[guinnessmike]

Ever since I bought my 95' Pathy (SE-Automatic) there has been an every increasing in gear whine sound coming from somewhere (in both 2WD & 4WD)??? It is loudest between 30-40 MPH and a slightly higher pitch when coasting. The sound does not change when I put the transmission in neutral when coasting.
The front auto-lock wheel hubs were gunked up and not disengaging everytime so I rebuilt them and inspected the front bearings, but still the noise. I replaced the rear diff fluid with Lucas gear oil (no chips on the plug magnet), but still the noise. I replaced the transfer case fluid with synthetic ATF (no chips on the plug magnet), but still the noise. The auto trans fluid looks very clean as well. The front shafts no longer spin unless in 4WD so I have not bothered with the front diff. I am out of things to check except for the rear bearing which look like a major deal to inspect. Any ideas?

 

[Oldnissanguy]

Have you checked to make sure it's not the tires?

 

[guinnessmike]

I don't think it is the tires because I had bought them new about a year ago for my last pathfinder that got wrecked. I bought it back from the insurance company and stripped some parts, including the $600 worth of new Yokahama Geolanders (a great tire for this truck). When I bought this one, I just bolted them on (rotating front and back) and scraped the old ones. They only had like 3000 miles on the old truck. Could they have worn in that fast? The alignment on the old truck was pretty good. How could I tell if there is something awry with them?

 

[dvdswanson]

make your pathy dance, i.e. whatever speed you get the noise turn the steering wheel back and forth (safely of course). if the noise changes, chances are you have a bad axle bearing in the rear axle.

if you are in 4wd is the noise different?

 

[96Finder]

After one month after I bought my pathy it started whining and when I was replacing the differential oil there was a bunch of chips so I knew it was all whacked inside and new oil and lucas didn't help any. Same sound so I had to replace the dif. $1400 bucks. sucks

 

[guinnessmike]

I tried sawing it back and forth at speed. The sound increased a little, but it sounded like what I would expect to hear when loading the tire sidewalls so dramatically. The sound is the same in 2WD and 4WD. When I changed the rear diff fluid there were no chips in there so I think I am safe from that disaster, I would think...
I am at the point where I am fearful to take the truck on any trip far from home for fear that something will fail catastrophically and leave me stranded. :-<

 

[dvdswanson]

axle bearings generally wont have stuff in the fluid unless they completely go south. the bearing get pitted first and that creates the noise. if it sounded the same on both side your probably right about the tires. have you tried rotating the tires front to back to see if the noise changes location.

IDK if pathys have 2-piece drivelines but if you do, check the center support bearing.

also try keeping it in one gear like 2nd or 3rd to see if the noise stays or goes away.