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Hi, I recently bought a 1987 bronco 2 with 5 speed. I noticed today that when I am letting the clutch out on an incline, I hear a repetitive clicking sound and today on a particular steep grade I smelled an awkward smell almost like when breaks heat up too much going down a steep grade. Any ideas what might be causing this as well as the clicking sound? Thanks so much!

yoshie1976 wrote:Hi, I recently bought a 1987 bronco 2 with 5 speed. I noticed today that when I am letting the clutch out on an incline, I hear a repetitive clicking sound and today on a particular steep grade I smelled an awkward smell almost like when breaks heat up too much going down a steep grade. Any ideas what might be causing this as well as the clicking sound? Thanks so much!

"Slippin the Clutch" on a hill to keep from rolling back are common habit's some people have when starting on a hill. This is the quickest way I know of to Kill a clutch.

The odor you smelled was most likely the clutch disk burning from setting on a hill holding the vehicle from rolling back. As for the clicking you hear, that is probably the shock absorbing springs rattling. When a clutch disk gets HOT it will usually damage the springs in the center of the disk .and cause them to shrink and loose their temper

There is no "Trick" to starting on a hill with a stick it is the coordinated smooth movement from brake to gas pedal as you are letting out the clutch.

Thanks! You're probably right. It has a suspension lift and some fairly large tires, so I would imagine that it is probably more on the clutch that most vehicles I have driven. I am excited though, my first vehicle was a bronco II (1989 automatic) and that was in 1993. So I have now come full circle. I mostly just got the BII for fun. I also noticed that when I have my hubs locked, I hear a constant clicking without the 4x4 shifted in. I am guessing that I might have to replace the locking mechanisms and or hubs as well, but I will hold off on that to try to test it out if we ever get any snow. Thanks so much for your fast response! I am figuring that this thing might need some work down the road, but you can't go too wrong for $900! lol

The 4X4 clicking could be axle u joints, drive shaft U joints or maybe a wheel bearing.

if your wheeling it use low range

Ok, I noticed that the clicking or ticking sound is not coming from when I let the clutch out, rather when there is strain going up hill, etc. I went up a very steep hill in first and heard a repetitive clicking (about 3-4 clicks per second). Do universal joints make that sound when they are going bad? (This sound is coming without 4x4 engaged.) Thanks!

Update: I had someone listen to it from the outside and they said it sounds like it is coming from somewhere in the rear axle or driveshaft, and the clicking seems to match the rotation of the driveshaft.

u-joint

CV drive shaft, if I'm correct, this could very well be the end result.

Replace the drive shaft with a double cardone from your favorite parts store.
These have u-joints and are direct replacements.

Ray

I am guessing that this is what Advance Auto is calling the prop shaft? Thanks so much for all of your help on this!