It just doesn't end... gearbox/TC problems

[navydevildoc]

Well, after fixing my carb this weekend (thanks again RN for the awesome support!), the engine in my '65 IIA is running better than ever.

However, I am noticing a distinct trend. Any time I venture more than 3 blocks from the house I end up stranded on the side of the road.

This time it was to take the Landy out for a run down the street for some errands. At the bottom of a small hill was a stop light that I sat at briefly. Light turned green, and I go to leave. About 3 seconds after letting the clutch pedal out, I hear a "clink" noise, and lose forward power. First I just thought it jumped out of second, but nope, it's in gear.

As I coast to the side of the road, I try different gears. Nothing works, including reverse. Low Range is also no joy. Didn't try 4x4 as I have front selectro hubs that have "issues" and are not functioning at the moment. But I did cycle the yellow know down and back up with no problem.

When I am in any gear, I can let off the clutch and rev the engine, but nothing moves, except the speedometer which starts to climb. The emergency/transmission brake is also non-op now. When I was being towed home, I noticed that the speedo was not functioning.

So I am trying to figure out whether the problem is in the tranny or the t-case. I am thinking since the e-brake does not work, that it's downstream of it in the transfer case.

I was going to do a frame-off on this truck anyway, so this just provides a reason to delve into it faster I suppose.

Anyone want to hazard a guess on what might have happened?

[leafsprung]

axle

Broken axle shaft. Welcome to land rover ownership.

[navydevildoc]

Broken axle shaft. Welcome to land rover ownership.

Ugh... didn't even think of that.

[msggunny]

Wow, if thats the case thats the 2nd one i have heard of breaking at a stop sign....

WOW.

Mostlikely the PO's stressed it to its limit and all the conditions were right for it to break when you drove off.

Doc, if it wasnt for bad luck i would think you would have no luck at all.

[I Leak Oil]

Just so you know the speedometer is driven by a gear in the transfer case. If the speedo is working, your getting output at the transfer case. You should feel blessed! A broken axle shaft is far easier to fix than a broken transmission! Oh, and it's a requirement of every new series owner to break one...
Jason T.

[SafeAirOne]

On your way in to check the axles, examine the splined drive hubs that bolt to the middle of your wheels. These can wear/strip out , allowing the axles to spin without transferring power to the wheels.

[navydevildoc]

Well, so now the question becomes, is it worth trying to pursue an "upgrade" from the old 10 spline axles? Am I looking at something as simple as a diff replacement (perhaps ARB lockers or similar), new hub drive flanges, and new prop shafts? Will the 24 spline stuff fit in my existing axle and diff housing?

Or would this entail an all new axle? It would seem that the 88 does not like bigger diffs like the salisbury or D90s, since the U-Joint/Drive shaft angles get pretty crazy.

Since I am going to have to open all this stuff up to fix the axle anyways, now is the time for me to do it if I am going to.

[Eric W S]

Sereis Trek Axles. Done.

ARBs are nice, but $$$$$ if you don't use them. I'd use the money for the ARBs getting your truck running consistently.

[Tim Smith]

Upgrades abound. I think 24 spline upgrades are going to be the most popular. You can try Great Basin Rovers (http://www.greatbasinrovers.com/). Very helpful and seen a lot of the different upgrade paths. There is also the SeriesTrek upgrade (http://www.seriestrek.com/). Again, very knowledgeable and can give you advise either way you want to go. I believe both guys are on this board so maybe they can post up.

My truck came to me with the ARB locker and 24 spline axles. Unfortunately the ring gear came off in traffic because it wasn't professionally put together and I ended up loosing a great rear end. I downgraded back to the standard 10 spline rear and proceed to snap about 6 used axles in the span of a couple of years. As you can imagine, I was getting sick of that music so I decided to go for a Trutrack 24 spline set up. I already had those 24 spline axles from before so this swayed me in that direction. Otherwise I might have gone the SeriesTrek/Toyota route.

You will find that swapping the axle is very easy unless it let loose on the diff side. Worst case scenario is that you have to pop the diff to get the bits out of there but still this isn't a big deal. If your front hubs were working, you could have used four wheel to effectively drive home in front wheel drive. I've done it a couple of times before.

Edit: If you were to pull the front wheel drive maneuver, you do run the risk of chomping the rear diff if the bits from the axle get up in the spider gears.

[navydevildoc]

Sereis Trek Axles. Done.

ARBs are nice, but $$$$$ if you don't use them. I'd use the money for the ARBs getting your truck running consistently.

Yeah, I thought I had that sorted with the new carb. Engine is running pretty solid. At least solid enough to snap an axle!

Everything else that is wrong with the truck is cosmetic... and since I am going to be rebuilding it anyway if I do the axle now it's out of the way, and I can start driving it again.

That's my thinking anyway.

[navydevildoc]

I need to qualify that previous post a little more... the engine *will* be getting overhauled but was going to do it once I get a new frame and start moving things over.

So I suppose I could just get 2 new 10 spline axle shafts (I am thinking if one snapped, the other one is probably pretty tired too) for now, and once I get going on the new frame when I pull off the axle I can upgrade it then.

Decisions, decisions.

[I Leak Oil]

You should be able to go quite a while with two new 10 spline shafts. All the axle upgrades are nice but sounds like you have plenty on your plate for now.
Jason T.

[Tim Smith]

You should be able to go quite a while with two new 10 spline shafts. All the axle upgrades are nice but sounds like you have plenty on your plate for now.
Jason T.

Jason is right. I just want to highlight that the 10 spline axles I was snapping were of unknown origin. They were from my "bucket of axles" and so they were pretty used to begin with.

If you replace one axle, you might want to replace the other and then hold onto the used working axle in case of failure down the road. You might actually find the working axle on the fringe of breaking too so take it out just to examine it, if nothing else.

[navydevildoc]

Yeah, OK... mind made up. Going with 2 new rear 10 spline axles for now, and do a possible upgrade after I have the new frame sorted and in the garage.

[scott]

doc, when mine went i wasn't at a stop sign, i was triing to muscle up a steep rutty dirt hill. my axles didn't break, just twisted. it was my spider gears that exploded. start by pulling off your rear axles but take the time to pull and look at the diff. if all's well in there it'll only cost you a gasket and about an hour of you life.