Resolved - Diff issue, Oakley KS - any resources? (1 Viewer)

[DustyBrands]

My 21 year old son is on the side of the road outside of Oakley, KS, about 30 mins from Colby KS. Anyone know any resources out that way in what feels like the middle of nowhere? I'm not with him.

2000 LC. Felt a sudden shudder, like maybe a flat, but no flat tire. No engine lights on dash. Runs smooth in Park. Shudders when its put into Drive. He's in process of calling AAA for a tow truck...not sure to where.

Anyone here have ideas or trusted solutions in that area? Any help at all appreciated.

Larry

 

[TheForger]

You said it runs smooth in park but is that at idle or under power? Gotta think about fuel, air, and spark. Fuel pump, vacuum/intake leak, coil pack/spark plug issue, etc..

 

[DustyBrands]

You said it runs smooth in park but is that at idle or under power? Gotta think about fuel, air, and spark. Fuel pump, vacuum/intake leak, coil pack/spark plug issue, etc..

Runs smooth in park, and with revving the engine. Was thinking if any of the fuel, air, spark etc, that a check engine light would typically appear.

 

[aging fleet]

Man, there isn't much in Western KS. Maybe the dealer in Garden City (82 miles south)? Toyota Dealer Garden City | Used Cars Garden City, KS | Lewis Toyota (lewistoyotaofgardencity.com)

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Sounds like transmission/torque converter issue. Tornado Alley Cruisers folks may be able to help you: KS/MO- Tornado Alley Cruisers - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/ks-mo-tornado-alley-cruisers.53/

 

[awesomeissquid]

I would think that fuel, air, spark, vacuum would occur regardless of park or drive.

Does he have any tools/wrenching knowledge? I agree with @aging fleet that the dealer might be the best option.

Did you check if there is any active clubhouse over over there?

 

[ramangain]

4 hours / 250 mile tow to Denver area (Slee, 2001LC, etc.) Is your son headed in that direction anyways?

 

[gatormark91]

Hit the CDL switch and see if it moves. Could be a stripped drive flange.

 

[DustyBrands]

4 hours / 250 mile tow to Denver area (Slee, 2001LC, etc.) Is your son headed in that direction anyways?

Thanks all for the feedback..

Headed toward Estes Park via Denver. Working on lodging and getting AAA towed to Colby KS right now. Thinking that's the best odds/safety for getting off the side of I-70. It sounds very mechanical. I'm GUESSING torque / tranny. He put it in Drive with me on the phone, next to the rig, and I can hear bad mechanical noise.

Next step: I'm going to check with Garden City Toy, and the Club link, and Colby shops, too. THANKS FOR ALL of these ideas and suggestions. I'll keep monitoring here, too.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I'm curious if the CDL button helps. If so, you might be able to remove whatever drive shaft or components are causing the trouble and get mobile without waiting on more parts in the middle of nowhere.

Good luck!

 

[DustyBrands]

I'm curious if the CDL button helps. If so, you might be able to remove whatever drive shaft or components are causing the trouble and get mobile without waiting on more parts in the middle of nowhere.

Good luck!

Thanks for this tip. We'll try this in the morning at the repair shop. He has no tools and insufficient knowledge for this.

They are en-route with in the tow truck to drop off at a Colby shop and a hotel for the night. so they're at least safe/ secure for the night....(assuming the AAA two truck driver is not a serial killer).

Of all my road trips in my previous 2003 LC and my various GM Suburbans, I've never had a critical breakdown. I guess it was my turn, via my son on his westward adventure.

 

[GOLIGHTLY]

Thanks for this tip. We'll try this in the morning at the repair shop. He has no tools and insufficient knowledge for this.

They are en-route with in the tow truck to drop off at a Colby shop and a hotel for the night. so they're at least safe/ secure for the night....(assuming the AAA two truck driver is not a serial killer).

Of all my road trips in my previous 2003 LC and my various GM Suburbans, I've never had a critical breakdown. I guess it was my turn, via my son on his westward adventure.

Any fluids?

Unrelated, I once had a MAF sensor fail on my old F150. Went into limp mode, engine sounded jacked “whilst limping” and while idle. Fingers crossed for you that it’s something that benign.

Good luck man, glad everyone’s safe at least.

 

[MountaineerLC]

If the engine is running smooth, I'd bet there is a substantial chance a c-clip popped off one of the axles and stripped the axle splines and or drive flange.

 

[flintknapper]

Sounds a lot like a drive flange trying to strip.

At first you'll hear a thud or popping sound, then it gets worse (horrible sound when put in gear and little to no movement), that quickly turns into a completely stripped flange. Locking the CDL will allow you drive it.

 

[DustyBrands]

Current status: it was dropped off at local Colby repair shop. The shop indicates they should (hope to) be able to look at it late today (Wednesday). The tow truck driver was very helpful / friendly / accommodating to help get the vehicle to the shop and get these two young people off the side of the interstate to safe harbor in Colby KS.

