Hey, guys! I searched the forums for answers and they were across the board from bushings, to shock absorbers, to diff fluid, to prop shaft stuff so I was hoping that someone who's had this issue specifically might read this and have a more specific idea than the wide range I have so far.
I bought my 93 pathy in June. Within a couple of days I had this same issue. What it is is a low groaning noise coupled with vibration while I am performing a tight turn (which, with the crappy turning radius our trucks have is just about every turn that happens in city limits off a major highway). I believe the noise is coming from the rear end.The 4wd is not activated. I have factory automatic hubs. I do have LSD and in June changed the fluid and made sure to put in the LSD additive and it seemed to take care of the problem. Then I drove it from California to Texas and all was good until the beginning of September when the noise gradually started coming back.
So, I checked the fluid and it's fine, even added a little for peace of mind and added some more LSD additive, mainly because I have a small leak at the seal where the prop shaft goes into the diff (but not all of it, because the container warns not to over treat). Putting in more additive seemed to make a small difference, but not for long. A little over a week ago I drove from Texas to Seattle and now the noise is as bad as it's ever been. Lots of tight turns here, though, which I suspect is accelerating or further exposing whatever the issue is.
Now, I have about $200 to my name, no place to work on my truck (though I could probably find a place to change the diff oil again, though I'd rather not waste $50 plus doing it if it's not the issue), it rains here A LOT and I'm quite concerned that perhaps sooner than later the rear end will lock up and leave me stranded, which would be a death blow for me. At this point, I don't know if I can get away with driving it the way it is for a few months until I can get some cash together, or if I should try to part it out (only 137k on the damn thing!) so I can get money for something else. I love the truck, have invested a bit of time and money into it already, and it has served me well, but if the rear diff locks and the truck is towed, I'm screwed.
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!