Click from the rear when backing up?

Generally I'll back up into a spot when I park, and always back into my garage when parking. It's been doing this for a while, but I don't remember it always doing it. When I put my truck in reverse, I'll back up for maybe 10-15 ft and will hear a click coming from the back end. The best way I can describe the sound is when you put a manual transmission into first gear, sometimes you will hear that click from the tranny, and that's kind of what it sounds like. If I were to guess, I would guess it's coming from my rear differential area, but I'm not 100% sure. It seems to happen around the same distance of backing up, around 10-15 ft. Never when I first shift into reverse, never happens if I shift into reverse and wait, only when I'm actually rolling backwards and after about 10-15 ft. It's not a bad sound, and I'm generally not too concerned, but not knowing what it is, I worry that it could get worse or is causing a small amount of damage every time it happens. Let me know what you guys think, I'd hate to take it to the dealership and pay diagnosis fees just to find out it's something not to worry about. Thanks.

 

Hard to say. But it sounds like brake pad shift. Happens sometimes when the brakes are applied when changing direction

 

Does it change with the revs of the engine or with the speed of the wheels?

 

Im with plain jane on this one. Sounds like the brake pads "floating" around when youre changing directions.. ie going from traveling forward, to backing up into your parking space

 

Could this be the case even with drum brakes in the rear?

 

This. Mine does it every time from reverse to forward, and forward to reverse, right when the brakes are tapped.

 

Nope, engine revs don't make any difference, and the sound tone or pitch doesn't change, its simply just a "click". Not sure what you mean by speed of the wheels though, but my reverse speed doesn't seem to make a difference either. I could be rolling slow, or give it some gas in reverse, and it always seems to happen at the same distance.

 

Yes.

 

Ok, thanks for the help. Maybe I'll have my wife stand by the rear tires next time I'm backing up to see if she can hear it from the wheels.

 

Sorry I thought it was continuous clicking. Didn't realize it was only one click

 

check your ujoints etc may need greased.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll crawl under the truck and check them when I get home tonight. Although, I would think if it was a u-joint problem it would be a continuous clicking, maybe? IDK, I don't know much about u-joints. The sound I'm hearing is a single click.

 

Sometimes its the simple things that mess with you...