Metal Klank in reverse (1 Viewer)

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Proven

RTFM, STEP 6, POST
Joined
Apr 11, 2006
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Location
Atlanta
Hello, I am a 1996 toyota Land cruiser without lockers with a recently rebuilt front axle (not by me, but by "Urban Landcruisers" here in ATL). She's got 168,000 miles on her and still runs like a scared kitten.

Twice now in the span of two weeks I have heard what sounds like a sledgehammer hitting metal (two strikes repeated quickly in succession) when shifting from forward to reverse in a parking lot. Both cases were with the steering wheel straight and presumably no load on the driveline.

The case is thus: Driving down lane...spot parking space...brake to a stop and shift into reverse (clang...clang) and reverse.

It has only done this twice though without much else to go on and it is driven often enough that if it was easily repeatable i'd expect it would have happened again.

When the clang happens it reminds me of poping the clutch on my Toyota Tacoma 4x4 2.7l without giving it enough gas. So it it sound and vibration, which is more violent than the normal "SHIFT, THUD, DRIVE" that I am used to. It is a very audible sound, which today when it happened had me thinging that it was the front left hub that caused it.

So anyway, I am open to suggestions on possible causes, and to being called a hypocondriac (spelling).

Thanks guys.
 
As odd as this sounds, have you hit your exhaust lately? Mine clanks twice when I shift in to reverse because I've ripped the mounts of the exhaust apart and it hits the frame or something.
 
whens the last time youve serviced your drive shaft? i often experienced a double clank when shifting from drive to reverse due to the slack in the drive shaft.
 
Check your U-joints.
 
Your drive shafts and u-joints need lubed.
 
Thank you for the quick responses. I've not lubed them since I bought it...so that is the FIRST place to look at. U-joints and Drive-shafts are on my NEED to do list.
 
I hate the fact that no matter how many times I searched or otherwise there is always someone that feels the need to say "Search" in a thread. You are welcome for the increase +1 in your post count. Please be constructive in posts, it benefits all.

The search results I recieved were new owners worried that the "Thunk" when they shifted was the tell tale of some dire transmission demon. Since I searched for "Klanking in reverse" and "bangs in reverse" I found other threads that did not spell out what I needed to know.

I guess I come from the school of "Help even if you know it's been covered." Which is in my nature. If I could help anyone all the time I would. It I think is the Kharma effect and the butterfly effect. If you help someone now, it might spawn them to help another, which can continue infinitely so don't break the chain. I walk up to people in gas stations with their hoods up regardless of car quality or demographic...they need help. If someone looks confused in my office building I ask if I can help them find something. If someone is lost on my school campus, I ask if I can assist them.

It's great that people on here have the memory to remember every single thread that has ever been posted, and in some cases I can say that I feel the same way about searchs. Follow your mother's advice "If you haven't got anything nice or helpful to say...don't reply to the post"

Wisemen speak because they have something to say, Fools speak because they have to say something...

Think before you post.

Sorry for the rant...but I read an avg of 10 posts a day with that "SEARCH" comment in them and it tickles my nerves each and every time.
 
Don't sweat the "go search" posts so much.
Some folks have been here on IH8MUD since the early Pleistocene, and they've read every question 42 times and answered them 73 times.

It always helps if you start your thread "I searched but didn't have much luck..."

As for driveline clunks, thunks, klanks, and bangs, pay particular attention to the splines on the driveshaft yoke. These create chronic clunky noises when going from P to D to R, etc. I bet if you clean and lube the s***e out of them, your klunk will disappear--for a while. Regular maintenance. Mine always eventually comes back, but I've never heard anything I'd describe as a sledge hitting metal.

It was pointed out in a thread that I recently read that, the 80-series has a lot of places for slack to accumulate in the drivelilne. As a full time 4wd truck with a center diff, there are a whole lot of gears and splines between the engine and the road.
I've concluded that a little slack is inevitable.

Hayes
 
Another thought...In the last couple of years I've done the front end with new birfields, new differential, axles, u-joints, greased splines and it still clunks (not as bad). But the other day I did the transmission fluid exhange and it shifts remarkably much smoother with less clunking. One of the easiest maintenance jobs I've ever done. Worth a try. (92 FJ 80 with 270K).
 
*Check transmission fluid level* it was recently changed, but I will double check it just the same. I am going to be going hog wild with lube this week anyhow.

I appreciate the help.
 
I hate the fact that no matter how many times I searched or otherwise there is always someone that feels the need to say "Search" in a thread. You are welcome for the increase +1 in your post count. Please be constructive in posts, it benefits all.

The search results I recieved were new owners worried that the "Thunk" when they shifted was the tell tale of some dire transmission demon. Since I searched for "Klanking in reverse" and "bangs in reverse" I found other threads that did not spell out what I needed to know.

I guess I come from the school of "Help even if you know it's been covered." Which is in my nature. If I could help anyone all the time I would. It I think is the Kharma effect and the butterfly effect. If you help someone now, it might spawn them to help another, which can continue infinitely so don't break the chain. I walk up to people in gas stations with their hoods up regardless of car quality or demographic...they need help. If someone looks confused in my office building I ask if I can help them find something. If someone is lost on my school campus, I ask if I can assist them.

It's great that people on here have the memory to remember every single thread that has ever been posted, and in some cases I can say that I feel the same way about searchs. Follow your mother's advice "If you haven't got anything nice or helpful to say...don't reply to the post"

Wisemen speak because they have something to say, Fools speak because they have to say something...

Think before you post.

Sorry for the rant...but I read an avg of 10 posts a day with that "SEARCH" comment in them and it tickles my nerves each and every time.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=22649

If you ran a search, then I apologize. However, the problem you have described has been discussed a number of times, and duplicative posts do nothing to help increase the utility of the search function, because you have to wade through a bunch of threads started by someone who did not search before you can get to one that actually does help.

Did you read the FAQ's? My thought is that maybe you did not.

Anyway, I am totally unconcerned with my post count. I've been on here for a while now, and my post count is still pretty low, mostly because I don't post in tech unless it is to answer a question, ask a question that I could not find the answer to after searching, or to tell others to search. If you want to ask a bunch of questions that have already been covered (enough times to make it into the surprisingly appropriately named "Frequently Asked Questions" section, even) and contribute to the diminishing capacity of the search function, that's fine with me. But don't bristle when someone points you in the direction of a search (which, I may add, may still prove useful for you to find even more information on the issue you have, but I digress), and don't personalize something that isn't personal.

Again, I apologize if you ran a search, and looked at the FAQ's, and still did not find the answer you were looking for, but this seems to be a common symptom, and it does not appear that you did that.

I am beginning to wonder why people get so upset when told to search. Is it because they have expectations of being coddled by others? Mud is a great technical resource, but I don't think that it's too much to ask to put a little effort into it on your end.

Cheers,
Jay
 
*Check transmission fluid level* it was recently changed, but I will double check it just the same. I am going to be going hog wild with lube this week anyhow.

I appreciate the help.

Don't go too wild when lubing the shafts. There are a few good threads out there discussing what to watch out for. Mainly don't over fill them.

Here, good thread.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=119512&highlight=grease


Don't take someone telling you to search as an insult. I searched for you to find the above link that I recalled reading many moons ago. Sometimes due to time it's easier to make someone aware that there is additional info they need to know by saying, "search on the topic." I'd rather give someone a heads up about potential issues to watch out for rather than say nothing at all.

:cheers:
 

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