Help! Clicking Sound In Trans/driveline?

corinthian-brad · May 18, 2008

Hello,

I have a problem that I cannot figure out. (I have a 2005 Sierra 1500 crew cab 4x4 short bed w/ auto trans, 5.3L V8) I hear this clicking sound, and it seems like it's coming from the transmission / driveline joint. I just replaced the Universal Joint this morning, and no help. The clicking is intermittent - it gets very severe when I apply the brakes hard - but it doesn't sound like a brake issue. It gets more rapid that faster I'm going. It also a tendancy to be loud when the truck is under acceleration load. If I accelerate, or brake VERY easy - then the clicking almost never starts happening. Only when jump on the gas or the brakes... it usually will go away after I a) slow down b) let of the gas a little bit c) get moving down the road under normal conditions. I haven't been driving my truck since the clicking started.

PLEASE HELP!!! ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

corinthian-brad · May 19, 2008

I was reading some previous posts regarding similar problems.... it seems like the slip yoke causes some problems for some... but is that a repeated clunking sound? Or just a single clunk / clang when accelerating or braking? Mine is a loud repeated clunking (think baseball card in a bicycle spoke!!)

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance!!!!

RCH · May 19, 2008

Hello,
I have a problem that I cannot figure out. (I have a 2005 Sierra 1500 crew cab 4x4 short bed w/ auto trans, 5.3L V8) I hear this clicking sound, and it seems like it's coming from the transmission / driveline joint. I just replaced the Universal Joint this morning, and no help. The clicking is intermittent - it gets very severe when I apply the brakes hard - but it doesn't sound like a brake issue. It gets more rapid that faster I'm going. It also a tendancy to be loud when the truck is under acceleration load. If I accelerate, or brake VERY easy - then the clicking almost never starts happening. Only when jump on the gas or the brakes... it usually will go away after I a) slow down b) let of the gas a little bit c) get moving down the road under normal conditions. I haven't been driving my truck since the clicking started.

PLEASE HELP!!! ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

You may want to look at the parking pawl, it may not be retracting all the way. The slip yoke would be more of a clunk when starting or stopping.

corinthian-brad · May 19, 2008

I'm not much of a transmission tech... can you give me an idea as to where the pawl is located, and how I could check the operation?

Thanks RCH!!!

C6Racer · May 20, 2008

It sounds like something very similar to what happened in my older brother's truck. It was a 2001 GMC Sierra C1500HD with the 6.0L engine. It developed a loud clicking sound, kind of like that card-in-a-bike-wheel sound that Brad mentioned and would get VERY loud when he really stepped on it. Since it was still under warranty(about 15k miles) he took it to the dealer and, get this, it turned out to be loose flexplate bolts(or flexplate-to-torque converter bolts, can't quite remember)!!! They fixed it by putting thread locker on the bolts and we never heard the noise again.

You can look at the parking pawl if you want but, I highly doubt that's the problem since it would not be affected by any sort of load. It is only accessible by removing the trans oil pan. If I remember correctly it is located in the very back left corner(on a 4L60-E which is what you should have). It is disengaged by a rod that slides under it when you shift out of park. The rod may not be slding under it all the way.

Hope this helps and good luck!

corinthian-brad · May 20, 2008

Hey Lorenzo...

thanks for the tip... I would have never guessed that! That does make sense though, since it doesn't click when the truck isn't under load (either braking, or acceleration). I'll check it out and post my progress!

Any other thoughts please let me know - especially something that doesn't involve this much work!!!!

Brad