Odd shift or Drive line clunk? I tried Moly Grease

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May 29, 2012
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I have a 2000 lc. The transmission was replaced 35k miles ago. It was rebuilt. It shifts fine going from 1st to 2nd. When it goes from 2nd to 3rd sometimes there is a clunk. I greased the drive shaft with plenty of moly and it goes away somewhat for the first 500 miles, but then it comes back. when It goes away i feel like the grease just covers up the clunk, but I cna feel that it is still happening. The grease just softens/insulates it. I greases is twice in the last 6k miles. The previous owner seems to have never greased it and it was dry. The truck has 170k on it. I am feeling like it might be the CV axles that have play in them. If i leave off the gas then step on it i feel like there is play in the driveline. I think when there is tension on the driveline it is fine, but when the tension from the engine lets off in the shift from 2 to 3 the play is too much and causes it to clunk. The rpms don't go up in between shifts so I feel the tranny is good. I bought new uppers control arms, cv axles, lower control arms, and Tie rod ends. I also bough new rear upper and lower control arms and new blistine shocks all the way around. I haven't installed any of it yet though. Its still being shipped in parts. Does anyone have any idea of what this clunk could be? It seems like there is play in the front end, but I am not sure.
 
While you are in there you may want to replace your sway bar bushings. Have you checked the drive shafts for any play? Have you drained the tranny pan to check the fluid? Are you greasing the slip yokes and the u-joints?
 
Yes I am replacing all the sway bar bushings in the front and back. The front driveshaft seems to have some play. It seems to move more than the rear one does when you put it in to drive from park. I was under the truck greasing the driveshaft and noticed that it moves a little more than the rear one does. I also greased everything with moly including the ujoints and slip yokes. The tranny fluid looked clean, but I didnt pull the pan b/c it only had 30k on the rebuild tranny.
 
Onur (beno) told me earlier this year he, when he was parts manager, they started stocking and recommending complete rear drive-shaft units for 80's when it came time for a u-joint refresh. He and CDan discovered the splines, due to less overlap especially on lifted trucks, do wear and accentuate the slop that contributes to the notorious thud issue with both 80's and 100's.

Just a thought since you have 170k miles on your's.
 
I need to also mention that my truck it not lifted. I am wondering if I locked the center Diff and jacked up the front of the truck to check for play if that would help me in isolating if there is play in the front diff or cv joints... Any input on this anyone?
 
A couple things: From all of my experiences with CV's on my rig they won't clunk. They might click when they're getting close to grenading...or they just grenade without much if any warning. Or they start puking CV lube...but no clunk.

I have basically the same symptom with mine. I now have about 60k miles on my then new driveshaft assembly. It will stay fairly quiet, no thunk or maybe a muted thunk, when going from Park to Drive, for about 500-1000 miles or so before returning. Then its relube time. I've taken mine apart, douched both sides of the spline assembly, etc. with brake cleaner and it doesn't really make any long term difference.

I could be wrong but it just sounds like you just have the notorious 100-Series drive-line thunk/clunk. And like you it really bugged me as this was my first Land Cruiser/Toyota truck and I'd never, in dozens and dozens of different vehicles and trucks never experienced anything like it to even remotely think it was normal.

Now I've tuned the clunk out of my brain and resigned myself to it being just Toyota normal :rolleyes:
 
I had mine in today for its 231k mile service, I stated the clunk and a slight rotational noise at 30 and up. Tech told me the shaft and yoke took a lot of grease. The clunk is now gone.

The front wheel bearings were loose, so I had those packed as well. I could feel the difference within a mile.

Man I love my truck!

Shane
 
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try to check the trabby mount there is a small mount that holds the tranny changed mine and no more clunk
 

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