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Comments
I should add I had to put new tires on it and are Goodyear RT/S. Not a quiet road tire.
Just want to be sure this has nothing to do with wheel bearings. I was concerned one looked like it was leaking grease from a bad seal. Or are older blazers just loud
From what you describe it sounds like the problem may be your axle bearings.
I hope this helps
Thanks
Might want to look into this pretty quickly. If it is the u-joint and it is already vibrating/noisy/popping, it is not in good shape. Cheap fix if done before it completely lets go, expensive if it snaps while driving down the highway.
good luck
The rest is advice for anyone doing this for the first time like me
The front U-joint on a 1999 blazer was the same size as the rear. There was a different size listed for the front but on my blazer was way too small. The caps had a quarter inch of play. Plus the wrong size one had two outter clips. If you did not see outer clips on your present part, you use the same size as the back one.
The fit for the front one leaves no room for error to get the clip to seat properly. Take your time and do a little each side. I did not have the clip seated firmly and ended up on the side of the road with drive shaft hanging. What a different in acceleration, both torque and a quiet ride.
Still thinking of just checking the rear wheel bearings too but if you have a similar problem, this was a $30 repair and well worth every penny.
Have fun trying to pound out the old joint. Take the whole shaft right out and put it in a vise. There were two brackets to unscrew in the back, the front section just slides right out. You do have to get the back section out first to be able to slide out the front. The back side seems wedged in there but will come out.
Once the shaft is off the truck. I did not have to use heat, just a couple sockets. The sockets will get messed up so do not use expensive ones. Like many sites state you have to beat the p!ss out of them. they are not kidding. I used a 3lb sledge and what ever you think hard hitting is, triple it. I did spray some PB blaster and scored the outer area around the caps, plus remember to take the retaining clips out. Each U-joint had four and a couple looked like they were welded in place from build up but are not. Just a punch or screw driver, and a hammer will tap them out.
When installing the new ones. You still need a socket to pound them in and alternate sides doing a few gentler hits, I cracked a bearing cap hitting it directly, probably contribute to my break down. I did not have to take the clips off while under the car. A screw driver and rubber mallet helped pull them off. The rubber mallet was nice to knock them back on without smashing my fingers.
Also when you take out the old ones take the time to clean out the inner ring of the holes. There was lots of built up of something in there.
Hope these tips help any one doing this the first time like me go smoother. I am just a DIY guy learning as I go.
The build up you noticed in the groove is plastic that the factory uses to hold the U-joint in place. When you drive the U-joint out it destroys the plastic.
I am a long time enemy of car repair shops because an honest car repair shop will go broke. There is so much competition and so small of a profit margin in the car repair business that car repair shops must cheat customers in order to to stay in business. Another method used to increase profits is using inferior off-shore parts and charging premium prices for them. That is not exactly cheating customers but it is unethical. It is always best to do the job your self and use the best parts available.
Examples of the seven different ACDelco U-joints that are used on a 1999 Blazer:
45U-0109
45U-0110
45U-0123
45U-0136
45U-0131
45U-0103
45U-0108
There is a specific application for each of those U-joints or they would not have different part numbers.
Congratulations on a successful repair!
Also, look in the rear disc area for oil leakage. You mentioned that there might be a seal leaking. This is a repair that is also a lot easier than you think. I won't go into all the detail here, because pictures are very helpful. But this is really no more than a one hour job if you have done it before, and maybe two if you haven't. You will need a helper, though, because to get the rear axle out of the housing, someone has to push in on the axle shaft outer flange, while someone removes the "C" clip on the differential end. I had my 12 yo son help me on the first one we did. Be prepared, the diff grease from the factory is some of the nastiest smelling stuff you will come across, and wear clothes you don't mind throwing away! It takes three or four washings to get that odor out. When reassembling, use synthetic. No odor.
Since the O-2 sensors did not work in fixing this problem do you guys have any suggestions?
I've put in new front hub bearings, new u-joints on the rear drive shaft, new rear wheel bearings and seals and new rear brake calipers and disc pads -- the back plates are rusted away making the rotors visible on both back wheels. Will it hurt to leave the rusted away backplates as is? I also installed a new rotor on the right rear and had the other three rotors turned. There are no broken belts in the tires. When I changed the rear wheel bearings I didn't see any metal shavings from the spiders or from the pinion gear. There were no broken teeth on any of the gears. I also noted at the time that there were two shims on each of the spider gears. Does that sound right? It is a GU6 / 3.42 rear.
I am at a loss as to what is causing the rubbing noise and would greatly appreciate any help I can get on this. Thanks in advance!
-Dave
I had the tire store pull the Wranglers off and put Toyo tires on instead and they ride nice and quiet. Hope this helps.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Did you every figure out what the buzzing noise was? I have the same problem with my blazer and it is driving me crazy.
related? separate? help??? :confuse:
S10 vehicle problems are really difficult to diagnose so before they offer to diagnose and fix the problem, they may tell you: "Take it somewhere else".
That actually happened to me when I had ABS brake problems. The ABS modulator is not serviceable and a rebuilt unit costs $800, if you can find one. The repair shop service manager looked me up and down and made the determination that I could not afford a $1000 repair bill on a 1991 S10 Blazer that is not worth $2000 on the open market. So I received the "Take it somewhere else" routine or what people used to call "The bum's rush"
I later determined that we do not need the ABS system and your brakes will work just fine without ABS. The difficult part is bleeding the system with ABS. Bleeding the brakes system along with the ABS modulator is an all day job for two people if you don't have a $400 GM Tech 1 Scan Tool to cycle the ABS as you purge the air out of the modulator. If you don't get all the air out of the ABS modulator, yoiu will have soft brakes or no brakes at all. We managed to get the air out of the ABS modulator but it took all day. I will never know the ABS brakes do not work until I jump on the brakes on icey or wet roads. The ABS on my 1994 Ford F150 pick up has not worked in about 12 years. It is not a requirement that the vehicle has a working ABS system in order to pass state safety and emissions inspection.
The GM Tech 1 scan tools have been unavailable for several years and finding a good used on one for $400 e-bay is a crap shoot. .