Outer Limits 4x4 Board

OK picture this. It's about 3:30AM and i'm on my way to work. I'm just pulling off the motorway and had slowed down to around 70 when this god awful noise starts coming from under the car. And it was LOUD! It was similar to when you hit corrugations at around 30 - 40. At the same time the car starts slowing, not like it just lost power, but like i was hitting the brakes, except I wasn't! I steer it off the road (the noise is still there, and still FAWKING LOUD) and it grinds, quite literally, to a halt. Engine is still running fine so no problems there.

So I get out expecting that a wheel has fallen off (it's happened before ) and do a walk around. Nup, all seems fine there. Have a look underneath. Nup, everything looks normal. Hmm Ok then. I see it's still a bit too close to the road for my liking so I go to push it onto the grass. Nup, not happening. Out of gear, handbrake off, nudge, push. Not a sausage. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

So I remember on the weekend I was manouvering the trailer up the (dirt) driveway and was having traction problems. Yeah so I had locked in the hubs and not unlocked them. But I have run locked hubs on road before and never had a problem like this.

My first impression, upon hearing the noise is that it's front diff. I'm really not quite sure how at this stage but that's what it sounded/felt like.

Anyway, so I unlock the hubs and push it off onto the grass. Yep no worries. Start her up, 1st gear away it goes, like nothing ever happened. Other maybes are the front output of the transfer has tried to engage itself, or that a busted CV has locked up in the knuckle housing. I've gone through all the possibilities in my head and nothing quite fits yet.

Any ideas?

its stuffed, sell it to me for $500

if you still have steering im guuessing a front diff center siezed

redzook wrote:if you still have steering im guuessing a front diff center siezed

Yeah still had steering, so you think the carrier bearings seized which locked the front shafts. Since the hubs were still locked in (and the wheels were spinning at 70kph) something then had to break (either hubs grenaded or splines on the axle shaft or CV stripped) and it came to a grinding halt. Yeah that all fits in.

IF that's the case i'm kinda suprised the CVs could hold up to that. Mind you, the wheels were pointing straight ahead so that would help.

I'm betting that when I pull the diff apart I will find a bunch of metal shavings, some broken parts and bugger all oil!

Check the front drive output from the t case too

Mine did similar once.
It was a t-case mount worn, not totally broken but almost, but it put front shaft too close to a crossmember.
If theres a uni problem, or output or diff bearing problem, they show up worse with hubs locked but still in 2wd.

if you find its not the front diff, try the transfer case
i had the two gold bushes that are at the end of the middle shaft come off
and mesh inbetween the gears, wasnt a pretty site. could be stuck in your front drive section of the tcase. just a thought

Damo wrote:

redzook wrote:if you still have steering im guuessing a front diff center siezed

Yeah still had steering, so you think the carrier bearings seized which locked the front shafts. Since the hubs were still locked in (and the wheels were spinning at 70kph) something then had to break (either hubs grenaded or splines on the axle shaft or CV stripped) and it came to a grinding halt. Yeah that all fits in.

IF that's the case i'm kinda suprised the CVs could hold up to that. Mind you, the wheels were pointing straight ahead so that would help.

I'm betting that when I pull the diff apart I will find a bunch of metal shavings, some broken parts and bugger all oil!

no im guessing no cv's or axles broke just the center is siezed and that was what was stopping u

as soon as u unlocked the hubs it was then able to drive again

as you couldnt push the car with the hubs locked so the cv's had to be incontact still

unlock the hubs. put it in two wheel drive and get under the car and spin the front driveshaft that will tell u if its diff or not

Are you sure you didn't hop into my sierra by mistake

Too much chrome, the poor little bugger just couldnt handle it.

Layto....

lay80n wrote:Too much chrome, the poor little bugger just couldnt handle it.

Layto....

hahahaha! 2nd that...
Have a look at the diff center and cure the curiosity Damo... lol!

raqmup wrote:

lay80n wrote:Too much chrome, the poor little bugger just couldnt handle it.

Layto....

hahahaha! 2nd that...
Have a look at the diff center and cure the curiosity Damo... lol!

Honestly I am curious, but at the moment I really couldn't be stuffed. If my shed was 100% done then maybe!

check your wheel bearings front and axle bearings rear it happened to my mates zuk. it started makung terrible noises so he put in the clutch and the back end locked up

This is like that TV show: Hypotheticals

batcho101 wrote:check your wheel bearings front and axle bearings rear it happened to my mates zuk. it started makung terrible noises so he put in the clutch and the back end locked up

If it was wheel bearings it would be there all the time, hubs locked or unlocked

i've had it happen with a front wheel bearing shattered the entire front hub

Should've bought a Vit