symptoms? hub, inner shaft, bearings oh my?

[slowmo]

Hi all! I am new here and looking for answers...

I own a 2000 TXT 2x2 PDS stock.

I recently heard a intermittent squeaky noise in the rear thinking maybe shocks, leaf spring etc..then I noticed the axle nut had become loose on the passenger side.

Now there is more of a clunk sound. Still drives fine, no slip-age.

I took off both hubs to have a look and this is what I noticed so far.

1.The Axle has no up and down play and seems to spinning normal with out resistance and metal sounds

2. The axle has a little bit of back and forth play

3. the axle spines on both sides seem normal

4. I put the rear drivers side hub on and move it back and forth no clunk feel/sound

5. I then mount the passenger side hub and move it back and forth from the drivers side and the clunk feel sound is back (there some kinda slack)

6. The Hubs splines looked like there was a little wear maybe more so on the passenger side..a couple places were worn down a bit... But I do not know exactly how much wear is bad or could cause problems other then if they were just plain stripped. Which they are not. ( I looked for pics of a bad hub with no luck).

The car still drives and there is no super loud clunk but it is there and I believe getting worse. I hope it's hubs but i am concerned that it maybe something deeper inside. When I roll the wheel back and forth and put my hand on top of the motor I feel like the clunking is inside there.. So I am confused.. I can not really tell.. can the hub having play make it feel like it is in the motor?

I tried to take the snap ring off to get a better look at things but was unable to with my needle nose.

I think at this point I would like to know what would be the symptoms of a

1.hub going bad?
2. A bearing going bad?
3. a gear going bad
4. and a input shaft going bad?

Thanks for any input or advise you may have!
Slowmo

[andy4639]

When u put the hubs on did u torque down on them. They need to be as tight as u can get them. Really tight don't back off the nut to put the cotter key in.
Have u checked the rear end gear lube? Some noise is OK.

The gears should be fine unless the cart was really abused.
U can take the motor off and inspect it by turning it by hand. It should turn easy. The input can be checked when you pull the motor.
U need a set of snap ring ring pliers though.

[slowmo]

Hi andy! I do not have a torque wrench yet...but tightend it down super tight and did not back off the bolt to get the pin in ( I have a metal tube I slip over the ratchet for more leverage).

Have not checked the rear end gear lube( you mean the oil in the diff?) that is next.

Just picked up a snap ring plier set.

The noise is not really bad it is more that you can feel the clunk.

I was thinking of picking up a new hub. Start with that and see if that is the cause?

[andy4639]

Could be the hub since they were loose. The drivers side hub is the power side. The clunk your hearing sounds like the coupler on the motor shaft is going out on u though.

[slowmo]

u know how sound and clunks travel... but I seem to feel it on the motor as well... only that when I removed the drum/hub and brake assembly and played with the bare axle ..spun it.. moved it back and forth and up in down it felt pretty tight.. no clunck at all ..??that is the only reason I was thinking it may be the hub...but it could just be that the weight of the drum/hub on the axle amplifies the clunk in the motor? I dont know? what would you do 1st in this case?