1994 Montero SR Grinding noise in 4h at low speeds?

[skeet87]

Just bought a 1994 Montero SR first off I found an oil leak coming from the pressure oil cooler hose. Now I noticed yesterday that while in 4h at speeds below 20mph that I am now getting a grinding noise coming from the front end. Does anyone know where this issue could be coming from? I will do some test to figure out the exact location of where the noise is coming from but has anyone experienced this issue? I read on some aussie forums this could be a cv axel issue. I check the cv axel covered in the green case? both cv cases do have some play rotating forward and backward id say the cv rotates about an 1/8 of an inch not sure if that is normal?

 

[jaccox23]

Is the transfer case full of fluid, is the front diff full of fluid? Is the fluid milky (from water intrusion)? the small amount of play in the CV rotation is normal. Check the rubber boots on the CV's to make sure they aren't busted and letting in water and debris. Unless you have manual lockout hubs on your truck already I'd be doubtful of this noise being the CV since it spins regardless if you are in 4H or 2H, but maybe the stress of being under load in 4H could make a broken CV whine. Not many places for the noise to come from so just check those things and hopefully you find the culprit.

 

[skeet87]

I actually do have manual locking hubs....driver side is pretty stiff too....im thinking it some kind of debris also as the noise goes away above 15mph and sometimes doesn't even happen....noise doesn't happen in 2h at all