Thread: Help, Stuck at Charleville!!!!

Originally Posted by Tusker

Hi Ash,

Better to play safe methinks on a flatbed.

I've only heard of one case of a CDL overheating, & it went blue.

You have actually checked the t/case oil? My t/case failure arose from no oil on the previous service, it did about 2000 kms before letting go.

Regards
Max P

Yeah it had oil, was all over the back of the car. I am now home, the car is still in Charleville. Is coming back on a transporter next week.

Boy those Rav4's are uncomfortable to do 1000km in.

I've heard before that some people reckon the centre in the CDL is lubricated really poorly and it is especially prone to overheating, to the point that they say to lock the CDL as soon as you hit dirt. You don't have differences in front and rear axle speeds at all do you.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I've heard before that some people reckon the centre in the CDL is lubricated really poorly and it is especially prone to overheating, to the point that they say to lock the CDL as soon as you hit dirt. You don't have differences in front and rear axle speeds at all do you.

I understand the reason for this advice is not because of overheating, but to prevent damage/wear to the CDL due to repeated impact loads as the wheels skip (and hence spin momentarily) on corrugations and other irregularities. How necessary it is probably depends on how you drive and the circumstances, I would think most useful when driving long distances at high speed on corrugated gravel.

I have not heard that overheating is a problem with the CDL, but wear certainly is.

John

John, I think Slunnie is referring to problems with the centre diff, not the diff lock.

There are problems with lubrication of the thrust washers on the diff pinions.

Originally Posted by Bush65

John, I think Slunnie is referring to problems with the centre diff, not the diff lock.

There are problems with lubrication of the thrust washers on the diff pinions.

So am I - the shock loads as the wheels spin and grip are imparted directly to these washers by the thrust as the gears are loaded and unloaded, hammering them and at a micro level destroying the lubricant layer and momentarily welding the metals together. I believe that this is what causes the wear not the lack of lubrication, although improved lubrication would probably improve the life of the thrust washers. In my view the problem is not lubrication, but size and metallurgy, although I could be wrong.

John