Grinding Sound/Feel when let off the gas

Guys am baffled by a grinding/vibration type sound/feel when I let off the gas. Goes away when I just barely step on the gas and everything is equalized. Seems to do it all the time under those no load conditions but seems more noticable at like 25-30 mph and I try it. Sound familiar to anyone? Clutch and everything else associated with it was changed like 34,000 miles ago. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mine did something similar to this and it was something in the rear diff, we theorize a bad pinion bearing, but never confirmed it. I just regeared and didn't worry about it anymore.

We put the rear end on jackstands and I put it in gear and eased into the e-brake until it started to produce that same noise and it was very easy to tell it was coming from the rear diff.

Did it sound like this? This is a recording I took of mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtmWvUPvS74

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Couldn't really hear any noise in the video. Mine really isn't making a noise per se. Well maybe it is. You more so feel it as if it were a growling/vibration sorta thing but only when you let off the gas pedal. It too seems so much more pronounced while going like 25-30 mph and let off than when going like 60 and let off. I checked the transmission oil level and transfer case and both were full. Didn't check rear diff though.

 

You can hear the noise pretty heavily at the 3 second mark and it dies down a little at about 14 seconds. It is kind of a whining/grinding noise.

Mine would only do it when I let off the throttle in gear, it would put a little force on the gears from the engine breaking. If I shifted into neutral it would stop.

I also noticed you are a manual. My car is a manual and will do a grinding noise when I let off the throttle but only in 5th gear. I have been driving my car around for a few years like this with no issues though, just a little noisy sometimes.

 

OP is first gen, don't know if that matters? My truck howled all the time, turns out it was a pinion bearing issue that was replaced under warranty. The races that the bearing rides/ spins on was pitted real bad. I didn't know the history of the truck cause I bought it used from a dealer.
Could maybe be a transmission wine or something?

Brett

 

Not really sure what it is but hope its not too expensive to fix. Will check rear end and see what fluid level looks like in there. This vibration is in any gear and would be like a severly out of round rotor type of a vibration and only when off the gas. Only the slightest amount of gas and it stops.

P.S. The 03 is a 1st gen?

 

Not sure what else to tell ya. I just know it sounds similar to what my issue was.

95-04 are 1st gens, 05-Present are 2nd gens

 

dbailey, did you find a solution to your vibration? I have something similar on my 04 and cant figure it out.

 

It was the bearing that is midway down the driveshaft.