SOLVED! Grinding in the front right.

[coolride]

It's a lot like this but not as loud.

 

[coolride]

This isn't the same model diff, but the clicking noise is dead on. Does the diff have an actuator like on the diconnect?

 

[bfairweath]

Will gear oil pour out when I pull this axle?

Yes. Not a lot, but some. More than what you want to try to soak up with towels. Use a catch pan.

 

[gmcman]

Why did you remove the intermediate

Was removing my oil pan.

The shaft was a bit stubborn, took a few good pulls to get it free.

The sound you're hearing could be resonating from the opposite side....hope so anyway.

There are some videos of people removing the front diff up through the front past the A/C compressor with the compressor and alternator out of the way...PITA job but probably less frustrating than removing the oil pan.

 

[coolride]

Was removing my oil pan.

The shaft was a bit stubborn, took a few good pulls to get it free.

The sound you're hearing could be resonating from the opposite side....hope so anyway.

There are some videos of people removing the front diff up through the front past the A/C compressor with the compressor and alternator out of the way...PITA job but probably less frustrating than removing the oil pan.

I could pull the diff., if it came to that. Removing the fan, AC compressor and the alternator. That doesn't sound too bad.

 

[coolride]

I crawled under the truck and I held a stethoscope on the disco with one hand, and I turned the driver's side axle with the other. No clicking noise in the disco.

So I put the driver's side back together, and I went out for a test drive. THE GRINDING IS GONE!!!

It must have been a bad wheel bearing. I put a new Timken on the passenger side. When that didn't stop the grinding I knew the original passenger side bearing was still good. I put that good bearing onto the driver's side and the grinding stopped!

This was a case of the bad bearing being on the opposite side that would seem logical...

And right now I'm going to change the gear oil in the front diff. (again.)