Clunking in 4WD, suspect hub not locking properly

[wojtech]

Hi All,

Just taken the GQ Bush Beast out for a test on the dirt.

Only just bought this vehicle so there are a lot of things I don't know about its history.

After locking the hubs and driving in 4H I got a loud clunk every so often and a feeling like the front drive line was disengaging for a split second then coming back in. I went back to 2H with hubs still locked and got the same clunk but more often but didn't feel as heavy in the car. I then went back into 4H and engaged airlocker and this time when it clunked it seemed to pulled to one side for a split second then drive straight until the next clunk. I also tried driving with hubs unlocked and transfer in 4H, no clunking and no noise from diff.

Recently I overhauled the swivel hubs. The free wheeling hubs had water in them and after reassembly I noticed one wouldn't lock in until I gave the wheel a turn by hand.

I suspect this hub is the clunking .

Anyone have any other ideas? No metal in diff, locker seems to engage disengage OK.

[YNOT]

Sounds like either a CV or a hub. Are the hubs auto or manual?

Tony

[HippoNZ]

I had the same problem once alongside the wheel bearings being stuffed, replaced the wheel bearings and the clunk went away. Check your wheel bearings by jacking up your truck and see if you can move your wheel horizontally and vertically, if there's a bit of play (may only be on one side) then your wheel bearing may need replacing. when you have too much play your hubs can't engage properly and hence they have a tendency to slip every so often. This is also why you can hear the clunk when in 2H. A good place to start as wheel bearings are cheaper than hubs if you try replacing things by trial and error.
My 2 cents worth anyway, good luck!

Brett

[wojtech]

Manual hubs, I just repacked the bearings and cv's whilst doing the swivel hubs, bearings seemed OK, Cv's OK all the axle splines were OK.
I just pulled both hubs off to check for metal fragments, nothing. Please tell me its not the Diff!!!

[timbar]

had the same problem turned out to be the bearings worth checking them out or even just repacing them to be sure to be sure

[wojtech]

Can a faulty CV make this kind of racket, I just drove it down the road and on turning it made the clunking every time, full lock going real slow it made a ratchety sound. But could a CV be that bad that it feels like the axle is breaking??

[timbar]

yeah sounds like cv or even bearing jack it up and check for movement on the hub it could just be bearing i thrashed out 1 of my bearings on the drivers side and i thought it was the cv but it was just a bearing what a releif that was .....

[timbar]

is the noise the same even in a staight line or only when u turn ?

[wojtech]

It happens in a straight line too but not as often, others have mentioned wheel bearings but they wouldn't be the issue as they spun smooth after repacking and preloading.
When I had the axle(s) out the other day what I noticed with the drivers side (short side) axle was that when I had it out and and turned to what would be past full lock in the car, it bound up and would not do its cv thing, when straight or at mild angles it "seemed" to turn alright in my hands.

[HippoNZ]

you may well be right wojtech, but I have a gut feeling it maybe the bearings. your story just sounds so similar to mine. I was sure when I had my bearings off they were fine, turns out they weren't. Took a mechanic to convince me to replace the bearing and problem solved. Not guaranteeing this is the fix tho, just don't over look the possibilities. Like timbar said, the simptons sound so much like a CV issue but gratefully they weren't! lol

[timbar]

usually the cv joint noise is only evident when u are turning because what happens is the axle wears a groove in the joint and what happens is it clunks when the axle is jumping in and out of the straight groove which is why it makes noise when u turn and not when u are going in a straight line......

[wojtech]

This noise only happens when the hubs are locked, wouldn't faulty bearings make this sound all the time. I only get the clunking when both hubs are locked whether the car's transfer is in 2H or 4WD.

[Finly Owner]

Did you put everything back in the exact right place? Including thrust races, snap ring etc. Tony can confirm how easily people can get things in wrong place and not realise it.

Tim

[timbar]

are they manual or auto hubs?

[wojtech]

They are manual hubs.
I'm pretty sure everything went back together as it should. I didn't dismantle the hub locks themselves just checked them and gave them a bit of lube they seemed to be throwing in alright in my hands. If the locking hub was letting go every so often there would be signs of metal wear on the lock hub itself i spose and there wasn't upon inspection.
By the way the noise I'm getting is like a tooth broken off the crown wheel of a diff but not regular like a broken diff and the noise is still evident when the air locker is on and whether it is in 4WD gear or 2WD. It only happens when both hubs are locked in.

