TD5 Pulling to one side could it be a front axle?

**timax** · 24th July 2018, 07:31 PM

So........TD5 Defender and lately i have felt a bit of a strange pull to one side under acceleration at low speeds on the odd occasion.
Tonight when leaving work definitely something wrong. An audible clunk , bit of a strange sideways crabbing feel when going around a roundabout. Turn next left and similar sort of feeling. So pulled over and nothing visible . No oil on hubs or from front balls or diff. Rear and front suspension bushes all look and feel fine. Nursed it home at nothing over 80 along a freeway without problems except for a clunk or 2 in traffic. Turned into the driveway though and not great.
My question is , could a broken front axle cause this behaviour? Im hoping not the diff and it dosnt have the usual click click of a CV joint problem.
Any other thoughts before i start getting Dirty on Saturday morning?
Cheers Tim

**weeds** · 25th July 2018, 05:42 AM

Have a close look at you rear trailing arms....

I remember a mechanic showing me how he could steer a 110 by accelerating....pretty the rear suspension bushes where the culprit.

**timax** · 25th July 2018, 06:12 AM

Yep , one of the things i looked at first after doing a search on here. They seemed fine at first look with a big screwdriver to put some force on everything. Will have another closer look though. As i didnt loose drive i dont then think its an Axel or diff so might have a closer look at the CV's. Did drain the diff oil and found a slither of metal. That could have been there for a while though. What would go in a diff that would make noises when turning but still allow drive?

**AK83** · 25th July 2018, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by timax

....
Tonight when leaving work definitely something wrong. An audible clunk , bit of a strange sideways crabbing feel when going around a roundabout. .....

If you're 101% confident that suspension bushes are OK, then I'd say have a peek at the A frame balljoint.

Otherwise, most likely a suspension bush issue.

**timax** · 25th July 2018, 10:48 AM

Thanks so much for the advice . You have given me a good head start.
Cheers!

**sierrafery** · 26th July 2018, 05:32 PM

Can you see the TC warning light working on ignition self test?

**timax** · 27th July 2018, 05:36 PM

Hmmm, looks like im going to get my hands dirty tomorrow.
Bushes are fine.
Drained the Diff and both front oil filled hubs. Found some loose shards of metal in the diff. Jacked up one side and easy to rotate for about 1.5 turns before hitting an obstruction. So Front drive shaft off first to rule out the transfer case (if the metal in the diff has been there for a while) Then pull the half shafts and diff out. All in a terrace house backyard! Wont be able to pull one of the half-shafts too far as it will hit the side fence.

So never having replaced a diff in anything before what is the best thing to do. Send it off to be repaired or swap with reco?

**timax** · 28th July 2018, 01:23 PM

Well that was fun. Found the problem.
A few too many missing teeth in the front diff!

**AK83** · 28th July 2018, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by timax

Well that was fun. Found the problem.
A few too many missing teeth in the front diff!

missing CW&P type teeth?

as is commonly said around here ... "if there are no pics, it didn't happen!" :P

**timax** · 28th July 2018, 04:45 PM

Here you go. C&P seem fine. Its the Sun & planetary gears that are damaged.

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