I've had a whining/screeching/squealing noise coming from my driveline for a while now. It's not very loud, but I'm sure it's there. I've rotated the left rear half axle and it sounds like a little scraping or like a BB rolling around - again, not very loud, but I want to identify it before it gets worse, wherever it is. I thought maybe it was the center driveshaft bearing, but now I think probably not. What sounds do the axles make when they wear out?

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

IMHO, that sounds more like a bearing than a CV joint. When my CV went bad it was a thump, thump that varied with speed. At first it was only noticeable when "coasting" around corners (highway ramps). What you have sounds like a possible wheel bearing problem.

here is a picture of my old axles. i replaced them about 3 months after i bought the car.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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That's what I thought too. But when I took the wheel off and rotated it, it seemed like the noise was closer to the axle. I stink at locating noises, always have. I'm trying to resist the temptation to wait until whatever it is gets REALLY loud, because then it will be more work. Seems like no radial or axial play on the bearing at all, and there should be at least some perceptable axial play. Hmmmm

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

I don't know how to find out for sure without taking it apart and looking. I agree you should do it sooner than later. I ended up replacing a hub on my 300D because one of the wheel bearings seized and rotated in the hub.

It sounds like a squealing belt, and is most noticable right before I stop.

__________________
'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.