[timbar]

Might have to jack up the front and spin the wheels and craawl under to locate where exactly the sound is coming from it may be the diff center or 1 hub or both could be your best option before u pull it all apart again ........

[growler2058]

definately not an expert, but was taught if you could see any wear marks on either the wheel bearings or the caps to replace straight away, i dont mean pits but wear marks where they have been tracking

Just my 2 bob worth

[wojtech]

Unfortunately I have exhausted those options. The sound only happens when the truck is driving and even though I've got enough clearance I'm not hanging on to the bottom of it while someone drives it around !!!

[timbar]

sounds so much like bearings ur sure the races are in properly ???

[wojtech]

I know the bearings were fine as well as the fact it drives perfectly until I lock the hubs in. The noise I'm getting sounds like an axle snapping or a tooth missing off a crown wheel, by that I mean its pretty full on and if a bearing were to sound like that my wheel would on the side of the road and the hub there with it!!
Spoke to a 4wd/truck mechanic last night over the phone, his opinion was that I should look at uni joints first then the CV's he reckoned that a uni or cv can make this kind of sound even in a dead straight line.
I'll try dropping the front driveshaft and go for a drive and let you know how it goes.
All your help is is much appreciated!!

[growler2058]

If your unis are that bad you should be able to get some indication by climbing under and attempt to turn the tailshafts and look/listen for movement in the uni joint

[timbar]

If your unis are that bad you should be able to get some indication by climbing under and attempt to turn the tailshafts and look/listen for movement in the uni joint

yes yes yes uni joinnt forgot bout that 1 good thinking also front drive bearing on the transfercase is another 1 to look at

[wojtech]

Changed drivers side cv joint and it has come up good. Just put a 2nd hand one from the wreckers it seems OK. I can always leave the old one at a CV place in town to get fixed and put it in on a weekend. Thats the problem when you need your car every day for work, everything needs to be done on a weekend!! there goes fishing!Again!

[Crowman23]

Howdy had similar problem after replacing Hub Seals (forgot to put circlip on R/H Axle, How embarresment! ) causing clunking noise also could b CV (Check the circlip first though)

[Gordy]

Had the same thing happen to me up on Fraser, turned out that the spring on the Free Wheel hub was being a pain and not engaging properly, pulled it off on the beach on a tarp, ensured that everything was lubricated, and not over lubed with grease, replaced and Viola, no more issues. Worth a check, as sometimes the simple things (sometimes) are the culprit and can lead you to think of the worse, i know i was thinking the worst on mine

[BearGUST]

I've got the same thing happening with mine, sounds identical to your description - I was thinking it was hub related too. I've not long done the wheel bearings so I am happy to rule that out.
I did put some grease on the auto hubs which I have since read is a no-no so hopefully I can have a look this weekend. Sounds like a good excuse to go out and test it!

[Cichlidae]

I have the same problem, at least it sounds the same as you describes with a few differences.
I first suspected the free running hubs, but i took them apart and found that someone had welded them stiff or at least half stiff, so that they didn't engade/disengage by the turning of the axel but you could get them to miss a cog by turning the wheel. What i did was that i made them completly stiff and always engaged just to try but i still have thiss horrible clunking, especially when i'm turning

But my car only seem to do this in 4WD, never in 2wd, wich i find a bit strange since the front axel should rotate in 2wd when the hubs are locked? I suspect the diff, but i have not opened it to check, i was hoping i could get some ideas here first.

When i'm driving in 4H, not in 4L, i get a strange rattling noice when i'm not accelerating. If i hit the gass it dissappears. I don't remember what this is but the guy i bought the car from mentioned something about it and said that it was nothing to worry about since it was because someone had done something.. This rattling i think has become worse since it started clunking.

And i actually trust the guy that sold it to me about a year ago, he works at my work and i usually talk to him every week, but he has been away for two months now so i can't ask him for help atm.

Any sugestions? :) Sorry for my bad english, i live in Sweden so i don't really get all the technical bits, i hope you can have some understanding. :)