[flyingtim01]

So I just wanted to follow up here, I can't stand threads where the OP never posts up the solution to the problem!

I drove the truck all winter with the hubs locked in, and never experienced the same noise. I started to wonder if maybe I had a bad hub, so I got a stud kit and a rebuild kit for the hubs, and got after it this weekend.

Just as a small backstory, when I wanted to eliminate the old Spicers, I went looking for Warn replacements. I didn't want to spend the $250 on a brand new set of 9072's, so I found a used set off an old Dodge. I think Warn hubs were OE on those trucks for some years. Anyway, I gave them a quick once over 2 years ago when I got them, and slapped them on.

Fast forward to yesterday, with new gaskets, studs and screws in hand, I pulled them off to see if they were damaged/loose, kinda hoping that was the source of my noise in freewheel. What I noticed is that when I put the hubs on, only one side had a snap ring around the end of the axle. The side with no snap ring made no noise, the side with the snap ring is the one that made that grinding noise. So I took the snap ring off and pulled the hub. I went through them both and cleaned them up, didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. So when I went to put them back on, the kit came with new snap rings, so I thought I'd throw them on. It was then that I noticed those snap rings do just about nothing in there. The snap ring on the back side of the lockout keeps the internal hub from sliding outwards, and in addition, the snap ring was way loose in the groove on the shaft. As in, I didn't even need snap ring pliers to put it on and take it off. So I left them off. I don't remember when I took the old Spicers off, maybe it made more of a difference with them that it does with the Warn hubs.

Anyway, I'm thinking that because that snap ring was so loose, when the hubs were disengaged and freewheeling, that ring got loose and dislodged (like when I went over a bump) and then started grinding against the inside the hub. I didn't see any damage in there, but the snap ring was a little twisted.

So after it all went back together (looks great with the new studs) I took the truck out and hopped on it a little. Even after a couple trips up to 65mph and back, still no noise.

So I think I got it fixed. Thanks for everyones help!