Occational guwrrr sound from the front. (1 Viewer)

Some history. Three weeks after taking delivery I drove down to George. While playing in some building sand I noticed that the birfields are complaining when making sharp turns. (tuk tuk tuk) The very next week the OME kit was fitted and I drove around 500km with it (primarily in town). After completing the run in period I visited Atlantis dunes where the tuk tuk tuk sound became very evident and I decided to have the birfields changed. There is a slight noise on the clutch when the clutch is out (120 00km on the vehicle) and when changing the gears at hi revs the clutch gets very hard and stays on the floor for a few seconds after which it release and continues as if there is no problem. There is a slight silicon smell coming front the air vents.

After getting the vehicle back with the new birfields I heard the problem for the first time. While driving on the highway at around 120km/h one can hear a distinct whooooeeeeeeerrrrr sound. This sound is continues. At the same time one hear the occasional grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound that typically lasts for up to 3 seconds. This sound is not easy to generate but is best experienced at 130km/h and when slacking down (running on engine compression). It could be associated with a bearing running dry type of sound. Some times it sounds like gwwwwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrrr chirp and then the sound disappears. There is also a drive train vibration at 80km/h.

It took the vehicle to JB Auto’s but he could not experience the sound. We placed the vehicle on a vehicle stand (wheels) in the air and took it up to 130km/h while listening with a stetescope for noise. At 80km/h one could feel a vibration on the vehicle. The tranny rear output bearing sounded a bit ruff.

We decided to have the props balanced (front and rear). The U-joint where checked as well as the spline yoke and all was fine. After this the drive train vibration at 120km/h onwards was gone. Vibration at 80km/h remained as well as the gwrrrrr sound at speed. I noticed some wear patterns on the tyres and opted to bit new BFG AT 275x70R16’s. Thus it is not the tyres causing the problem. There is no loose exhaust pipe or heat shields etc.

We decided to have the rear and front output flange seals replaced. Rear was rather warn and noisy and the front was a little bit better but also replaced. Vibration at 80km/h is less severe but problem remains. Gwrrr sound remains.

My frustration is that I am throwing money at something but I do not know what the problem is. Also, the problem started after the new birfields were fitted and was definitely not there before. Wheel bearings are fine and were repacked 2000km ago with Omega57 grease. I just do not know where to from here.

Options:
1. Cry and pull my hair out.
2. Strip front diff and components and look for wear
3. Replace clutch
4. Fit OE suspension kit again
5. Cry and pull more my hair out.
6. What else.

Please help.

Bogani:

Tell us more about where you actually hear the sound - what part of the truck is it coming from (e.g., front right, under my feet, etc). Also, is the noise a grinding metal-on-metal noise, or something different?

Do a search for 'vibration' to find some of the common tips on how to diagnose what the source of the sound is (ie doing things like shifting to neutral vs having engine load, will help you eliminate sources without having to buy more stuff at every stage). I know you don't have a vibration problem, but the process should help you isolate the problem. If you are slow and systematic you will identify what's wrong (I spent some time tracking down a vibration issue using a similar process).

Given that the birfs were just done, I would be tempted to focus on this area to make sure the job was done properly (eg correct lube, dry or damaged bearings). When I first got my truck it started to make a very strange noise at relatively high speeds - I'm not sure I can even describe it - it was before I was on this board, but I thing it was a dry spindle that ended up failing on the US PS.

Let us know more details.

Cheers, Hugh

Option #7. Pull your grease cap (1 minute if you're slow) and check for grease where the axle tip can now be seen. None? The mechanic did not lube the outer drive shaft. Grease there? Still the #1 culprit by far is that he failed to grease the outer axle and bronze bushing that's inside the spindle. This is the exact symptom AND sound others have had when it happens. Many mechanics do not grease this area because the bronze bushing is not in contact when they're assembling. However, when run the shaft does indeed contact this bushing and it's supposed to be liberally greased along with the axle tip. I wanted you to check the tip as if it's dry then the probability is almost 100% that the spindle bushing behind it is dry, and this only takes a minute to see. I'll make my usual bet of a cup of coffee on this.

DougM

to be correct - per Doug - it was the bushing that failed on my truck - not the spindle

Bongani said:

While driving on the highway at around 120km/h one can hear a distinct whooooeeeeeeerrrrr sound. This sound is continues. At the same time one hear the occasional grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr sound that typically lasts for up to 3 seconds.
Please help.

Click to expand...

I had this happen to me and it was the spindle bushing inside the knuckle. On my very first used FJ-80 (1991) the dealer I bought it from had stated they had just done a steering knuckle rebuild to cure leaking knuckle gaskets. After a couple days, I was driving around 60 mph and I hear this awful growling noise from the left front followed by a high-pitched chirping, then it would immediately stop. After two tear downs by them, they said that it was the spindle bushing. I never could gather from them what caused it, but after many susbequent rebuilds myself, I have never had another one do this.

i get the same grinding sound on my 93 lc...right after i got the front rotors/pads replaced. But on the PS...very noticeable when it is wet outside..grinding few seconds and goes away... need to grease the outer axle and bronze bushing that's inside the spindle ? to cure the sound. hopefully its not trashed...

