Will a low gear oil level in the rear diff cause clicking sound at low speeds? Been experiencing that sound the last few days and it's independent of braking action, so when the weather got good enough yesterday I went underneath with it jacked up to check it over. Diff output seals are weeping badly and the 80/90 in the diff is old and low, couldn't find any other possible causes for the noise.

 

Also....isn't there supposed to be quite a bit of rubber in the rear diff mount hangar? Mine DOESN'T have much left there lol, which could be adding to the clunking sounds over bumps in addition to needing new mustache bar bushes.

wow lots going on there, usally a clicking sound is a drive shaft problem , when a diff goes out you uslly feel it vibrating or humming , bad rubber mounts can cause a similar thing . do the drive shafts click with the bumps in the road ??

Not that I notice. I checked the cv shafts themselves with it up in the air and they seem perfectly fine-no unusual play or torn boots. I really only hear it when I'm going very slow, like coming to a stop, but I've coasted it to a stop with the brakes not applied and still hear it so that rules them out. It seems more pronounced to me when I back up, too. I rotated each tire with my hand while the back end was up on jackstands and couldn't get it to repeat the sound, but I think I noticed a rub noise at certain points of the rotation from either along the cv shaft body or the diff itself?

Edited February 27, 201214 yr by SmashedGlass

low fluid levels can cause sounds, i've heard it before. chirping or clicking like you said.

 

but - it's probably something else. the rear emergency brake pads are separate from the disc brake pads and can cause noises too as rust builds up. fairly common , wire brush the rotors or have them turned.

but I've coasted it to a stop with the brakes not applied and still hear it so that rules them out.

 

Not necessarily. Not familiar with your car but if it has drums in the back, you could have a shoe dragging on the drum, regardless of whether brakes are applied or not.

 

Could possibly have a bad caliper if its discs in the back and have a slightly rubbing/catching pad as well.

 

Not ruling out your ideas at all, but just wanted to throw my two cents in not to completely rule out the brakes.

 

Just a thought. Hope you get it figured out!

Last timne I had a click sound coming from the rear the universal joints were shot. Sound like a rock in a hubcap. Heard best at low speed.

I think it is the U-joints as well. I have had some click even though they seemed tight while the shaft was still installed on the vehicle. But once I pulled the shaft you could feel the grit in the caps.