Loud Wheel Noise (AC WD)

Depends on the noise, a common cause of wheel noise is loose eccentrics on the spin out rim, another possiblity is a damaged final drive. Can you give a little desription of the type of noise? Metal on metal grinding? Squealing? Clunking? And approximately where is it coming from?

I'm pretty sure its both wheels and it sounds like the gears in the wheels. The noise gets louder as you go faster. I'll take it for a ride later to be sure. My dad and brother just think its the way the gears were designed and aren't concerned by it, but none of us have ever been around another WD to know if its normal. Thanks

WD final drives are notoriously loud because of the straight cut gears. drop the pans on the bottom of the final drives and make sure they're not full of tar, or empty. it is common for the gear lube to never be changed or level checked. clean out the pans really good and put them back on with new gaskets, then fill them with 85-140 gear oil through the side plug until it runs out the hole, should quiet them down some.

If you don't take Bills's advice and clean and inspect the finals, I would at least take the plug out and see if there is any gear lube in them. If the noise leads to worn bearings and shelled out gear teeth, it will be painful to fix later.

MikeinLcoMo wrote: Last time I heard a loud noise from a rear wheel was when I backed over the Brother in law's foot while he was giving driving advice.

sounds like his fault he didn't give better advice

Bill_MN wrote: WD final drives are notoriously loud because of the straight cut gears. drop the pans on the bottom of the final drives and make sure they're not full of tar, or empty. it is common for the gear lube to never be changed or level checked. clean out the pans really good and put them back on with new gaskets, then fill them with 85-140 gear oil through the side plug until it runs out the hole, should quiet them down some.

I have never been able to find 250 wt oil. I just put in a grease fitting and use grease. It does not leak past seals like gear lube does.

When it sticks to the gears really, really well, you can pull the pan right off, and it still won't leak out!!!

Of course, if 'ya get dirt in that stuff, it just turns into an abrasive grit and wears the teeth down too...

but I'll third Bill's advise to check 'em out. They may be a little noisier than normal noisy on account of it being ill-maintained. Good idea to drain the transmission and refill it, and also replace the stick-shift boot, as the boot tends to rot away, and rain runs down the stick into the transmission case, and you wind up with all sorts of wonderful things as a result. Like... going out to start it up on Christmas Day, and find that the transmission is totally seized... frozen full of water... and the case is cracked...