S

slaphead

New Member
There is a loud noise like a dwarf with a hammer coming from under the car. It first happened when reversing from a space. It was fine driving forward but then a high pitched noise started like when driving downhill in a low gear. This then turned into a very loud banging noise.
Just prior to this happening I had the porop taken off and drove it as 2wd for a few wks whilst I waited for a uj from the UK. I had recently had the rear universal joint and rear diff front bracket replaced due to noises.
I am thinking that it may be the VCU as it was getting difficult turning in reverse. My mechanic thinks it may also be the IRD unit as there is quite a bit of play in it.
I need to get some expert advice from you guys as I will be importing the parts from the UK to NZ. Dont want to pay a fortune for something I may not need.
The prop is nowoff again and am driving 2wd. Not very noisey except when driving uphill. A rattling noise from in the vicinity of the IRD I am guessing.
All advice welcome please.
Cheers
Tom
 
Doesn't sound good at all. Maybe best not to spend too much on it at the moment. Ask Chaser, he'll give you some good advice.
 
Drain the oil from the IRD and look for debris. The oil should be relatively clean. Flakes of metal indicate surface damage to the gear teeth while large pieces shoe total tooth fracture. It is usually the crown wheel and pinion of the drive to the prop shaft which break down.
 
I would do as Vic says, check the ird oil for any obvious broken bits, but I would get your guy to remove the ird output pinion for the rear drive and examine it and the crownwheel it meshes with. sift through the oil looking for any lumps of metal or pieces of shim.

If you need a replacement there are different ratios depending on the model year. I suggest you replace with the later ratio as they are more reliable even if you originally have the early one.

Make certain you rule out front driveshaft joints first.

Also check all engine mounts and steady brackets.

If you have been suffering sufficient transmission wind up to knacker the ird then the rear diff will have had a hard time too so give that an oil change.

Oh and if the vcu isn't slipping change that as well.
 
Thanks for that fellas! I will have to chat to the mechanic about it. Do you think it is safe to drive as 2wd for now or will it make things worse. Can any of you recommend best place to get parts for best price. Got price from famous Four Products in the UK. 350GBP for vcu and 845GBP for IRD unit. What do you think?
Cheers
Tom
 
Make certain you rule out front driveshaft joints first.

Your drive shafts are in the vicinity of the ird,you do know the price of an ird,just went back and read your last post,you do.get your mechanic to be certain your drive shafts arn't fugked.
You dint type why you removed the prop,I think...yes you did,it started with noises from the rear, now you've got noises from the front,and without the prop,no way of telling if you're diff is fugked.

I sure am glad I'm not you stranded on the other side of the globe.
Welcome to the freelander page,
It might say I'm a senior member here,that doesn't mean I have a clue.
 
I forgot to mention, do a search of the forum for posts about only fitting new tyres to the rear. One of the most serious mistakes you can make is fitting new tyres on the front while you have part worn tyres on the rear. Doing so will cause IRD and/or rear diff failure even if the VCU is OK.
Maybe this is the cause of your troubles?
 
i removed the complete prop including the pinion drive that goes into the ird unit as there was damage to the teeth on it and the internal crown wheel had damage , the noise was real bad , so i made up a plate and blanked off where the pinion wheel was and im driving it as front wheel drive , real smooth drive now
 
stevejb said:
i removed the complete prop including the pinion drive that goes into the ird unit as there was damage to the teeth on it and the internal crown wheel had damage , the noise was real bad , so i made up a plate and blanked off where the pinion wheel was and im driving it as front wheel drive , real smooth drive now
Click to expand...


I've seen pre-made blanking plates for sale on ebay as well, so must be quite a popular move.
 
Chaser said:
I forgot to mention, do a search of the forum for posts about only fitting new tyres to the rear. One of the most serious mistakes you can make is fitting new tyres on the front while you have part worn tyres on the rear. Doing so will cause IRD and/or rear diff failure even if the VCU is OK.
Maybe this is the cause of your troubles?
Click to expand...

I did put the new spare on the back when I got a puncture and it was on there for a while until I read about it on this forum. Swiftly swapped tyres around. That was maybe when the trouble started. A small noise started then and I had the rear diff bracket replaced. Then the universal joint went. Had the prop taken off awaiting the part from the UK. Had that fitted to the prop and prop re-fitted. Then the banging began.
I need to drain the IRD to check for any bits.
Cheers
 
As there is positive damage to the crown wheel and pinion in the IRD, definitely drain the oil to remove all the debris, otherwise this will be circulated through the other gears and bearings and you will need a total rebuild.
 
vic.middleton said:
As there is positive damage to the crown wheel and pinion in the IRD, definitely drain the oil to remove all the debris, otherwise this will be circulated through the other gears and bearings and you will need a total rebuild.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. I will avoid driving it until the oil in the IRD has been drained and checked for debris.
I then have to find the best price for parts in the UK and get them shipped over. Deep joy!
Cheers
 
Hi again. my mechanic drained the oil from the IRD unit but there was very little debris in the oil. The oil had silvered but there were only a few very small shards of metal in the oil. Is this a sign that it is ok? The thing that concerns the mechanic is that when he turns the pinion on the IRD there is some movement that he would expect but then it seems to click a bit further, like there is too much play in it. Any ideas please. I dont want to buy an IRD if not reqd.
Cheers
 
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