[screamingdemon]

Ok so now that I'm about to have my U-joints replaced I figured I'd address the only other main issue I've had with my truck. I can tell that my truck had rarely if ever been taken off road before I bought it (the underside was near spotless) and I've only drove it offroad a few times. Those select times was when I had to get to my land so I could hunt, a few times I had to use 4wd to get through it.

Here's when it first started....I guess 6 or 7 months ago I had parked my truck in a small ditch so I could walk our land to see what was what basically. Well I come back a hour or so later to see my trucks tires have sunk about 3 inches into the ditch. Ok so to keep from digging to many ruts I simply put it in 4WL and eased into the throttle and go to reverse out of the ditch. Well I started to spin a little not to horribly bad and I was almost out of the ditch when all of the sudden I started hearing a popping on what sounded like my right front side. It wouldn't do it every time I hit the throttle but when it did it sent chills up my spine. But what's strange is it only does it when I'm in 4x4. Also when it does it the front tires never stop or slow down spinning, they simply keep on turning like normal. I noticed shortly there after when I would put it in 4WD it would only do it slightly at first then quit the rest of the time I was in 4WD. I have a boot that's torn on the right CV axle if that has anything to do with it. I'm honestly baffled though.

Sorry if I'm not up to speed on this sort of thing and I've tried searching but I can't find anything even remotely similar to this that has been posted on here... also I don't know much about how the front drive system works much less what this sound is coming front. Any thoughts? Would it help if I could try to make a video of this to see if maybe I can get it to do it and what situation it is doing it?

 

[Nissan4Life]

Look at the video in the 2005+ front axle post in the sticky. Does your pop sound like his. If so you might have a front diff that is on its way out.

You can also jack up the front end and give the front wheels a sping to check for crunchyness. If indeed it is crunchy you might want to consider draining the front diff fluid immediatly. If there is a chunk of spider gear floating around, you don't want it to get lodged anywhere bad. Read the sticky and inform yourself of that particular type of failure.

There are other things that make popping sounds too like binding suspension, and possiblity steering stops.

 

[screamingdemon]

I have checked out that thread and searched for "popping, grinding, crunching, etc." The sound I've got doesn't sound like that. That sounded waaay more violent than what I'm experiencing.

 

[nizmut]

pull apart the cv with the torn boot. Inspect it grease it and throw a new boot on it. See if that helps, the boot kits come with the right amount of grease for the rebuild. If you do the end with the crimp bands, get good crimpers, or use hose clamps. The bands will destroy cheap pliers, and not get tight.

If the balls or races are scored, you need to get a used axle to take a cv off of, nissan only sells the whole axle with both cv's or the boot kits.

 

[screamingdemon]

pull apart the cv with the torn boot. Inspect it grease it and throw a new boot on it. See if that helps, the boot kits come with the right amount of grease for the rebuild. If you do the end with the crimp bands, get good crimpers, or use hose clamps. The bands will destroy cheap pliers, and not get tight.

If the balls or races are scored, you need to get a used axle to take a cv off of, nissan only sells the whole axle with both cv's or the boot kits.

Don't I have to fully dissemble the axle assembly make sure all grease is removed then put it back together with the supplied grease? I've got a banding tool, would that work? At the last constrution job I worked I had to use banding so I know my way around that sort of thing. At first I was just going to buy a full axle assembly but none of the parts houses or dealerships around here can get them and even if they could they'd cost $550 before tax.....