Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

I have to agree with Steve as well. He said he was having the problem whether it was in gear or out. The only time a grossly mal-adjusted cable would cause that noise is when the tranny is in gear.

Wheel bearing could be a possibility. If you have the ability with enough jack stands to get all 4 tires off of the ground even just a little bit, you could rotate the wheels by hand and see where the noise is coming from. Could also be your inspection plate rubbing against you flywheel. It's a stretch, but possible. If the bolts came out of it, or it got dinged sometime it couold rub on the backside of the flywheel.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

ah, good point... but i'm pretty sure i know wheel bearing noise when i hear it. but thanks for the idea.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

The only other possibility besides the T-case I can think of is the carrier bearing on the driveshaft (which is a big possibility). If it is the T-case, just buy a new one. They can usually be had for ~$100.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

update.... so i realized the noise goes away in 2nd, 4th when i just pull back a little harder on the shifter... and after re-checking shift cable adjustment, it can only be the tranny. I was really scared that maybe it was low on fluid or something. Drained the fluid today, it had plenty, didnt look the best. I took the end cover off to see if the input shaft nut was loose (this was a rebuilt tranny, so i was suspicious). it wasn't loose. put it back together and tomorrow i'll refill it. Hoping new fluid will solve the problem.

I think i've elimiated the transfer case as being the culprit, unless someone still thinks otherwise, but that sure wouldnt explain why the noise goes away when I jiggle with the shifter.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

ok... another update. I drained and refilled the tranny with GM semi synthetic synchromesh.

Went for a test drive. Same noise, same volume.

Any other hints? Again, when i pull back on the shifter the noise almost completely goes away. Based on that I dont think it could be wheel bearings or transfer case. Car drives great, rolls smooth, shifts smooth.

If this is a tranny issue... any idea what would be wrong? Or am i just being paranoid, do AWD DSMS always make a lot of rolling noise?

THanks!

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

It sounds like a bad bearing in the tranny, but I haven't heard of one of the bearings on the shafts going bad before. You are probably going to have to tear it down to figure out exactly what it is. It is not as difficult as it first seems.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

B-E-A-utiful. Is it unsafe to drive arounda car with a bad bearing? Man, what luck I have had with dsms.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

One thing would be to make sure that the bolts that hold the cases together is tight. That will loosen up the bearing tolerances. Eventually the tranny may lock up if the bearing seizes, which will obviously be an issue. The longer it runs like that the worse it will get and it may do damage to other parts of the tranny.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

well, i recently took off the end cover to check the shaft bolts, which were tight. It didnt look like the tranny case was loose or coming apart...

Wait, lets step back here. The bearings on the shaft are spinning whether or not the car is in gear right? Because if they are, then it couldnt be that.. because when the car is running, but not moving it doesnt make the noise. I can rev the engine when i'm not moving and it doesnt make the noise.

gah, this makes no sense.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

Does it sound like something is binding? I have riden in a few DSMs, both 1g and 2g, and it always sounds like something is binding even though everything rolls/shifts fine.

Re: Noise when moving... transfer case?
 

hrm, whats the sound of something binding?