Help Please - 'Broke' 4-High During Extraction from Snow Bank (1 Viewer)

[OptimusPrime]

Hi all. I'm looking for best guesses here and also hoping someone can suggest a reputable LC shop in the SLC area... This morning in attempting to free my 1999 100 Series from a 1-foot-deep snowy/icy street parking spot, I appear to have 'broken' 4-High. In my first attempt at plowing through (in 4H, nothing else engaged), I think I hit the front underside on a big chunk of condensed snow, and next thing I knew, my engine was revving independently from the wheels despite the transmission being in Drive. I rolled backwards and engaged 4L, which worked no problem, and managed to eventually free myself.

As it stands, when the vehicle is in Drive & 4H, the engine revs as if its in neutral and rumbling and grinding sounds come from around the transmission tunnel. In Drive & 4L, everything works as it always has. My vehicle is not lifted, has the factory-optional Rear Diff Lock, and the only mods I've done to it are to remove the running boards and install a set of 285/75/r16 BFG KO2s.

I'm planning on having it towed somewhere because I don't want to drive it in 4L. My two questions are:
1) Any guess as to what this is and how much its going to suck to have to fix?
2) Can anyone suggest a reputable Land Cruiser shop in SLC?


I really appreciate all of the knowledge that's shared on this forum. Thanks,

Chris

 

[collk22]

Call Kurt Williams (@cruiseroutfit ) @ Cruiser Outfitters - 801-563-1277

His shop is in Sandy, UT - which I think is not too far from SLC.

 

[jLB]

Broken front diff:
Grenaded front diff! Now what?

Broken CV axle:
Broke my CV

Axle to drive plate
Tranny/transfer takes dump
Nightmare...Transfer case issues while starting from light...but drives w/ center diff locked?
Urgent problem, out of town with t-case problem

 

[SHIfTHEAD]

Well swapping the transfer case, while a dirty job, isn't a terrible one. Raise the truck up to the highest setting, use some jack stands and unbolt it. Gonna be heavy, but And there's one for sale on eBay right now.

1999 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER TRANSFER CASE 4.7L 8-CYL 233K (AWD) 160608 A716

 

[aging fleet]

Will it drive in 4H with the center diff locked?

 

[MauiUZJ]

Did you try engaging the Center Diff Lock in high? There could be a problem with the center diff. The CDL is automatically locked in low range, & so that could be why truck works normally in low., I would be surprised if you blew your high range gears, but then again I am new to my 100.

High range is really just All Wheel Drive High Range unless you engage the Center Diff Lock for 4WD Hi.

I would try engaging CDL in high & see if it the truck has power to the drive wheels, but don't drive it beyond the test, as you will likely be running shrapnel through the rest of the gears and bearings....

If only the center diff is failed, rest of the TC could be ok, & you may be able to get center diff takeout parts from someone on here who has done a part time 4wd conversion.

Then again if it is the Center Diff, you could throw a Marks Off-road part time 4WD conversion kit in there for your self, and drive on with your part time 4WD truck instead of AWD all the time. Just a thought.

EDIT: @aging fleet what he said while I was typing...

 

[OptimusPrime]

Thank you everyone for the input - This has been extremely helpful. I just talked to Bryce at Cruiser Outfitters (thank you @collk22) and he suspects that I blew up the front diff, which makes sense because I remember reading that the front diff is notoriously weak on 98-99 100 Series'. I need to run home from work to see if it indeed moves in 4H with the center diff button engaged, but even if it does, I don't want to drive it at the risk of spreading shrapnel around everywhere. Cruiser Outfitters directed me to State Automotive for the work; I talked to them and I'm going to have it towed there this evening I think (Thank you mom and dad for always renewing my AAA membership). I'm going to insist on a flatbed for the tow.

 

[shanester]

Thank you everyone for the input - This has been extremely helpful. I just talked to Bryce at Cruiser Outfitters (thank you @collk22) and he suspects that I blew up the front diff, which makes sense because I remember reading that the front diff is notoriously weak on 98-99 100 Series'. I need to run home from work to see if it indeed moves in 4H with the center diff button engaged, but even if it does, I don't want to drive it at the risk of spreading shrapnel around everywhere. Cruiser Outfitters directed me to State Automotive for the work; I talked to them and I'm going to have it towed there this evening I think (Thank you mom and dad for always renewing my AAA membership). I'm going to insist on a flatbed for the tow.

