How-to ID a driveshaft issue vs a transfer case issue? (2 Viewers)

[EasternYeti]

I’m having a really difficult time troubleshooting and need the collective advise from the lot of you.

Today I started hearing a noise emanating from what seems to be the area directly beneath my shifter from what i think is the Tcase / drive shaft area

What it is:

- both are intermittent, and only occurre a low speed or from a stop

Noise 1:
- Sounds like a ball peen hammer hitting a steel plate, I can feel it through my shifter. Subtle little ping,

Noise 2:
- A rotating metallic scraping sound, “chich-chich-chich-chich”
- The only thing i can even relate it to is when someone run out of brake pad and stops on bare rotors....or the sound off a heat shield rubbing on a rotor when it gets bent??
- it’s like something is rubbing on the rotating shaft, then when i get up to speed, past 20 mph, it disappears
- almost like something hanging is dinging off the driveshaft at times

This is the same noise, as recorded by someone on mud. Resolution was a u Joint.



I’m not well versed in drive train troubleshoting, so for those that are, please tell me what I should be looking for?

Really need a bone here, as im totally stumped, the only LC guys in my area are three hours away in VT

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I gather you’ve checked the fluids in the transmission? I was having a pretty nasty growly sound (I understand, that’s not like your hearing) when coming to a stop and a few seconds once stopped. I found my transmission so full it puked when I opened the fill plug and the tcase was pretty much empty.

You can pull the rear shaft in an attempt to isolate if the noise is a driveshaft issue. No problem driving w/o it for awhile.

No changes in clutch feel? Any vibration felt thru the shifter? Have you asked on the YT page?

 

[EasternYeti]

I gather you’ve checked the fluids in the transmission? I was having a pretty nasty growly sound (I understand, that’s not like your hearing) when coming to a stop and a few seconds once stopped. I found my transmission so full it puked when I opened the fill plug and the tcase was pretty much empty.

You can pull the rear shaft in an attempt to isolate if the noise is a driveshaft issue. No problem driving w/o it for awhile.

No changes in clutch feel? Any vibration felt thru the shifter? Have you asked on the YT page?

Was literally re typing this thread on the YT page as you responded going to ask them next

Clutch feel is the same, only felt the small vibration once when I heard noise #1

 

[EasternYeti]

Updated the thread with a video of “noise 2”

Turns out someone on had a similar issue and made the video, and noted it was a u-joint

His video is much better than mine, but the sound is identical

Does anyone have the part numbers for OE Toyota U-Joints off the top of their head?

Front & rear?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 60 | Japan Parts EU

This link can be tweaked for your year and vin. Great resource for all parts and diagrams.

 

[OSS]

If you push the driveshaft back & forth, up & down along different axis of the u-joint, if it's loose, you can often see play in the joint. Also twist it back & forth. Also take a look at the dust shields on the transfer output shaft flange - also at the differential.

If the u-joints have 200,000 miles on them, it would be good the replace them regardless. You can do that with a vice & sockets to press them out.

 

[stoshzack]

Make sure all your zerk fittings on the drive train are greased correctly - this includes the u-joints

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Boy is that ugly.

 

[EasternYeti]

Thanks for these reply’s guys it put me in a semi panic on the ride into Boston today.

Over the summer I had the drive shaft shortened, and a lot of other odds and ends done by the pros at Poor Wally’s.

Far as i know though, we left the UJoints alone, to my knowledge they’re the original joints, with well over 200k, maybe close to 300

I’m going to bum a lift tomorrow and see if I have play back there, hopefully get it sorted by Friday.

Sucks because we have another storm rolling in, going to have to make it work for the time being

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Relax. The joints have made it this far; they are not likely to fail tomorrow. Take your time and find the right parts for a decent price and install them when the weather is a little nicer. For now, if you have a grease gun, give the joints a shot of fresh grease to help quiet things down. I've had the "ping" in driveshafts before; that's no big deal. It's the big "clunk" when going from on the gas to off that means things are close to failing. And even then you can often go for a while.

Nick

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Thanks for these reply’s guys it put me in a semi panic on the ride into Boston today.

Over the summer I had the drive shaft shortened, and a lot of other odds and ends done by the pros at Poor Wally’s.

Far as i know though, we left the UJoints alone, to my knowledge they’re the original joints, with well over 200k, maybe close to 300

I’m going to bum a lift tomorrow and see if I have play back there, hopefully get it sorted by Friday.

Sucks because we have another storm rolling in, going to have to make it work for the time being

What your drive shaft flange bolts to on Your transfer-case is called a Companion flange , it has a Thick sheet-metal cone shaped dust shield on it .

I have had them come loose from age & time from the flange they are simply pressed on to / micro spot welds , & Rattle like Tin can so loud it comes through the shiftier stick & floor / center console

they will bounce on and off the back side of the transfer-case, yet look perfectly fine by eye , grab it with your hand hard and see if it moves or free-Play at all ?

 

[FJ60Seth]

Pull your rear driveshaft, lock your front hubs and drive around in 4 wheel drive high. If the sound goes away you know it’s drive shaft related. You can drive around in 4WD high with no rear drive shaft for hours, probably days.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Thank you @FJ60Seth

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Does the sound change if you push the shifter toward 2 and or hi if you have the 2 lo mod...?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Just spotted these on his site.
Toyo U-Joint

 

[EasternYeti]

Updated: crawled under there today and found the culprit, the rear joint had a cap that’s totally blown

Ordering two joints and she should be up and running, everything else was ship shape!

Thanks for all the help, it’s super appreciated, couldn’t do it without the collective minds of everyone here

 

[stevebradford]

We used to put zip ties on buddies drive shafts to mess with them. Same kinda noise fun to see them all confused and how long it takes them to find it.

 

[EasternYeti]

We used to put zip ties on buddies drive shafts to mess with them. Same kinda noise see them all confused and how long it takes them to find it.

Dude that’s RUTHLESS hahahahahahaha

 

[morganism]

make sure to grease the output shaft fitting too, it gets sloppy, and pumping it up will lengthen you driveshaft again...