Thanks for all the replies. For once it does not look as if i am at the end of a dark tunnel.

I did some extensive reading on drive train vibration and mayority of the troubleshooting has been done based on the huge amount of usefull information on this forum.

I will check the axle tip tomorrow.

The problem (grrr) is present with the clutch depressed as well (vehicle freewheeling). I find it rather difficult to pinpoint the sound. It is most definitely coming from the front. To me it sounds like the drivers side to the misses it sounds like the passangers side. Perhaps it is even both. If the mechanic missed on the proper greasing of the outer axle, bronze bushing and spindle bushing then the problem could very well be on both sides. The vehicle is going back to the mechanic on monday to strip the newly fitted birfields and examine what is amiss. I will also give the detailed instructions to the lub requirements of the above mentioned components. Seeing that this is the point where the noise started I can not help bit to assume that this is the root cause of the problem.

wish me luck!

More than likely. It would also make the noise even if the engine wasn't under load as the axle is still spinning in the bushing.

Mine started off where I noticed a very strange sound (biffttt....biffffttt....bifffttt) every now and then and then got bad when I was coming off a very easy trail. I guess a ray of sun was shining, as I managed to limp to a town that was within ~40KM that just happened to have a Toyota dealer (less than 20,000 people).

Given that they don't have LC in Canada, they did a very good job in being able to ID the problem and fix it quickly (maybe this is a common design in other Toyota trucks). I can only guess that is was a non-toyota mechanic that I had do some service on the truck that did a poor job - always hard to pin the blame. I was sitting outside waiting for the truck and the mechanic brought out the sheared bushing - yikes! It basically broke at the collar. I have the part somewhere, although I was looking for it some time ago and couldn't find it.

The point is, get it checked quickly - I consider myself lucky that it didn't do too much damage!

Cheers, Hugh

Doug

I think I owe you some coffee, come on over and I'll even throw in a braai (barbeque). There is no grease visible on the axle ends. Off to the mechanic on monday.

Once again, thanks to all for the help and advise.

Excellent. Actually, I'll look forward to hearing that things worked out. It's a mistake easily made if someone's not intimately familiar with the 80. Yeah, be sure the axle tips (splined) get grease as otherwise wear will occur where they mesh with the drive plates (the round plate you popped the grease cap off of).

DougM

Some feedback. the mechanic stripped and removed the birfields. The greasing and packing of it was correct (sigh....) We decided to swop the two birfields around just in case. The problem peristed though and was as evident as before. I also took the mechanic on the highway and for the first time he could hear the noise himself.

We devided to remove the front prop to see what happens. Immediately the problem was go, no more vibration at 80km/h, no more gurrr sound coming from the front. so at least we can say it is not the birfields doing it.

By the looks of it the sounds is been generated from the front diff. From the discussion I had with the mechanic it looks like excessive play on the carrier bearing that thas is causing the whole carrier with crown wheel to move left and right in the casing when decelarating and accelerating. Make more sense why the sound is been heard more when decelarating.

The front diff will be stripped on Friday. At the moment I am driving with the CDl engadage and only the rear prop in.

Update
The front drif was stripped and nothing was found to be amiss. It was reassembled and problem persisted every time the front drive shaft gets connected.

We then fitted the OME 851 coils in the front that dropped the lift of the previous OME850. After this the problem seem the be less severe no that the angles are more equal to the flange. The vibration at 80km is gone but the drive train feels ruff and the occational rrrrrrrrr sound remains though softer and much less. I also noticed that the propt shaft is in phase in the front, I know the 80 series should be out of phase in the front but I have not been able to find information on the 105 series.

I am also considering replacing the U-joints even though they appear fine. I am getting desperate in my attempts to resolve this problem.

Please help.

Bongani, i am having the exact problem and it happened just after i did my 2.5 inch lift and 285's.

Bongani said:

Update
The front drif was stripped and nothing was found to be amiss. It was reassembled and problem persisted every time the front drive shaft gets connected.

We then fitted the OME 851 coils in the front that dropped the lift of the previous OME850. After this the problem seem the be less severe no that the angles are more equal to the flange. The vibration at 80km is gone but the drive train feels ruff and the occational rrrrrrrrr sound remains though softer and much less. I also noticed that the propt shaft is in phase in the front, I know the 80 series should be out of phase in the front but I have not been able to find information on the 105 series.

I am also considering replacing the U-joints even though they appear fine. I am getting desperate in my attempts to resolve this problem.

Please help.

Click to expand...

It may well be the UJ's as the altered ange has changed the pitch of the sound but tahe the prp off and clean and lube the sliding joint while your at it.

thanks guys

i have now confirmed that the 105 series also should have the front prop out of phase. I will have this change in the week. my props have been balanced and slips "serviced". The only other alternative I can think of is to have the u-joint replaced.

ISSUE RESOLVED

I had the front prop shaft removed and changed the phasing to be 90 degrees out and had it rebalanced afterwords.

Took the truck for a test drove today and there is NO vibration at any speed on the drive train. There is also no audible sound relating to the original problem.

This took me 7 weeks and plenty of $$$ to resolve but now it feels like a new truck again.

Wow. Glad it worked out. Having a smooth Cruiser = priceless...

DougM