Hi everyone
I’m mostly a lurker around here, but I have a question that I hope to get your feedback on. I did a search, but I cannot find anyone describing this same problem with the transfer box. I was on the highway and my front u-joint was going, so I stopped and took off the front prop shaft. To my surprise, I could no longer drive; the rear prop shaft is not turning even in difflock. Furtunately, I solved my u-joint problem another way and replaced the front prop shaft and continued on, but the whole event served to show me that I’ve lost the rear drive. The halfshafts are fine, but the prop shaft isn’t turning. On Monday we’ll go into the transfer box, any ideas what I’m going to find? There is no noise or any other obvious evidence of a problem, although I did say to my passenger a few days ago that I thought the rear wheels felt heavy. Other than that, there’s nothing to indicate a problem.
Defender 110, TD5 2000.
Thanks!
Tamara

 

Are you 100% sure you had your CDL locked?
The light on the dash was on?

 

I agree, sounds like the CDL was not engaged.

 

I never did check if the light was on. I suppose it could be the difflock isn't engaging. I'll go check right now and let you know.

 

Same thing happened to me and the same two fellas set me on the straight path. All that differential stuff sends power to the path of least resistance.

 

Ok, the light is NOT on for difflock. I watched underneath and in difflock (and regular drive) the rear prop shaft is turning. So how come when I took the front prop shaft off it doesn't turn in either? Maybe I can reason this out. In regular hi/lo the drive goes to the easiest wheel, and in the case of no front prop shaft that would be the easiest. If the difflock isn't engaging, then same story. Is that correct?

 

When I jacked the front wheel it did turn in difflock and the rear shaft didn't, so now it's making sense. The difflock wasn't engaging.
So, Monday I guess I'm going into the centre panel and checking the connecting rods instead of into the transfer box. Right? Any advice?

 

No need to tear the console apart, just crawl under the truck with your favorite spray lube and spray the hell out of the linkage and move it around.
Usually the CDL will not engage unless the truck is rolling around 1-2mph.
Once you get it working well from the cabin then make sure you use it once a month, just engage each and every gear on the t-case, no need to move the truck other than a few feet, just enough to "exercise" the shift linkage.
Failure to do this can lead to it rusting in place and never moving ever again.

If you go to the DI tech section there is a great video on how a diff works.
It's like **** for gear heads.

 

Whew, I think I need a sandwich now.

Thanks for the advice. I'll spray it down in the morning. I live in Patagonia, and we are near the Puyehue Cordeon-Caulle eruption. The volcanic ash has caused a lot of oxidation on everything metal. I've been very careful with my defender, but I had no idea this could rust up. I hope it hasn't done so. Cheers.