Chirping sound, and where to get rear drums?

[Turbo301]

My '73 Fury has developed a fairly high-pitched, tire-speed-dependent chirping (cricket-like) sound. It seems to be coming from the rear. Is this likely a rear bearing issue? I changed the fluid when I first got the car, thinking that would save me from future bearing issues, but apparently not...

Note that I did the front brakes/bearings last year, and the sound really seems to be coming from the rear. The rear brake hardware is quite new, though the drums themselves are not...

If it is bearings, and since I believe my rear is an 8.25" (no posi or anything, bolt-on back cover), are just bearings and outer seals needed for the job? RockAuto and other vendors seem to have a number of such parts. On the other hand, when I looked at rear drums last year, my local parts shop could only get the "heavy duty" (or maybe wagon?) drums, and they were too wide. However, I forget their width... does anyone know where I can find the correct drum part numbers? Would Raybestos 2955R be right (I recall mine were 2" wide while the heavy-duty ones were 2.5")?

Just trying to get parts available before I do the job and tie-up my garage.

 

[Big_John]

IMHO, unless your rear drums are really in bad shape, I would try to keep them rather than replace with new.

Either have them turned if they really need it or run them the way they are. They don't have to be perfectly smooth, some "lines" in the surface from use won't hurt a thing.

 

[CBODY67]

A chirping noise in the driveline area usually comes from dry u-joints or a rubber boot that is needing some lubrication. NOT brake drums.

Considering how solidly brake drums are attached to the axle shafts, with related operating clearances, if the sound started all by itself, something else has worn to allow the metallic contacts to happen! NOT something that just happens "out of the blue sky", by observation.

Might need to put the car on a drive-on "muffler shop" rack so that the rear wheels can be raised (with a jack on the rack) from the contact pads and the rear suspension still be at normal ride height for a better look-see diagnosis.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Turbo301]

Sorry, yes, I wasn't implying that the brakes are related to the chirping noise; the chirp really sounds like bearings to me. I hadn't thought of a U-joint... hmm. Those don't have grease zerks on them, unfortunately. I don't know of any rubber boots on the rear axle.

 

[JC68vert300]

if it turns out that you have a bad rear (universal) u-joint, I would replace the front u-joint while you have everything apart.

 

[Turbo301]

if it turns out that you have a bad rear (universal) u-joint, I would replace the front u-joint while you have everything apart.

Makes sense. I'd have thought I'd feel more vibration if it was a u-joint, but when I get the car on my hoist I'll look for play and whatnot.

 

[71Polara383]

Ive had them chirp, just like you described. Easy place to start is the U joints

 

[CBODY67]

On our '66 Newport, it had gotten a slight higher-frequency vibration at 70mph. Considering I had a poor track record on that car of having complete wheel balance, I didn't think much of it. Then a squeak started to happen when taking off from a stop sign (for example). Sounded like a wheel cover squeak. Took wheel cocvers off, still there. Was the front u-joint. Replaced and quieter and smoother than it had been for quite some time.

Not all u-joints have grease fittings. Have to be taken apart to lube. Most just replace them as teh labor is the same either way. What about the front trunnion joint area?

CBODY67

 

[Gerald Morris]

....

Just trying to get parts available before I do the job and tie-up my garage.

U joints won't take much time or effort. Get a good pair and do it to it. Easier done in your garage than beside a busy street or highway, as I've had to do a few times in my life. Some of the supposedly top quality U-joints have no zerks on the assumption that their pre-packed grease and needle bearings will never need lubrication. I don't buy those myself. Be mindful of where your steel comes from also. I don't trust anything from east of the Urals, south of Mongolia.

 

[Turbo301]

U joints won't take much time or effort. Get a good pair and do it to it. Easier done in your garage than beside a busy street or highway, as I've had to do a few times in my life. Some of the supposedly top quality U-joints have no zerks on the assumption that their pre-packed grease and needle bearings will never need lubrication. I don't buy those myself. Be mindful of where your steel comes from also. I don't trust anything from east of the Urals, south of Mongolia.

Fair, though it's not always obvious where the parts are made. Do you have a part number/brand to recommend?

 

[Gerald Morris]

Fair, though it's not always obvious where the parts are made. Do you have a part number/brand to recommend?