THANKS a bunch for the ideas and specific info on the drive flange theory. I'll share this path of ideas with the shop this morning when we talk with them.

Question: assuming this is the root cause and engaging the CDL makes it drivable, just how drivable is it (potentially)? Just enough to drive it onto a trailer? Enough to drive in-town to another local repair shop (if needed)? To drive it 250 miles to more resources in Denver, CO? To drive it 500 miles back home to NW Arkansas?

I realizing I'm asking a bunch of theoreticals here and I'm not expecting a miracle. Just trying to get any additional insight from the experience on this forum as we try to figure out a plan: wait it out for repairs, continue on trip with/without the rig, go pick it up with a car hauler, etc.

All insight is appreciated. very thankful for the constructive input to this point.

 

[flintknapper]

Current status: it was dropped off at local Colby repair shop. The shop indicates they should (hope to) be able to look at it late today (Wednesday). The tow truck driver was very helpful / friendly / accommodating to help get the vehicle to the shop and get these two young people off the side of the interstate to safe harbor in Colby KS.

THANKS a bunch for the ideas and specific info on the drive flange theory. I'll share this path of ideas with the shop this morning when we talk with them.

Question: assuming this is the root cause and engaging the CDL makes it drivable, just how drivable is it (potentially)? Just enough to drive it onto a trailer? Enough to drive in-town to another local repair shop (if needed)? To drive it 250 miles to more resources in Denver, CO? To drive it 500 miles back home to NW Arkansas?

I realizing I'm asking a bunch of theoreticals here and I'm not expecting a miracle. Just trying to get any additional insight from the experience on this forum as we try to figure out a plan: wait it out for repairs, continue on trip with/without the rig, go pick it up with a car hauler, etc.

All insight is appreciated. very thankful for the constructive input to this point.

You could remove the front driveshaft and drive it for as far as you like IF the issue is a stripped drive flange. But you'll also want to pop the dust covers off and see that your circlips haven't come loose....which would allow the CV axle to move inboard towards the diff, potentially causing damage to other components. But if you find that ONLY a drive flange (or both) have stripped, you could then drive it with the CDL locked.

When drive flanges strip....the splines on the CV axle(s) may or may not be affected (mine were) so be prepared to replace both the flanges and CV axles IF that turns out to be the case.

Hope you get it sorted out without too much trouble, glad your young 'uns are OK and the tow event went well.

 

[Ager Venator]

Current status: it was dropped off at local Colby repair shop. The shop indicates they should (hope to) be able to look at it late today (Wednesday). The tow truck driver was very helpful / friendly / accommodating to help get the vehicle to the shop and get these two young people off the side of the interstate to safe harbor in Colby KS.

THANKS a bunch for the ideas and specific info on the drive flange theory. I'll share this path of ideas with the shop this morning when we talk with them.

Question: assuming this is the root cause and engaging the CDL makes it drivable, just how drivable is it (potentially)? Just enough to drive it onto a trailer? Enough to drive in-town to another local repair shop (if needed)? To drive it 250 miles to more resources in Denver, CO? To drive it 500 miles back home to NW Arkansas?

I realizing I'm asking a bunch of theoreticals here and I'm not expecting a miracle. Just trying to get any additional insight from the experience on this forum as we try to figure out a plan: wait it out for repairs, continue on trip with/without the rig, go pick it up with a car hauler, etc.

All insight is appreciated. very thankful for the constructive input to this point.

If it's a drive flange or front differential issue, I've been running my LC for 2 years with my front driveshaft disconnected, the drive flanges removed, and the diff locked, including towing an (unloaded) trailer, probably 40,000 miles.

 

[flintknapper]

If it's a drive flange or front differential issue, I've been running my LC for 2 years with my front driveshaft disconnected, the drive flanges removed, and the diff locked, including towing an (unloaded) trailer, probably 40,000 miles.

^^^^

In a case where repairs need to wait, the best thing to do is to 'bore out' the splines of the flanges, then reinstall them and the dust caps. That way you keep foreign matter out of wheel bearings. You can 'free wheel' like that forever using the CDL.

 

[mdcoa]

Hard to tell from the description, but could indeed be front diff. Mine went out on the interstate. BANG. WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP. Thought I ran over something enormous and destroyed a tire. Had no idea diffs could die like that (this was right after some trail riding and an ill-advised pull of a tree trunk while in R, but just cruising steadily at 70ish mph down I-66), so it took me a couple days of troubleshooting and sound-chasing to realize that --duh-- it was the diff.

But, yes, as @Ager Venator says, removing front prop shaft and drive flanges is super easy. Unfortunately, however, 2WD isn't so great for a trip to Estes Park in January . . .

 

[ramangain]

If the rig can be made drivable to get to Denver, seek out @2001LC and make an appt ASAP. If you folks plan on keeping the rig long term, let Paul work his magic.