Rockwell noise

[44rockwellsyj]

Need help with trying to figure out noise. When I put brakes on it makes a lot of noise coming from the front Rockwell. I have changed the rotor, the chunk, basically everything but pads and brake caliper ( it's a wilwood) 4 piston. The front Rockwell is on leaf spring. It makes noise real bad when going down hill with brakes on. Going to get new pads but don't think thts the issue. Anybody got any ideas?

 

[b.boyd]

Re: Re: Rockwell noise

It is called brake chatter. It comes from the inherent slack between the gears. However, if the bearings are wore out it can be made worse. Pretty much all rock wells do this with pinion brakes.

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[44rockwellsyj]

Yeah I'd like to hear another Rockwell rig to see if there chatter is as loud as mine.

 

[jayphizzle]

Mine sounds like its coming apart. No problems other than the gear slop difference in the front and rear chunks being locked together in the transfer case. Mine does stay quieter when I drive around in front wheel drive. I also had the same worries at first, all rigs ive ever seen with pinion brakes and rocks do this.

 

[44rockwellsyj]

It makes a lot of brake chatter in 2wd.

 

[The-Boss]

Patooyee on here can give you more info than me on this subject but you might can take a few shims out of the rear pinion to preload the bearings now that they are worn. I think he discussed the chatter on here if you did a search. When he went from wheel brakes back to pinion he got major chatter. Sounded like something had let go. Removing shims got us through the trip but he wound up putting in bearings to totally fix it.

 

[fordcontraption01]

It makes a lot of brake chatter in 2wd.

yes they do so to cut down on some of the noise run it in 4 high and it will be ok but still noisy. Then you will say why run it in 4 high and I will say what's it matter you have drive flanges on it anyhow and the driveline is turning anyhow so do that and it will be ok :****:

 

[44rockwellsyj]

The 3rd I just took out I replaced pinion bearings thinking tht was the problem. But it didn't fix it.

 

[slytowncrawler2]

Drive line angle made mine worse...... Did like u an changed every dang thing finally said screw it an ran it for years with issue other than noise....
Axles are now in buggy with flat drive line an still chatters very once in a while on deceleration..
Good luck

 

[44rockwellsyj]

Yeah I'm bout to say screw it to. Lol climbed a hill Saturday and there was a bunch of people watching. Going down hill somebody asked me if I broke something. I said no it just makes noise. Guess it's a good conversation starter. Lol

 

[Elliott]

I've always heard people talking about this, but mine never make any noises, I wonder if it could be something to do with how the rotors are drilled to mount up?If someone drilled then out on a drill press and got it a little out of center I could see this happening.

 

[44rockwellsyj]

What rotor do u have?

 

[slytowncrawler2]

I've always heard people talking about this, but mine never make any noises, I wonder if it could be something to do with how the rotors are drilled to mount up?If someone drilled then out on a drill press and got it a little out of center I could see this happening.

I've wondered this too.... I've had them chatter an same truck with diff center section and it not chatter.
I'm bout 50/50 so far
Me an a friend had two trucks identical ....mine chattered an his didn't. I even put mine on lift with brakes completely off the truck an it still chatter.... That's when I said screw it lol

 

[patooyee]

I have a locker in the front and when I went from wheel brakes to pinion is when my noise started. During trouble shooting I realized my pinion bearings were shot so I pulled a few shims out of the big bearing side and it got a lot better to get me through the rest of the trip. By the end of the trip everything was loosening up again though and the noise got worse through the weekend.

I got home and replaced the pinion bearings and the noise was gone for the most part. But it still does it when coasting in 2wd under no load, especially going down hills, even when I'm not breaking, albeit not to nearly as bad extent. I chalk it up to the play in all the gearing and locker and live with it now. But the pinion bearings definitely made a huge difference.

 

[YOUNG]

Welcome to the world of double reduction axles!

Also its a good idea to run ditch the gear oil and run either standard synthetic motor oil, ATF or like we did for YEARS just some light weight hydraulic oil. With the thick gear oil along with the slow speeds of rock crawling etc. the upper bearings never get wetted down like they should. Trust me that the ATF or hydraulic oil makes a huge improvement in these axles.

 

[Elliott]

Who the F crawls with rockwells, these things are made for full throttle assaults son

 

[4byfan]

I thought that's why people turned em over all the time. To lube the upper bearings.

 

[Land Yacht]

We totally rebuilt a set of steering Rockwells with Overson 2" shafts and stud gutturals for our new buggy and learned that all of the gears within the chunk must be shimmed within factory tolerances. which are 6 to 10 thousandths, when they were assembled new at the factory, however with a used set of axles its best to take in consideration of the wear on the gears. This is what we have done after much research and have set our backlash and bearing shims within 5-6 thousandths and if you addressed the proper fitment you will in turn have a quality built axle that produces little to any noise. Most of all our information came from Boyce equipment's 2-1/2 ton rockwell rebuild manual as well as Overson engineering's Rockwell rebuild manual. Together both books provided a greater knowledge of how to disassemble an rebuild these unique axles, even so what to look for as wearing patterns on gears and bearings and how to treat issues such as your noise and chattering problems.