Help! Quick question. About to grenade my front end D50 TTB!

[mattplumber]

Got a nasty binding and thunking noise coming from my front end tonight, almost felt like the brakes locking up when I come to a stop. Made it home and it looks as if my front axle DS u-joint is shot. Bearing caps are loose and the joint is moving around.
My question is: with the t-case in 2-hi and the hubs unlocked(which they are) the axle shouldn't spin AT ALL, correct? If the answer to that question is yes, then even if the joint is bad, how can it be binding up if the hubs are unlocked and the axle isn't spinning?
I'm almost 100% sure this is my problem........truck drives fine off the line, shifts good, tracks good, just when I go to stop it thunks (like I ran over something) just before I completely stop.
Thoughts?

 

[Simp5782]

yeah it should not spin with the tcase in 2wd and hubs unlocked. BUT when you turn and what not something has to give on the knuckle on the inside so it has to flex some even unlocked. and ur in good old memphis. i was born and raised there. glad i got out

 

[dsltech83]

Are the hubs really unlocked? If things are in a bind when you unlock them, they will not unlock. I ran into that problem on my truck at one point in time. If they were not unlocke and that ujoint was seized up and binding, then popped and broke the cap they will make a hell of a noise, happened to me in my 44ttb.

 

[pafixitman]

Check your calipers. If it is a nasty noise (thunk, banging type) only when you stop, I bet a caliper retainer has worked it's way loose.

 

[MidnightBlade]

Check your calipers. If it is a nasty noise (thunk, banging type) only when you stop, I bet a caliper retainer has worked it's way loose.

x2
didnt think of that yet
also the pins could have been crushed and some new over sized pins may be in order

 

[mattplumber]

The cap is definitely broken on the ds u-joint. I can move the inner axle yoke around with my hand quite a bit as compared with the ps which is tight. Are these u joints a pain to replace? This is ds, so its the short side.............any tips or tricks to r&r this axle? Or is it just as straightforward as any other solid axle (35,44,60 etc)?

 

[Dieselcrawler]

same as any other axle on driverside. pass side is a little more fun since it has 2 joints.