GQ Front Diff BANG Loud Noise

[Sandgroper]

Hi all!

Sorry havent been around on forum or computer for a while! .... been having too much fun in the patsy!

Finished my conversion to turboed TD42 from RD28T and shes been running absolutely sweet!

First time I put it in 4wd and went for a drive in sand it made a loud bang about 20minutes in ... was serisouly scary noise and shuddered the whole vehicle.

I sheepishsly continued and slowly gained confidence and hadnt heard any more till Saturday.... was making some clonks almost like a CV noise but possibly slightly more harsh. so i decided to try out 4wd on concrete just idling along and turning both ways for a while... after going from full lock to full lock a couple of times there was a huge bang/clonk that shuddered the car ... none of this happens when i drive it daily in 2wd.... tried to investigate today and did the same test and got the same bang.

Assuming this must be the diff because 4wd is still operational so not a completely broken CV?

Only thing i have touched on the front diff is changing the pinion flange to fit td42 driveshaft... so maybe i havent tightened the pinion nut enough... or too much?

Any ideas or similar solutions would be greatly appreciated!!!!! i cant trust myself off road at the moment

[GQtdauto]

Sounds like that's where I would start looking , remove the flange and check it out .

[Stropp]

Does it have a locker in the front diff?

[Sandgroper]

Nah no locker .... tightened up the pinion nut a little more but was definetely tight enough!

Wondering whether it was just windup on the road? ......

[Deano2506]

Definately wind up...not good for em.
Doesn't explain why it did it on sand too though

[Stropp]

Try some diff additive, mine was doing the same until I put some additive in.

[mudnut]

Had a similar noise and found the handbrake was sticking on, then releasing with a bang which seemed to come from the front axle.

[dom14]

Only thing i have touched on the front diff is changing the pinion flange to fit td42 driveshaft... so maybe i havent tightened the pinion nut enough... or too much?

Did you set the pinion bearing preload according to the factory specs using a proper tool(inch pound torque gauge), a makeshift tool(handing digital weighing scale) or at least set to the previous preload by "feeling"? IMHO, it's way too critical to set it by feeling, unless you have bit of experience with diff rebuilding.

[Sandgroper]

Thanks for the replies

Yeah think i must have been scaring myself with windup .... wont be testing that again as not sure the diff would like to do that too many times!

Nah hasnt ever done it properly off road .... took it down the river yesterday in sand and never made any noise off road besides right CV click once ..... do you guys usually go new with CV replacement or wrecker?

[my third 256]

as you dont know history of the cv i would go new
wreckers might only last a short time or have some ware in it