{"id":30139,"date":"2022-01-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/?p=30139"},"modified":"2025-08-22T07:15:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T11:15:33","slug":"whats-that-noise-do-bad-u-joints-squeak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/blog\/whats-that-noise-do-bad-u-joints-squeak\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s That Noise? Do Bad U-Joints Squeak?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When a u-joint goes bad, it starts making noise. The most common noises bad u-joints make are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Squeaking noise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Humming noise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clunking noise<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>If you hear a clunking or vibrating noise, you must replace your u-joints ASAP. (More about u-joint <a href=\"\/blog\/u-joint-failure-modes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">troubleshooting and replacement here<\/a>.) The clunking sound and vibration usually come after the u-joint has failed. And when this is noticed, the u-joints should be checked and replaced when necessary. Since most driveshafts have two joints, it is recommended that both should be replaced at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U-joints may start with a squeaking sound when it fails from lack of lubrication. And if you hear this sound, you may wonder if it means your u-joints have gone bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Bad U-Joints Make A Clunking Or Low Humming Noise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/UJ-640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/UJ-640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/UJ-640-450x303.jpg 450w, https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/UJ-640-600x404.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When a u-joint goes bad, it has too much play in its bearings. When you shift into drive or reverse, you may notice a clunking or banging noise. That is the metal cross in the u-joint slamming against the bearings in the bearing caps. You may also hear this noise in other situations, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shifting gears on a manual transmission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heavy acceleration or deceleration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another noise caused by excessive play in the u-joint is a low humming sound. This usually happens when the vehicle is in motion, and moving at 40 mph or more. The driveshaft vibrates because it isn&#8217;t held tightly by the worn u-joint(s). When the shaking gets rapid enough, vibration occurs. You can sometimes feel this in the floorboards, and sometimes hear a low humming sound that matches the vibration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does It Mean When My U-Joints Are Squeaking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Signs That Your U-Joints Need Replacement\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iUInIiCay78?feature=oembed&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Squeaking is a less common noise heard in failing u-joints, but it sometimes happens. This is most common when a u-joint loses lubrication, and is subject to water intrusion. The bearings can rust in that situation, and you may hear squeaking at low speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sound of squeaking is more high-pitched than most other noises made by bad u-joints. This is because both surfaces are rubbing together without much lubrication. The squeaking sound can range from low pitch to high pitch, depending on the amount of lubrication left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Squeaking Can Also Indicate Other Problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you hear a squeaking sound, it could be caused by other problems besides bad u-joints. A few common examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A bad wheel bearing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sticking caliper<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loose suspension parts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bad ball joints<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do I Know If My U-Joints Are Bad?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/failed-ujoint.jpg\" alt=\"failed ujoint\" class=\"wp-image-5241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/failed-ujoint.jpg 640w, https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/failed-ujoint-450x289.jpg 450w, https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/failed-ujoint-600x385.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes u-joints go bad without making any noises at all. You may not notice anything wrong with them until you have to replace them. But, if you&#8217;re in the habit of listening for strange noises, it may be a good idea to listen closely.  Of course, you should only trust your ears so much. You should also visually inspect the joints for any visible damage or deterioration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a u-joint goes bad, it starts making noise. The most common noises bad u-joints make are:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":30492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,60],"tags":[95,90045],"class_list":["post-30139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maintenance-tips","category-undercar","tag-ujoint","tag-universal-joint"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30139"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43648,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30139\/revisions\/43648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}