Thread: Front wheel drive 120... huh?

Possibly axle spline failure.

Could also be a drive flange.

As suggested, most likely axle/drive flange spline failure due to wear. There are no other likely failure points on the rear drive of the 120, although there is a slight chance it could be an axle shaft.

John

Thanks guys.
If I'd sat down and thought about it at the time, rather than parking it away and sulking about another probable output shaft drama, I might have come to the same conclusion!
Will let you know what I find during the week.
Danny

This is really embarrassing but I have to fes up 'cause now I really do need some help....

So, it turns out that my front axle is the one not driving, and the rear is fine (dare I admit that my original diagnosis was based on having the Landy in gear and idling, me looking underneath and seeing the front prop shaft spinning and the rear one not and saying 'Ah-ha, not driving to the rear! Aren't I a clever bush mechanic!' doh...!).

Anyway, back on track now, left hand axle is fine (removed following another dud diagnosis, I see a pattern emerging here....) but I have now dismantled the right hand hub and swivel housing but cannot remove the axle. Resorted to some gentle slide hammering and succeeded in popping the CV joint off the inner axle, but the axle didn't budge from the diff end.

With the LHS wheel on the ground, I can turn the axle by hand and sometimes it drives through the diff and turns the prop shaft, most time it does not. There is no sound of broken bits in the diff and I had expected the axle to slide out like on the LHS. Any suggestions?

Secondly, assuming this ends up being something more major and required diff work, and I don't know nuthin' 'bout diffs, would it be simpler for me to just swap the entire front axle housing from my '78 Rangie into the 120? Again, any suggestions?

On another note, we did a rear axle on our brigade's 130 Cat 9 fire unit at the Murrumbucca fire last week . That could have ended badly, the guys were in some pretty full on country here.

I'm guessing the front diff has broken the pin holding the planet gears and mangled a few bits. If you take the diff filler plug out and drain the oil (may find a few bits in the oil) you should be able to confirm or count out this diagnosis. While it is possible to swap the axle from the Rangerover, the 120 axle is significantly more heavily built, and the Isuzu (I assume that is what you have) puts a lot more load on the axle. The diff itself (the bit that unbolts from the axle housing) is fully interchangeable, in fact, I think it is the same, so you could use it.

John

I would think the axle has broken and jammed in the carrier .You may have to weld a plate with a hole to go over the axle and a couple of pusher bolts if it is really jammed .Try tapping back towards the diff and see if it moves

Best of Luck