'95 D1 Auto/Driveline Question

[mnwolftrack]

Hello,

With the help of people from this board, I just bought a '95 Disco and my first LR. I have a question on the noisy-ness of the driveline, as I am used to driving Toyotas. It's a '95 with 140k, auto, no sunroofs, cloth interior and in great shape.

There's a bit of a howling sound that can be heard in the cab, possibly coming from the rear but I can't tell yet. It isn't any louder if I roll down the windows while driving along (often, I can get exterior noises to bounce back off a cement median or wall divider and help isolate a noise). The noise is most loud from about 5mph to 30mph, and above that it just kinda blends in to the remaining road noise. At cruising speeds at 65mph, I really can't hear it.

Also, how tough should it be to shift the transfer case lever? I haven't been able to shift it straight front to back, but I can shift it over to diff lock and up or down to either high, neutral, or low. I've been in neutral with the parking brake set. Perhaps this is normal behavior, but I am not used to it.

These may not be actual problems, but I want to double check. About the only real problems I've found on this thing (besides higher mileage) are a cracked door handle and cracked rubber weather stripping at the corners of the rear side windows.
Thanks,

 

[Andrew Homan]

I get drive train noise just like everyone else. if it gets worse worry. Might want to change all the fluids to put your mind to rest. My transfer case can be finicky at times. sometimes I'll put it back in gear then back to neutral and it will shift smooth. It sounds like normal stuff to me. but I'm not driving yours so not sure.

 

[Disco-Kings]

Rovers have that lil transmission howl to indicate their dominance over other wanabes. Its the burlyness of a rear drivetrain

Although its most likely nothing have it checked out to be sure.

 

[Disco-Kings]

..oh and as for your transfer case (cdl) its probably seized up a little from the previous owner being a poosie. Try to get under the truck and lubricate the linkage, it should get easier the more you use it. If it doesn't you might want to take it apart and re-build it, easy job, basic tools and a rivit gun.

 

[mnwolftrack]

Hello,

Thanks for the responses! The previous owner did admit to never shifting the transfer case lever. After I moved it around a bit, I was able to move it straight forward/backward. I'll bet that lubing it up will make it shift much better as you've said.

As for the howl, it's not loud enough for me to be sure it's a problem, but enough that I ponder it. I had my wife drive it last night and I sat in the back seat and even crouched on the floor (she thought I was nuts). The sound really isn't much easier to hear this way, but I was at least able to tell it wasn't the ****** or t-case. If anything, it would have to be in the rear axle, maybe (and a big maybe) towards the passenger rear. I found out yesterday the noise goes away briefly when I take a right corner at an intersection. Wheel bearing maybe? The noise does not go away when I turn left at an intersection. There isn't any change in noise during braking or if I put the ****** in nuetral and coast.

 

[mnwolftrack]

I drove it for a few more days, and the noise started getting worse-- rather, the noise started getting louder as I made left turns. It continued to go away during right turns. After getting a chance to jack up the rear axle yesterday, I was able to determine the passenger rear wheel bearings were toast due to the rumbling when I spun the wheel by hand. Whoever did some work there before me didn't tighten down the spindle nuts well enough, and the rotor/hub assembly were a bit loose. The grease was full of slivers of the hardened coating from the bearings/races, so I replaced them yesterday. Noise gone! Much to my surprise, Napa actually had the bearings in stock and only $17 each. I was expecting to have to order parts from the dealer (over 150 miles away).

So, for anyone that hears a constant rumbling/howling sound that gets worse when making turns in one direction but gets better when you turn the other direction, check your wheel bearings/hub tightness!

Thanks,

mnwolftrack

 

[Lutzgaterr]

mnwolftrack, happy to hear issue is resolved, yeah! You have been officially annointed with LR grease, so get ready, lots of other future opportunties to get dirty wrenching.
If I am not in the garage fixing or dinking around that truck every weekend, my wife might think I am having an affair!