At high speeds it almost sounds like I’m dragging a pipe underneath the passenger floorboard. I took a couple videos but I also had to do my best to not get run over by my wife.

it seems to be intermittent too. Didn’t do it at all yesterday but a ton the day before and today

I wasn’t sure how to put the video in the post so I uploaded it to Imgur:

Two videos of the noise

 

Miles on your 3? May we assume AT, TC and Diff fluids are all full and changed when the maintenance schedule called for it?

It is difficult to help with noises as I cannot even hear what you are trying to diagnose, but others might.

You could always check the usual offenders like loose exhaust heat shield (it can even rub the drive shaft) or skid plates.

Best of luck.

 

Hey Doc. Appreciate the response. I’m at about 107000 and I have followed all the change intervals for fluids. If you click the link in my post and then turn the sound on in the video the noise is pretty loud. Because I screen captured it looks like my play and volume button are in the video so that isn’t actually the real play and volume button. They are at the bottom of the video and for some reason Imgur defaults to sound off so you have to turn it on.


I did check the skid plates and heat shields. As well as the manifold bolts too just in case. Very odd. It happens in drive and reverse but if it’s making the noise while cruising on the highway and I slip it in neutral it goes away immediately

 

Sounds like the U-joint. I had similar issue and it's a pretty simple fix especially if you're lifted.

 

It sounds like a CV joint, specifically the front drive shaft CV joint. To check this first block your wheels and put the transfer case in neutral to take all stress off the shaft. Then just grab it and see if there is any play in it. The joint connects the front drive shaft to the transfer case, so check that end and not the front differential end.

You can change just the joint, and it isn't too bad if you have mechanical experience. If not you can always replace the entire shaft.

 

 

thanks! Just tried this…and while there is no up and down play, I am able to rotate it about a quarter turn. I think I might just replace this first and see if it helps.

I did replace the entire front drive shaft about 30k miles ago. It was making a much different clunking noise when it failed the first time. I went with a cheap $130 one from trakmotive that came with a lifetime warranty (it is now double that). The GM one at the time was over $1000.

so I guess we’ll see if they honor that lifetime warranty

 

 

Do you mean the the transfer case front output flange can turn 1/4 turn relative to the stationary front driveshaft (i.e. 1/4 turn difference across the two sides of the CV joint), or does the transfer case output flange turn 1/4 turn in lockstep with the shaft but you are getting 1/4 turn of slop in the front differential?