Not one brand, though Moog is good. I stock up on old U.S.A. made stuff, NOS when I see a deal. You drive a '73 w a TF 727 tranny, right? I think by '73 the 483, 8.75" rear end was in its last year, though I might be wrong about your rear end. Try browsing for some NOS U joints and see what you can rake up.

 

[Turbo301]

So I got my car on the hoist, and the U-joints appear to be good. They are dusty but not rusty at all, the seals look good, and they have grease zerks! I was excited by that, but there's not enough clearance to fit my grease gun in there (only about a 1/4" diameter, max, will fit), so I'll try and find a narrower grease gun fitting.

 

[Gerald Morris]

So I got my car on the hoist, and the U-joints appear to be good. They are dusty but not rusty at all, the seals look good, and they have grease zerks! I was excited by that, but there's not enough clearance to fit my grease gun in there (only about a 1/4" diameter, max, will fit), so I'll try and find a narrower grease gun fitting.

You can't rotate the driveshaft a little to get a grease-gun to snap onto a zerk there?

 

[Turbo301]

You can't rotate the driveshaft a little to get a grease-gun to snap onto a zerk there?

No, the there's not enough clearance between the driveshaft and U-joint clamp on the other side. I can rotate it to the perfect angle, I just can't fit the grease gun nozzle through the gap. I'm hoping my narrower nozzle arrives today from Amazon to give it another go .

 

[CBODY67]

Seems like there used to be "a needle" grease gun fitting which depressed the check ball and grease could then be put into the joint's innards? Designed for places where the normal grease gun "end" would not fit due to clearance issues.

Please keep us posted,
CBODY67

 

[Turbo301]

Seems like there used to be "a needle" grease gun fitting which depressed the check ball and grease could then be put into the joint's innards? Designed for places where the normal grease gun "end" would not fit due to clearance issues.

Please keep us posted,
CBODY67

I have a super-fine needle that's meant to actually get into/under seals, but it's too pointy for the job: it pushes in the ball but, being tapered like a syringe needle, the grease comes out in front of the depressed ball rather than past it. The one I have coming from Amazon is thin but not quite that thin. My only worry there is I don't know if I'll be able to apply enough pressure to the ball in the zerk to push the grease in, but we'll see.

 

[Gerald Morris]

I have a super-fine needle that's meant to actually get into/under seals, but it's too pointy for the job: it pushes in the ball but, being tapered like a syringe needle, the grease comes out in front of the depressed ball rather than past it. The one I have coming from Amazon is thin but not quite that thin. My only worry there is I don't know if I'll be able to apply enough pressure to the ball in the zerk to push the grease in, but we'll see.

Then you simply will have to unbolt those little 1/4"-20 retaining strap bolts on the rear U joint and drop the shaft. Take care that when pumping fresh grease into the U-joint that you don't pop one or more of the end cups OFF the Tee/ If you do so though, carefully check to be SURE that ALL of the needle bearings remain in the cup, use a finger to pack some grease into the cup and thus insuring they remain in their respective positions about the inner surface, re-insert the end of the tee after wiping it scrupulously CLEAN, inspecting for wear of any sort, and count the event as a serendipitous blessing, offering you opportunity to inspect the U-joint. FWIW, one can still purchase Lubriplate bearing grease for this very sort of purpose too.

 

[Turbo301]

Okay, I got grease into both joints, but the chirping is still present. When rotating the drive shaft by hand I could hear a bit of a squeak coming from the front U-joint area, so I'm betting that's the culprit. I won't have time to get to the drive shaft for a while, but I'm happy to have seemingly isolated the issue!

 

[Gerald Morris]

Okay, I got grease into both joints, but the chirping is still present. When rotating the drive shaft by hand I could hear a bit of a squeak coming from the front U-joint area, so I'm betting that's the culprit. I won't have time to get to the drive shaft for a while, but I'm happy to have seemingly isolated the issue!

Well and Good, but don't dally too long with this problem. Having a drive shaft drop and "pole vault" the arse end of a car can ruin your drive for the day.

 

[Turbo301]

Okay, I have it up and the four bolts off, but the shaft doesn't just slide out like I'd hoped ^_^. Are there C-clips or something I should be looking for that might be holding the U-joint in, or can I just whack at it to get the joint to come out of the diff yoke? I don't want to damage something else in the process...

Edit: my car is on its wheels, on a storage hoist: does the rear end need to be dropped (car supported on its frame) to remove the shaft?