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58MPH Whine On 2500

J

JoeZ

GUEST
I have had two 2500 Avalanches and both have had a whine most noticable at 58MPH. The dealer said it was a tire pressure problem and claimed that all you have to do is find the right combination of pressures. So I told them "Go ahead and find the right pressures." Well, they tried and gave up. I drove another one in their lot and it was the same. Somehow I don't buy their remedy.
I'm wondering if anybody out there has heard of this and found the right combination of pressures. I called two other dealers in my area and they both said the same thing.
 
JoeZ:

Read my post onMaintenance and Care - Oil Change and Posi Traction Service. I have a similar problem. I tried tire pressures from 29 psi to 40 psi. I believe it's the rear. Dealer seemed to think it was the rear also. At any rate, all the guys that responded to above post are very knowledgeable about rear differentials.
Hope this helps.
 
Here is a link to the thread Ron mentioned. I would be surprised if the hum just vanished. Has it gotten any worse? Were there any hints of metal or bearing material in the lube when you replaced it? The dealer, or yourself can send a sample of the lube in for analysis. The lab can tell if abnormal wear is going on from this sample. How loud is this noise?
 
My 2500 did that for awhile. I lowered the tires some and that helped. I have now gotten new and different tires and there is no noise.

Good Luck:)
 
You might wanna double check and see if the whine is more rpm specific or truck speed. My 8.1 did it at 1900 rpms through every gear. I had a friend of mine rev and hold the engine speed as I crouched tire level on the passenger side. The whine on mine came from a small hole in the muffler. The factory puts them there for condensation release...after pluggin the hole the sound was gone. Now a week later I just changed over to a Magnaflow. ;D
 
Does the whine start about 57 and go away about 59 mph, change pitch or go away when feathering the throttle? ?Is most likely the ring gear and pinion whine, many GM 3/4 ton truck rear axles make this noise. ?If it is a very light noise under the above conditions you would be better off to leave it alone. ?If it is loud and objectionable then have the ring and pinion gears replaced. ?Do you have the 4:10 rear axle? ?This could be just a normal ring and pinion whine with that combination and won't cause any problems other than the noise. ?:B:
 
This has been touched on in other threads, as mentioned earlier. While some people consider the sound normal - and in some vehicles it is - I felt it unusual in my case and had the dealer look at it. I had noticed other people having problems with the ring and pinion and I suggested this to them. Sure enough, they found the oil and bearings discoloured and replaced both. If you have a good dealer, they should look into it. (This was before my dealership went down the pooper.)
 
It is definately a gear whine. When the auto button is engaged, the whine is worse. Passengers notice and mention it also. It's just that sometimes you get stuck in 58mph traffic and you can't go faster to make the whine go away. Mine is the 373 ratio. I am thinking real hard about purchasing the extended warranty on this puppy.
 
I had a 1998 and then a 2000 F-150:D:. During that time I had 3 ring gear and pinion replacements, all diagnosed by a growing whine between 45 and 50 mph.
My Z66 has always had a small whine between 50 and 55 that my dealer is ammune to hearing. Lets just hope that those fords did not scar me for life. :B:
 
I have a 2500 with the 8.1 and stock tires, Firestones. I have not noticed any whine. I did change the muffler the day I got the truck, Flowmaster.
 
i have a 1500 AV Z-66. i have the same whine you guys talk about. the dealer said they have seen this problem before. they did not fix it however. which leads me to believe they do not know why it doing it.
but for my protection it is on their computers now. somewhere i read on the sight it was the pinion gear in the rear causing the noise we hear.
wish you all the best of luck with your problems. :B:
 
02-Z66

That's exactly what it was on my Z66. The dealer replaced the ring and pinion. They did tell me that almost all of them have a slight whine but not very noticeable. The shop foreman drove my Z66 and told me that mine was the loudest he had heard. The whine could be heard even with the radio on. After the R&P was replaced, it was about 75% better. I can still hear it if the radio is off. But very very slightly. Between 50 and 60 mph. Still stops when I just coast. Can only be heard when slightly under power. I have to admit - I gotta be listening for it.
Apparently this is not something new for Chevy. So if it bothers you, it may be worth pursuing. Good luck.
 
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