knocking sound when driving

[se20mag]

Can anyone help? I have a Freelander 9 years old. Bought during the summer and it has been nothing but trouble. I have the clutch replaced and two front tyres in the last 6 weeks. I now have a knocking sound from underneath at the front, this only happens as it is moving, in time with the speed travelled. The garage found that the drive shaft was lose (i think thats it- long piece that runs from the back to the front of the car), they are fixing this today, but they say it may not solve the problem and it might be the gearbox, im not sure how much they know about the freelander and i dont want to spend for a gearbox unnecessarily, any advice would be very welcome.

[talldavey]

I hope you fitted the new tyres to the rear axle.
If you didn't........................DO IT NOW!!!!!
David

[brooklynodog]

Clutch and tyres are wear and tear items, so you can hardly blame the car for being nothing but trouble! :rolleyes:
As above, get those tyres on the rear axle ASAP, as it states in the handbook

[se20mag]

Thank you both for your reply. I will ask someone to change the tyres - they were fitted to the front. Do you think this is causing the problem, as it has become extremely bad since the drive shaft has been secured. I drove it from the garage at about 10 mph, as it seemed as if the axel would buckle from the rest of the car, the noise is very loud, the garage now say its the rear diff. Im afraid to drive it anywhere now (even the garage) as this may cause further damage.

[se20mag]

ps, someone told me yesterday that people sometimes pack the rear diff and associated parts with grease to disguise the problem, which then becomes apparent at a later date. I have large thick blobs of grease underneath the car

[talldavey]

It is possible that fitting the new tyres to the wrong axle is the cause of the noise. There are threads on this forum regarding this.
What exactly did the garage do to secure the propshaft?
Are they a 4X4 specialist?
If they are not I would suggest that you find an Independent LR Independent specialist in you area.
David.

[se20mag]

We are moving the tyres round tomorrow, to see if this helps. I'll let you know. No the garage aren't a 4X4 specialist and clearly didnt know about fitting the tyres to the rear! They put a bracket on to secure the prop shaft, so the invoice says. I think i should ask a 4X4 specialist to come out and have a look. I have been back to the car dealer where i purchased the vehicle, they have said they will get their garage to have a look at it, but i have to get it there and its not driveable. Think i have a weak case (2nd hand car etc), but i dont think the vehicle was fit for purpose - thats another issue!

[talldavey]

They put a bracket on to secure the prop shaft, so the invoice says

Did they add a bracket or replace one? (rear diff bushes/vcu bearings are the usual suspects)

Let us know how you get on tomorrow with the new tyres on the rear axle.
David

[Chaser]

This doesn't sound good David, I think it may be too late if it has been driven much with the new tyres on the front, especially as it will be the early ratio IRD which is more sensitive to the tyre issue. Fingers are crossed though!

[talldavey]

Chaser...........Will they have any redress against the garage that fitted the tyres to the front axle?
I'm sure I read quite a long thread on here about someone attempting to sue in similar circumstances.

This reinforces my opinion that this type of vehicle needs specialist maintenance as a lot of mechanics do not understand the complexities of the drivetrain.

Like you, my fingers are crossed too.

David

[Chaser]

It could be this one with the broken diff you remember......http://www.landrovernet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169335&highlight=crack+differential
in this case it seems the garages insurance company covered the cost of the repairs. Perhaps not all businesses are wise enough to have insurance cover for this kind of incident. I'm no expert in legal matters so could only suggest contacting Citizens Advice or similar if it becomes necessary. Let's hope not.