Just a heads up - you can get a smoking deal on the TJM front locker right now. Summit Racing (on eBay) will no longer be selling TJM so they're liquidating all of their products at really good prices.

Might be a good time to get "locked up" and beef up that front diff.

TJM Off-Road Pro Lockers 168PL22, Toyota 8.0 in, Air Locker Style , 30-spline | eBay

 

[Julian Stead]

You might of just stripped the hub flanges. See if any are stripped by pulling the wheel cap off.

 

[MauiUZJ]

Hope I sell something in time to but one of those TJM's for my 98 front diff. Would be way cheaper to upgrade than deal with with the aftermath of a failed 2pinion diff. Then the truck will have posi in the rear & an air locker up front...

 

[MauiUZJ]

If it is the front diff, it Doesn't make sense to me that it drives normally in Lo, but not in high....

Seems to me a failed Front diff would not work in either range....

 

[Julian Stead]

Doesn't make sense to me that it drives normally in Lo, but not in high if it is the front diff.... Seems to me a failed Front diff would not work in either range....

It is because the center diff gets locked when it is put in 4lo, it will probably work with just CDL engaged. It is normally either drive flange or front diff failure.

 

[MauiUZJ]

You might of just stripped the hub flanges. See if any are stripped by pulling the wheel cap off.

Now that makes sense.
I thought center diff as he mentioned noise from the trans tunnel area when the engine is spinning free....

Good luck with it.

 

[MauiUZJ]

If the front diff fails, does the pinion spin free? Only failed diff I ever saw ground up a bolt until the gears seized...

 

[nissanh]

Did you press the center diff lock while at 4H?

If your front diff is blown, you still cannot drive in 4L.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

If the front diff fails, does the pinion spin free? Only failed diff I ever saw ground up a bolt until the gears seized...

Typically one of the pinions goes or some teeth sheer off the ring and it spins freely.

If your front diff is blown, you still cannot drive in 4L.

When you put the t-case in 4L the center locks automatically. With the center locked power will go to the rear axle.

 

[jLB]

When you put the t-case in 4L the center locks automatically.

On a 98-99 w/o the "pin 7 mod".

 

[coveboy]

This may not at all be your problem....but my Tundra got stuck in 4low not too long ago. I crossed a creek that had some debris from a storm in it, amd turns out on Tundras there is a wire that runs along the axle to the inner wheel for the wheel speed sensor, and a branch severed this wire throwing a code in the ABS system and forced my truck to stay in 4low. When I shifted to 4high, it simply ignored me and stayed in 4low (Tundra's don't have the legit manual shift levers for 4 high/low like LC's do). Maybe it's something as simple as this? Have you crawled up under the truck and checked behind each wheel to see if there are any sensors unhooked or anything else out of the ordinary? Someone more knowledgeable than me may chime in though and correct my theory and this could be way off, just worth checking out before you have it hauled across town!

 

[OptimusPrime]

So I stopped home at lunch and did the test everyone was suggesting and it went just how everyone suspected it might - In Drive + 4H with the center diff lock engaged, the wheels move and there is no grinding. Here's a video I just took and uploaded to YouTube showing the current state, if anyone's interested. Watch with sound and please excuse my ignorance in engaging the center diff:

On to the solution - If I do a 1:1 replacement, what's the best way to source a new front diff? Is there a better aftermarket replacement, or can I upgrade to a 4-pin from a 00-07 100? The silver lining in any part failure is that its an opportunity to upgrade. @shanester I like your locked front diff idea - am I right in thinking that the TJM locker is about 55% off?. Would the install be the same as a replacement front diff, in terms of cost? Would I need an on board air compressor to use it? This would be my first major mod (I'd have the shop install it) so I want to make sure I know the pros/cons before moving forward.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Trunk Monkey]

They'll first need to open up the diff and see what grenaded and what needs to be replaced. Supposing that it's the typical teeth sheared off the pinion, you'd want to get a new ring and pinion (Nitro Gear) and then as fix for the weaker pinion you'd want to put in a locker of some sort (TJM/ARB/Harrop). The cost of a 4 pinion (unless you can find one used) vs. a locker is about the same. You would need a compressor for the TJM or ARB, the Harrop is electronic. Worst case you drop in the TJM since it's cheap right now and then pony up for the compressor later on if funds are a concern.