(Solved!!) 2000 LX470 Grinding noise when in D or R. Car won't move unless central diff lock is enabled. Help! (1 Viewer)

[Chibu]

Okay, I know this has been covered in hella other threads (and please don't flame my newbie ass) but I have no idea what those say, so please hold my hand super tightly (I mean really effing tightly) through this process. I got a 2000 LX470. When I put the car in drive or reverse with central differential lock (CDL) disabled (little button below the double hazards button) the car makes a horrid grinding noise and doesn't move at all, as if it's in neutral. When you enable central differential lock (CDL) (which disables the front axle from what I observed first hand), only then can the car move. I got someone to switch between Park and Drive and Reverse with CDL on and off. When CDL is off (and grinding noise is sounding in Drive and Reverse) I see the front axle (the axle in front of the central differential) spinning and the noise is coming from (I THINK!!) somewhere around the front of the front axle but I don't know exactly where it's coming from.

So my questions are:

1. What exactly is causing this?

Even though I have prior experience with small car DIY projects, I'm a total newbie at full-on transmission stuff like this and I'm fresh out of 12th grade and the only gearhead (if you can call me that lol) in my family so yeah it's all me on this one (but of course my siblings are always willing to help with small stuff lol). I got tools and everything (we're a family of engineers but sadly I'm the only one into cars), I just need to know EXACTLY what to do and not do as to not get my dad hard on my case (i'm also trying to get practical experience for college and career, stuff I can put on my college apps and so on).

2. Could I get a guide to fix this?

Even just a small write-up detailing which screws and items to remove/replace with pictures would be a MEGA help.

Also please go easy on me with technical words (or just give me a short description of what/where they are or a service manual where I can find them explained maybe?). I read other posts about this, someone said it's an easy fix (stripped drive flanges in front axle Tranny/transfer takes dump - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/tranny-transfer-takes-dump.895270/) but I wasn't sure how to get to it and fix it and I 100% don't want to take a guess, check, and revise approach to anything pertaining to the drivetrain of my dad's car and mom's almost daily drive.

What I'm looking for is just an easy-to-understand, in-depth guide to fixing this issue.

I attached two pictures. This one ^ is a close-up of the front axle and front diff connection which is where I SUSPECT the sound is coming from.

And this ^ is a picture of the front axle, taken from where the axle meets the central diff to where it meets the front diff.

P.S. Not to be a rude b*tch, but if you think this DIY would be too advanced for me, do tell, but we might as well start preparing to sell the car because any roadside mechanic or premium dealership (roadside mechanic at 10x price) will completely **** the job up and basically kill the car in whatever way they can. It's a trend, every damn time we (i mean my dad in this case) take the car to any mechanic, it comes back f*cking worse lol. I literally spent 12 hours working on the car and fixed like 3 different issues that "professional" mechanics couldn't fix in an entire week

 

[TheForger]

Either the flanges in your hub are stripped or your diff is toasty. Pop off the dust cap on the end of your hub flange and inspect the splines. If those are good I'd say its your diff

 

[Chibu]

Either the flanges in your hub are stripped or your diff is toasty. Pop off the dust cap on the end of your hub flange and inspect the splines. If those are good I'd say its your diff

I did this on the driver side wheel hub, female spline was clearly worn down real bad.

 

[TheForger]

Do you have someone to sit in the drivers seat and very slowly put it in drive with the center diff unlocked, allowing you to stand outside and see how if the axle is spinning inside the flange? If not then just remove the flanges real quick, put it in gear, and see if that makes the noise go away. If so then you've found the source

 

[Chibu]

Ok, will try this later today (circa 3 hrs from now). I'm at work right now but I just couldn't focus until I got some closure on this. Cheers!

 

[TheForger]

Take pics and post them when you do

 

[Chibu]

Bet

 

[MountaineerLC]

99.9% chance a c clip popped off and you've got a stripped hub flange and axle in the front.

