clunking sound when changing direction

[prelude]

Hi all, sorry for the flood of posts but I have recently been properly using the P38 since a long time so... :)

Whenever I drive off after having reversed or whenever I am reversing after I have been going forward for a while I get this clunking sound and I am not sure where that comes from. My diffs are a few K old ashcrofts with diff pinning and lockers, the halfshafts and CV's are new HD's from lucky8 and the transfercase is a refurbed ashcroft unit so I reckon they are not the culprits. I have checked my drive shafts and there is no play that I can see on the U joints but then again, I can only apply so much force with my hands :)

The drive shafts (at least the front one) came of a wrecker with a lot more mileage on it than my current vehicle but I'm not sure that should be a problem. Since lifting the vehicle I do plan on getting double cardan shafts and that might solve the problem but in the mean time I'm trying to figure this one out.

Any thoughts are highly appreciated!

Thanks,
-P

[trout1105]

Have you changed the oil in your diffs recently?

[prelude]

The oil is as old as the diffs, less than a year and a few K km's.

[PeterH]

This is a common problem with P38's, there is a small amount of play where the axles engage with the diff, the noise happens on change of direction (ie, reverse to forward), causing a clunking sound.
LR issued a fix for this, placing locktite on the splines was the fix from memory.
My viscous coupling was partially seized when I noticed the clunking, but it was far less apparent after I fitted a new viscous coupling.
I know your tranfer case is a refurbed one, I'm assuming the VC would be a new one. Might be worth checking for signs of seizing though, just incase!
Hope that is of some help,
Cheers, Pete.

[mtb_gary]

Is this just a single clunk as you move from forward to reverse/reverse to forward or something else?

[prelude]

it is one single clunk, difficult to assertain from where. From the transfercase to the front somewhere it seems.

-P

[Keithy P38]

That will just be the free play in the shafts on forward/reverse changes, it’s a normal P38 characteristic and is by no means harmful to any of the drivetrain components. It’s merely a noise to get used to (as defender drivers often say haha)

Cheers
Keithy

[Rlaundy]

That will just be the free play in the shafts on forward/reverse changes, it’s a normal P38 characteristic and is by no means harmful to any of the drivetrain components. It’s merely a noise to get used to (as defender drivers often say haha)

Cheers
Keithy
Notice my new and first ever HSE does it as well Keith, more noticeable when it's had a bit of a drive, and is warm, sounds from the drivers side back to me [emoji3]

[prelude]

Hmm oke :)

I'll just live with the clunking and pretend all is well then.

Thanks for the input guys!

Cheers,
-P