My S10 is making a clicking noise near the rearend.

[Mosinguy]

What could it be? I only hear it when the truck gets close to stuff on the side of the road so the sound echoes back to the cab (trees, bushes, other vehicles, etc.) It sounds like it is clicking. I think it is coming from the right side of the truck. I know I need an alignment bad because the truck wants to shift to the right so maybe the clicking noise is related to that? All help is appreciated.

 

[eldirector]

Pebble in the tire tread? Nail in the tire? Something in the brake drum on that side? Worn u-joint? Could be lots of things.

Does it happen with every rotation of the tire? Or about 3 or 4 times as fast? Does it speed up and slow down with engine speed or vehicle speed?

Jack up the rearend (chock the front wheels), put the transmission in neutral, and spin the tires by hand. Should be able to pinpoint it.

 

[PeaShooter]

Are you sure it is from the rear end? if your truck is a 4wd it has front axles with cv joints that click when they go out.

 

[Mosinguy]

It doesn't have 4wd.

 

[mrjarrell]

Go Chinese on testing your alignment. Find a big space (think big empty parking lot), get the S10 up to about 35MPH, let go of the wheel and stand on the brake. If it cuts to the right or left you need an alignment. If it goes straight you're good to go.

 

[koutsevil]

Go Chinese on testing your alignment. Find a big space (think big empty parking lot), get the S10 up to about 35MPH, let go of the wheel and stand on the brake. If it cuts to the right or left you need an alignment. If it goes straight you're good to go.

This method of diagnosing could also show bad front brake hoses or front calipers. Alignment checks would include the vehicle going straight down a flat road that is not crowned, tire wear, and turnability.

 

[TB1999]

do you have a baseball card in the spokes?

 

[Boiled Owl]

U joint will make a click. More pronounced when you go from forward to reverse or vice versa.

 

[horsehaulin]

Have the U-joint checked, that's the most likely culprit.

 

[stephen87]

Ujoints.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

It could be as innocuous as the twiggy little stick the left rear on my Thunderchicken picked up and was raising holy heck. Jack it up, spin it, look and listen before you get into U joints and whatnot.

 

[churchmouse]

Ujoints.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[A_Brit_In_Indy]

If you're hearing it could it be the exhaust??

 

[Hammerhead]

We had a wheel bearing on our truck go out. One shop tried to tell me it was the idler arm and the pitman arm. I bought both and replaced the idler arm (it didn't hurt to replace it) but that wasn't the problem. Went to a completely different place and they diagnosed the wheel bearing. Clicking went away.

Check the wheel bearings.

 

[mbills2223]

Go Chinese on testing your alignment. Find a big space (think big empty parking lot), get the S10 up to about 35MPH, let go of the wheel and stand on the brake. If it cuts to the right or left you need an alignment. If it goes straight you're good to go.

What does it mean if the S10 flips multiple times and burst into flames just as mosinguy jumps out the window?

 

[Mosinguy]

Go Chinese on testing your alignment. Find a big space (think big empty parking lot), get the S10 up to about 35MPH, let go of the wheel and stand on the brake. If it cuts to the right or left you need an alignment. If it goes straight you're good to go.

It cuts bad to the right, but I knew that.

What does it mean if the S10 flips multiple times and burst into flames just as mosinguy jumps out the window?

SNAFU.


Since I don't have ABS on this thing I had to engine brake non stop during that rain we had this evening. Slightest tap on the brakes would send me skidding all over.

 

[vitamink]

Does the ticking speed up as you speed up? Does it have rhythm or is it sporadic?

Check the basics like something in the tire (nail) or something in the tread (rock)

Check your u joints for play or any practical jokes (a common joke is to use zip ties on Ujoints leaving a long tail. The tail then slaps at various parts of the vehicle annoying the hell out of it's driver)

Check your wheel bearings. This will be done with a similar test as MRJ's: Go to a parking lot and drive straight to hear the sound. veer left and then right. If the sound gets significantly louder when all the weight is on a particular side of the car then its likely a wheel bearing. If you steer right and you hear the noise, it's a driver side front or rear (maybe even both) wheel bearing.

 

[Marine1]

Could be a lot of things check wheel bearings and u joints first

 

[Mosinguy]

Does the ticking speed up as you speed up? Does it have rhythm or is it sporadic?

Check the basics like something in the tire (nail) or something in the tread (rock)

Check your u joints for play or any practical jokes (a common joke is to use zip ties on Ujoints leaving a long tail. The tail then slaps at various parts of the vehicle annoying the hell out of it's driver)

Check your wheel bearings. This will be done with a similar test as MRJ's: Go to a parking lot and drive straight to hear the sound. veer left and then right. If the sound gets significantly louder when all the weight is on a particular side of the car then its likely a wheel bearing. If you steer right and you hear the noise, it's a driver side front or rear (maybe even both) wheel bearing.

It is a sporadic thing.

 

[perry]

Have you changed the muffler bearings since you got it? Those have been known to rattle around like you describe.