 

[Chibu]

Do you have someone to sit in the drivers seat and very slowly put it in drive with the center diff unlocked, allowing you to stand outside and see how if the axle is spinning inside the flange? If not then just remove the flanges real quick, put it in gear, and see if that makes the noise go away. If so then you've found the source

Take pics and post them when you do

Okay, got the pics. Opened the flange cap on driver side wheel. Here are pics of the worn flange and a vid of the car in Drive gear with CDL OFF.

In this pic ^ opened the cap and was greeted with this (again). Not 100% sure what the implication of this is. The C-clip (well I think the skinny washer thingy that's not a complete circle is the c-clip), washer, and screw are all just hanging around loosey-goosey in there. What's the implication of this?

This pic ^ just showing where the cap fit.

This pic ^ showing the inside of the flange where (from what I can gather) the CV axle enters the wheel. Looking worn down bad.

Another pic ^ of the inside of flange for good measure.



And a vid of the car in Drive gear with CDL OFF, if you increase the volume you can hear the grinding.

 

[TheForger]

You will need a new axle and hub flange. Also, the screw and large flat washer are NOT factory components and should not be in there. On the bright side, it's better than repairing a diff!

 

[Chibu]

A new CV Axle???

 

[TheForger]

A new CV Axle???

Yes. In the meantime since you have the flanges removed you can also remove the front driveshaft and run in 2WD (with diff locked) until you get around to fixing it. Only thing I'd be worried about is how far inside the hub the axle is sitting. It's supposed to protrude out a little bit.

What it looks like is the c-clip popped off at some point, someone stuck a bolt with large washer on the end to at least hold the axle out, and then left it like that. The only thing that should be on the end of the cv axle is that c-clip

 

[TheForger]

99.9% chance a c clip popped off and you've got a stripped hub flange and axle in the front.

Winner winner

 

[Chibu]

Yeah, I noticed that too. Also, (probably the dumbest question you ever heard but) to remove the CV Axle would I need to jack the car up? How hard would you say it is to remove the axle? Well most likely hold off on doing this if I have to replace the axle.

 

[Chibu]

Yes. In the meantime since you have the flanges removed you can also remove the front driveshaft and run in 2WD (with diff locked) until you get around to fixing it. Only thing I'd be worried about is how far inside the hub the axle is sitting. It's supposed to protrude out a little bit.

What it looks like is the c-clip popped off at some point, someone stuck a bolt with large washer on the end to at least hold the axle out, and then left it like that. The only thing that should be on the end of the cv axle is that c-clip

Yeah, I noticed that too. Also, (probably the dumbest question you ever heard but) to remove the CV Axle would I need to jack the car up? How hard would you say it is to remove the axle? Well most likely hold off on doing this if I have to replace the axle. Also, you're right. This happened to the car a few years ago and my dad said all the mechanic did was "tighten a screw under the car". I now know that was complete bull smh.

 

[TheForger]

Yes, you will need to jack it up. If it makes you feel any better I'm also in the middle of replacing a cv axle. I'm documenting my repairs here - Wheel Bearing Service w/Pics.

 

[Chibu]

If it makes you feel any better I'm also in the middle of replacing a cv axle. I'm documenting my repairs here - Wheel Bearing Service w/Pics.

Perfect. Thanks for all the help man, really appreciate it. Cheers!

 

[Malleus]

Okay, got the pics. Opened the flange cap on driver side wheel. Here are pics of the worn flange and a vid of the car in Drive gear with CDL OFF.
View attachment 2686235
In this pic ^ opened the cap and was greeted with this (again). Not 100% sure what the implication of this is. The C-clip (well I think the skinny washer thingy that's not a complete circle is the c-clip), washer, and screw are all just hanging around loosey-goosey in there. What's the implication of this?
View attachment 2686236
This pic ^ just showing where the cap fit.
View attachment 2686238
This pic ^ showing the inside of the flange where (from what I can gather) the CV axle enters the wheel. Looking worn down bad.
View attachment 2686239
Another pic ^ of the inside of flange for good measure.



And a vid of the car in Drive gear with CDL OFF, if you increase the volume you can hear the grinding.

