Expensive sounding noise

[dhumphri]

Guys
Was driving for about 20 mins this morning from the mountains in Sydney down to the coast when all of a sudden a really load graunching sound came from the vehicle with what seemed some drive train vibration (was doing 80 at the time).

I slowed to a stop at the side of the road and the noise did not cease until the car was still, but the pulses of sound slowed as the vehicle speed slowed(so am assuming I have some sort of transfer case/gearbox problem). The oil levels in both boxes is OK.

Sat on the side of road for a couple of minutes trying to find anything apparetly wrong and could visually see nothing.

Pulled back onto the road and the noise was gone - drove home parked the car and now and too scarred to drive any distance.

This was no little noise guys - I thought a gearbox/transfer case part had exploded given the noise generated.

Any ideas guys? Is there a way I can give the transfer case a health check. Just wish the bloody noise was still there - at least this would give a workshop something to look at - I hate these types of problems.

Regards Daz - Sorry lads the car is a late 2000 TD5 defender, manual of course.

[djam1]

I may be wrong but I chased a noise similar to this one to discover that it was the hand brake, if you pull on the hand brake slightly can you make the noise again?? (careful dont reef it on)

[LandyAndy]

Hi Dumphri
Did you start off on an unsealed road????
If so it could have been a rock caught between the disc and wheel,a long shot but a possibility.Have a look for fresh scratching on the inside of a wheel.
Goodluck
Andrew

[dhumphri]

Djam I hope that is it - makes sense that it just went away if so (will check tomorrow morning on way to work and let you know). I had driven the car for about 20km before the sound suddenly became apparent - is this similar to what you experienced or did you vehicle make this sound soon after you pulled off (the sound mine made had a definate pulse to it)

Landy - no dirt road use for a while - was just driving down your normal sh*%t Sydney secondary road.

Thks for the swift replys..Daz

[djam1]

I have seen it start after driving a short distance as things heat up if there is something dragging, I have also seen it happen when moving off when its cold with mine some corruption built up on the (brand new) pads once I cleaned it out and adjusted it it was all ok. I once had a 40 series toyota make some horrible noises intermittently and found that a spring had broken and ocassionally fell into the works.

Hope that this is all it is

[crump]

Lay off the Baked Beans and chilli??;)

[DEFENDERZOOK]

id say handbrake as well.....
it may not have released fully and was rubbing enough to heat up.....
when you stopped it had a chance to cool down...and when you used it and
then released it to take off again it may have gone back into place.....

to check this and make sure everything is ok.....
you need to unbolt the rear prop shaft....then remove the handbrake drum....
(the handbrake will need to be off at this stage so make sure to chock the wheels....)
then you can hose away(do not blow with compressed air) any brake dust
and check to make sure there is no oil on the brake linings......
give it a chance to dry a bit before you put the drum back on......

the drum should spin freely when fitted.....box in neutral.......
if all is ok.....refit the rear prop shaft.....

[DeeJay]

Could'nt be a front diff stripping itself could it? You would have to put it in 4wd to keep going?
I am not all that familiar with newer Defenders, but it crossed my mind, as I did one once in a series Landie.:huh:

[DEFENDERZOOK]

if it was a diff.....i dont think the noise would go away........
same if it was a transfer case or any other bearing......hence the handbrake theory.....

[JDNSW]

I am inclined to agree with the handbrake theory - when you stopped you applied the handbrake, and then when you moved off released it properly, hence the noise went away.
John

[dhumphri]

Thanks Zook will drop the tailshaft this week and inspect. Drove from Kurrajong to Blacktown this morninig and there was not even a hint of any strange sound coming from the vehicle (about an hours nervous drive).

Praying that the handbrake scenario is the issue. One of the guys suggested pulling the handbrake on ever so slightly when moving to see if I could reproduce the sound (tried it and I could feel it apply but with no sound). Am assuming that the brake would need to be binding for some period of time before it started to heat up and make a racket???

[DEFENDERZOOK]

after driving for a few minutes at speed it would get hot if it was binding.....
the hotter it gets the more it expands.....and grips even more again.....
it may have broken a spring.....and not pulled the shoe off the drum...it may have frozen if you were in the mountains.....


or....it might not have released properly...stayed on one click without the warning light coming on on the dash......
see if there is any movement in the drum up and down or left to right before you pull it off....

[DeeJay]

if it was a diff.....i dont think the noise would go away........
same if it was a transfer case or any other bearing......hence the handbrake theory.....

You would be right, coz I remember now when my diff blew I put the front freewheel hubs out and selected 2wd- then the noise stopped:p
Funny thing was it did it on a good road.
David

[DEFENDERZOOK]

You would be right, coz I remember now when my diff blew I put the front freewheel hubs out and selected 2wd- then the noise stopped:p
Funny thing was it did it on a good road.
David


if you had it all locked up in 4wd......you would have wound up the drive line.....