8 1/4 axle inspection.

I don't know about yours, but the 8-1/4 in my jeep has been making noise for years, and it's getting worse. Mine started with the axle bearing for the right axle shaft (wheel bearing). Unlike the tried and true 8-3/4, the axle bearing rollers ride directly on a ground surface of the axle shaft. That means when the bearing rollers go bad, they damage that ground surface on the axle. Pi$$-poor design if you ask me, especially compared to the separate, self-contained bearing of the 8-3/4 design. Now, yours could be the differentail bearings, or pinion, I don't know. I guess you could remove the cover, clean out the old lube, check the gear mesh pattern, look for tooth damage, replace the lube with fresh gear lube, and nurse it along for awhile.