Love that screw and washer! Who knew that's what that tapped hole was for?

 

[Chibu]

LOL, yeah you can always count on Nigerian mechanics and their peculiar "ingenuity"

 

[Scottb4857]

Okay, I know this has been covered in hella other threads (and please don't flame my newbie ass) but I have no idea what those say, so please hold my hand super tightly (I mean really effing tightly) through this process. I got a 2000 LX470. When I put the car in drive or reverse with central differential lock (CDL) disabled (little button below the double hazards button) the car makes a horrid grinding noise and doesn't move at all, as if it's in neutral. When you enable central differential lock (CDL) (which disables the front axle from what I observed first hand), only then can the car move. I got someone to switch between Park and Drive and Reverse with CDL on and off. When CDL is off (and grinding noise is sounding in Drive and Reverse) I see the front axle (the axle in front of the central differential) spinning and the noise is coming from (I THINK!!) somewhere around the front of the front axle but I don't know exactly where it's coming from.

So my questions are:

1. What exactly is causing this?

Even though I have prior experience with small car DIY projects, I'm a total newbie at full-on transmission stuff like this and I'm fresh out of 12th grade and the only gearhead (if you can call me that lol) in my family so yeah it's all me on this one (but of course my siblings are always willing to help with small stuff lol). I got tools and everything (we're a family of engineers but sadly I'm the only one into cars), I just need to know EXACTLY what to do and not do as to not get my dad hard on my case (i'm also trying to get practical experience for college and career, stuff I can put on my college apps and so on).

2. Could I get a guide to fix this?

Even just a small write-up detailing which screws and items to remove/replace with pictures would be a MEGA help.

Also please go easy on me with technical words (or just give me a short description of what/where they are or a service manual where I can find them explained maybe?). I read other posts about this, someone said it's an easy fix (stripped drive flanges in front axle Tranny/transfer takes dump - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/tranny-transfer-takes-dump.895270/) but I wasn't sure how to get to it and fix it and I 100% don't want to take a guess, check, and revise approach to anything pertaining to the drivetrain of my dad's car and mom's almost daily drive.

What I'm looking for is just an easy-to-understand, in-depth guide to fixing this issue. View attachment 2686038I attached two pictures. This one ^ is a close-up of the front axle and front diff connection which is where I SUSPECT the sound is coming from.

View attachment 2686039
And this ^ is a picture of the front axle, taken from where the axle meets the central diff to where it meets the front diff.

P.S. Not to be a rude b*tch, but if you think this DIY would be too advanced for me, do tell, but we might as well start preparing to sell the car because any roadside mechanic or premium dealership (roadside mechanic at 10x price) will completely **** the job up and basically kill the car in whatever way they can. It's a trend, every damn time we (i mean my dad in this case) take the car to any mechanic, it comes back f*cking worse lol. I literally spent 12 hours working on the car and fixed like 3 different issues that "professional" mechanics couldn't fix in an entire week

So you now know what the issue is - stripped out hub splines. Just google youtube videos on CV axle replacement for the 100 series landcruisers and it will walk you through the whole process. Be aware that yes you have to jack it up, you'll also need to disconnect the knuckle from the upper control arm and often the outer tie rod end so you can create enough space to put it all back together. You should also be looking at repacking all the bearings if not actually replacing them while you're in there.

As for why it only drove when you engaged the center diff lock. In standard mode the center diff is an open differential, just like the standard front and rear diff. Having a completely stripped out front hub caused the front differential to just spin because it was "open", meaning no resistance was there to engage the diff. When you locked the center diff you closed the "open" front end by locking the front and rear drive shafts , so now the rear wheels would propel the vehicle. Because the front wheels were now spinning at the same speed as the CV axle you didn't hear the grinding noise. If you had driven it a bunch around corners you would have eventually heard some noise as the different tires spun at slightly different speeds. But since you're new to this once it is all fixed you don't drive the vehicle on paved roads with the center diff locked, the torque put on the system through turns on paved roads can destroy it quick.