99 silverado, 4x4 extended cab. It has 5.3L and 4L60E
> transmission. I recently noticed some strange symptoms. When I come to a
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> excessive play in them? Is it more probable that the clutch pack in the
> limited slip (G-80) rearend is about to fail?

Well it could be U-Joints. Could also be the slip yoke on the
transmission end of the shaft. They are know for those symptoms when the
lube gets out of them. There are a bunch of TSBs on it and GMs final
solution was to replace the yoke with a high nickel plated piece. The
grease is MUCH cheaper....
I would pull the shaft, check the joints real close (if in doubt
replace them with a GOOD greasable joint) use some GOOD grease and coat
the inside of the yoke good and reinstall it. Not difficult to do.
Oh and while you have the grease out you might want to pull the
intermediate steering shaft out, clean it and relube it before it starts
making a clunk when you turn.

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Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

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