Thread: LT230 bronze washers

Yes you will need to remove the bearing. They are normally easy to remove. I use 2 large screwdrivers.

Originally Posted by woko

Yes you will need to remove the bearing. They are normally easy to remove. I use 2 large screwdrivers.

I thought the bearing was pressed on?
I seem to recall when i rebuilt the box many years ago that it was really tough to get the bearings off - ended up cutting the cages off and heating some up i think.

I haven't taken the LT230 apart yet - but in photos it looks like if you undo the bolts little by little and raise up the top half of the differential you should be able to split it apart that way...
I've been reading the rebuild manual - but I'm not even sure the diff will pull out by itself or if it's gears will get stuck on the intermediate gears?

Just put the whole thing in the bin and install an ATB

Originally Posted by Vern

Just put the whole thing in the bin and install an ATB

Your not wrong! I've been checking the ATB diff out on the Ashcroft website. But i have an upcoming trip and not enough time to order one and install it.

The TC has a fair bit of slack that has slowly become apparent in the last month or so. There is a clunk when taking up driveline slack etc. You can hear an internal clunk when rotating the TC front/rear output shafts.

I am presuming the internal slack is because the bronze domed washers have worn away? Which is sad because i rebuilt the box 120,000kms ago (new bearings etc). Maybe they only last that long in a 4WD that gets used offroad?
In any event, i just need to know if i can take the front output casing off, pull the center diff out and then refit without removing anything else (intermediate gears etc)?
One a sidenote - i will take the pto cover off this weekend just to make sure the clunk is not the input gear.

In any event, i just need to know if i can take the front output casing off, pull the center diff out and then refit without removing anything else (intermediate gears etc)?

Yes you can.
You have to be careful that the high/low? shaft does not move forward while you remove the nose or the ball bearing will fall down behind the shaft. There is virtually no room then to remove the ball bearing, unless you take the nose off again and fish it out with a magnet. Then it's a pain to get the plug out and refit the ball as there is very little room next to the chassis.
Not sure about the diff. I cannot remember whether it comes out easily.
However you can tell if the shims are OK by the amount of swarf in the forward "sump" of the nose. Lots of bronze swarf = worn thrust washers.
I did it in situ to fit a locking nose to my 2002..
Regards PhilipA

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Not sure about the diff. I cannot remember whether it comes out easily.

Yeah, worried that the gears would hold it in - as the manual says to put the intermediates in after the diff.
In terms of reliability (exploding out bush) - the planet gears rubbing on the metal carrier are not going to kill it? They would have to remove enough metal to slip out of the sun gears before failure?

No the dismantled transfer case I have has extremely worn bushes, to the extent that they have fallen apart. I only have half of the diff which is a bugger as I understand the two halves are machined together and matched.

My understanding with the similar LT95 diff and the LT230 is that the bushes wear until they disintegrate and then the star gears just start to wear into the hemisphere. The diff still works but understandably becomes very clunky.

Regards PhilipA