A few breakages.... and a grinding noise

'08 Jimny, 1.8L conversion, 30" muddies yadadadadada....

Went away the other weekend to Janowen 4WD park in QLD. Had a blast except for one little incident on the first day.

Firstly, my mate in a Nissan Partol got hung up on his drag link. I pulled him off it in my Jimny using a tow strap (bad idea in hindsight, should've used a kinetic strap but we thought we'd be OK as he only needed a tiny pull backwards). Third try and a very smelly clutch later we got him off. His drag link was a little bent. More like a L-shape that straight. 15 mins with 5 guys jumping on it and then hitting it with a hammer got it back in better shape - it tracked better than it used to apparently. We kept on going.

I was going everywhere that patrol was and he had 6" lift and 35" tyres. We were all very impressed with my Jimny. However later that afternoon I got into some trouble. I went through a mud hole and got stuck, I just didnt have the clearance to get all the way through. So the patrol pulled me out, unfortunately he lost traction after we were already moving and he jerked left pulling me sideways up the embankment and this was the result:

Snapped one radius arm and bent the other:



Snapped a shock:


Due to the missing piece of radius arm, the axle dislodged and the diff rolled backwards, making it undrivable. Once we got my spare tyre on we used my winch to pull the axle forward and used a racing strap to apply tension backwards to keep the axle in place - acting as a replacement radius arm.



Now that the axle was secure I was able, in 2WD, to drive back to camp where we were able to borrow a bobcat trailer to tow me 200kms back to Brisbane. It was a tight squeeze but with a little dismantling of the bull bar and flares we just fit it on.




I had arranged for a set of radius arms to be at my house before we got back to Brisbane an the shock arrived a few days later.

The next day I had it serviced and there was a lengthy list of damages.
Stock Clutch only on 40000kms was 99.99999% stuffed - they were surprised it got me to the workshop so I installed a Heavy Duty Exedy clutch


Next was to address a horrible grinding noise that was occasionally occurring. Initially they suspected the transfer case, so I replaced that with a near-new one of a 2012 model and it was still there.

Then they said it must be a diff. Before I start paying loads of money to have diffs dismantled and rebuilt, heres my hypothesis and I'm hoping for some feedback:

So there a grinding noise. Its definitely coming from the left hand side of the car and I suspect the front - which, so it happens, is the end that got the most damage last weekend. It happens randomly, but if I engage 4WD it goes away instantly. Since that weekend, the auto-locking hubs have not been properly disengaging. They are engaging correctly but when disengaging, the dashboard light flashes. I can hear the transfer case disengage, but no clicking noise from the hubs. I think that the hubs are only partially disengaging, which I believe would cause a grinding noise.

Thoughts?

I've ordered a set of manual hubs so I guess I'll soon find out.

Looks like it took a beating from what your saying it sounds like a hub not relesing.possible damage to pipes or hoses if the axel has moved about a canny bit.

Well you certainly know how to do it!!!!

I agree with your diagnosis on the grinding too.

A clean up and very light re-greasing and checking of all pipes may fix it - or bin those vacuum hubs for mechanical or fixed ones that can't go wrong. Mine are fixed and it makes no difference to the driving of it or any noticeable difference to the fuel consumption.

Fixed hubs were standard on SJ's in the UK but most people listened to the salesman and had free wheeling hubs added as an option.

Kirkynut

Well if you're gonna have an oooops, might ass well have a good one!

I like being told I'm right! Instead of some "mechanic" umming and ahhing and trying to get me to spend ridiculous amounts of money rebuilding diffs.

$2000 he quoted me to "repair" the transfer case (which wasn't broken in the first place!). $400 it cost me for a tcase, 30000kms, off a 2012 model.
$1500 PER DIFF he's quoted me to rebuild those. I can get a whole new front or rear axle, drum to drum (rear) or disc to disc (front) for $500 a pop.

Will see how things go when the manual hubs are on!