D17 Final Drive?

Yesterday, I was using my 10' pull disk. I didn't know that I had ran into a 1' x 2' rock and was dragging it (stuck under the front frame), until I made a fairly sharp, right turn and my tires started spinning. But, I heard a fairly loud "clunk", in the right FD and  several more while get it unstuck.

I went on disking and found out that every time I made a fairly sharp Rt turn, I had that same "clunk" but, nothing when turning Left or longer sweeping Rt turns.

Would that be a symptom of a bad lower FD bearing?

And the wheels bolts

I took it for a short drive today. Turn the wheels to a full RT lock and made several circles. No noise.

I then found a ~12" rock and drove over it, with the RT wheel at full lock, no noise. So, I did a full lock LT turn and drove over the rock, that time I got a sharp clunck on the RT side, similar to when pulling the disk but, sharper and only when the wheel hit it, unlike when I spun the tire, at full lock, with the disk. That seemed a little lower pitch and cluncked several times.

I can't see any sliding on the rails and I pulled all the lug bolts, lubed them and re-torqued. None where loose.


Edited by frnkeore - 30 Apr 2020 at 7:18pm

I'd put a jack on it, take weight off each tire, and give it a side-to-side wiggle to see if there's ANY lateral motion on the bearings, then spin them by hand.  If there's a worn out or damaged bearing on the FD spindle, you'll be most likely to uncover it that way first.

A loose thrust washer in the differential or bad spider gear will do this.... a loose brg will show up  with an oil leak usually if there is oil in the pan... when you jack it up spin it and listen to the differential...