D44 problem...

[OrangeCrushK10]

I'm thinkin' it's a bad wheel bearing, but lets see what the general opinion is.


Just finished installing my D44 into my s10 blazer. I took it for a test drive around the block and after a few hundred yards it starts making a "popping" noise from the wheel. I can kinda feel it in the steering wheel (I have a rathar loose steering setup) and feel it in the floorboards decently. On the way back home it slowly gets worse and starts squeeling a bit. Also it is worse when braking or turning.

There ya go. I need new wheel bearings or what?

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Do you have hubs? It could be a wheel bearing, but it could be a bad u-joint or hub as well. Take it apart and find out, anything that makes that kind of noise should be pretty apparent.

 

[shane74]

Jack it up and spin the wheels by hand, listen and feel for anything abnormal. Also, try rocking the tires at the 12 & 6 o'clock position. There really shouldn't be any play that you can feel by hand. It does sound like either a bad bearing, or ball joint to me.

 

[BurbLover]

Sell it and buy a Jeep......or maybe a Ford...Then it'll work without requiring maintenance

 

[sweetk30]

ujoint binding up to me. if you have lockout hubs locked in or flanges and it spins all the time i bet its that.

 

[OrangeCrushK10]

replaced the wheel bearings, problem solved. From the wear on the spindle it looks like it was the outer bearing.

And Burblover? The D44 is from Jeep. It's out of an '84 Grand Wagoneer and now sitting under my '89 S-10 blazer.

 

[BurbLover]

It's out of an '84 Grand Wagoneer

IIRC, that would make that the widetrack version of the D44, which is slightly wider than the standard Jeep D44. Also a little beefier.

 

[OrangeCrushK10]

IIRC, that would make that the widetrack version of the D44, which is slightly wider than the standard Jeep D44. Also a little beefier.

Yeah. Also has that built in vacuum disconnect in the diff. I'm thinking it'll be neat to make that work with the S-10's vacuum disconnect system, but it may also be a big mistake. I guess I get to find out.