We just started hearing, and feeling, a rumble when backing off the accelerator. It also makes the rumbling noise coasting in neutral. It has been a long time since I replaced wheel bearings or universal joints in a vehicle, but i still remember how to do it.

Universal joints.....they don't typically rumble when they wear out, do they? I seem to remember them making more of a clunk. Of course I would rather replace ujoints than wheel bearings. Maybe they just need some grease.

This started not long after pulling this boat from the customs dock through town, and then down about three miles of extremely bad, unpaved, dirt and exposed rock road, up a few grades even:


I could see that pulling the trailer might stress a u-joint, but it wouldnt matter to a wheel bearing would it?

I would suggest the wheel bearings if it is a rumble.Might also be inadequate greese in bearings.. Mine started by rumbling and now it is wobbling.. I am going to get it fixed ( all by myself) shortly!! Well there are experts who must be given the final word I guess

First check your UJs and change them if unsure. (The easiest of jobs I believe) This is the most common cause of rumble.

While you have your rear and front props off, check for play in the diff flanges, as the bearing there could be on their way out. Again, this is a fairly easy job.

Re-assemble everything and take it for a drive. Still a rumble? Start checking the wheel bearings, and while you have the hubs off, check the driveshaft flanges on the rear wheels as well for play.

Re-assemble everything, and take it for another drive. Still a rumble? Could be your transfer box. Or your gearbox.


Be aware that the solution described here goes from 'cheap' to expensive, and from easy to hard...


If you want some one from the forum to come out to you and check for you, I am sure you will have no problem finding volunteers...

Happy hunting

Gringo old chap,
If you don't know the condition of your UJs and wheel bearings then now is the time to inspect them all My money would be on a propshaft UJ.
Good luck
Mo

I salute in the millitary style.. Yes sir

Dead Ujs can scream and squeal too, Dan

Mo

I salute in the millitary style--- Yes Sir

Interesting you mention the transfer box. I was unable to get it into Low while launching the boat on Friday. I meant to drag out the manual and see if I had the right combination of planetary alignments, tranny in right gear, clutch either in or out as the case may be, vehicle rolling or stopped, or in reverse.... we have never used Low Range here, although I vaguely remember checking it out when we bought the vehicle.

I certainly could have used the low gear range to launch the boat. We did manage to get her launched, of course:



But alas, it was not to bein Low range. Do these Land Rover transfer cases freeze in Hi on a regular basis?

They do sometimes, especially if not used for a while. Also worthwhile checking whether the linkages are not blocked by mud (although highly unlikely in your climate)

Well, if it does freeze up in Hi, is this something that can typically be resolved by moving the shifter, or it now transfer box disassembly time?

Later....well I just slithered around in the dirt and rocks and pumped a tube and a half of grease into those six grease fittings. They were pretty dry to take that much. We have been driving in a lot of salt water this year. We had a couple hurricanes in Sept, and were stranded on a small hillock with the only road in and out under six feet of ocean for days. Couldnt have been good for u-joints.

If you are going from high to low on the transfer box I usually leave it in gear (1st or 2nd), then move the lever. If it doesn't engage then lift the clutch slightly while pushing the lever into low. That usually gets it to engage.

HTH

Ivan

Thanks, I will try that. By 'lift the clutch', do you mean release it slightly? I am assuming you have it all the way depressed when trying to shift.

I cannot get the shift lever to move at all, in any direction.

He means release it slightly after full depression...

And if you cannot shift the lever in any direction, it really is time to open up the area under the cubby to have a look... You'll be amazed.

The seizing of the transfer linkages is quite common if they are not used and are subjected to British winters or, I suspect, sunny seasides. I'm 95% certain yours just needs freeing off.
If it won't move then it's time to get the wire brush and a can of wd40 and get underneath. Give the linkages a good brushing and the spray plenty of wd40 over the joints in the linkages. Give it an hour or two to penetrate and then repeat. Then, with the engine off, start working the the transfer lever forwards and backwards and side to side. When you get a little movement get back under and spray again. Keep going until the linkages work freely. Job done, fingers crossed.
Good luck

Mo

Well, a thorough greasing of the six grease fittings in the "prop shafts" (thats a UK term, right? Same thing we call drive shafts?) didn't make a difference. So I guess I am stuck with two problems...the rumbling going down the pavement, and the inability to move the transfer case shifter in any direction at all.

You guys SURE they designed these vehicles for bad conditions? I live in a tropical, balmy, warm climate. I would think a Defender would be grateful to be here.

here's an update for other relative Land Rover newbies, like me. Well, I am not exactly a newbie, having had this Defender for a year and a half now, but I am a newbie when it comes to working on it. So far, all I have had to repair in the first 16,000 miles was the clutch master cylinder.

I had been looking for this rumble. I greased all four of the propshaft Universal joints, and they did seem dry. Understandable, since we have been driving it in sea water. I also greased the CV slip joints. Hoped that would take care of it. But it did not. I was still suspecting a wheel bearing, but this rumble was pronounced while in fourth or fifth gear, when letting off the accelerator. It did not happen at slow speeds. In my experience, wheel bearings make noise at ALL speeds. In the past when I had wheel bearing issues I could feel the problem with a wheel jacked off the ground and turning it by hand. So I was puzzled as to how I was going to isolate this if I had to be doing 30 mph on the pavement to feel it.

So today for grins, and in the spirit of trying all the easy stuff first, I checked the oil in the differentials. The rear one was fine, but the front one was so low I could barely touch the oil with my finger inside the filler hole. I topped it up, and within about five miles of driving the rumble went away. I tried several times to get it to rumble again, backing off the accelerator, etc. I cannot make it happen now, whereas I could not stop it from happening before. So, fingers crossed, I think perhaps the low lube in the front diff was the problem. Sure glad I checked that before I started pulling wheels off.