Juddering whilst driving

Hi, seem to be on here a lot at the moment... Unfortunately it's for problems rather than fun..:-/
Have been feeling a difference in movement, and a judder appearing, so I checked under the front and found.. A) leaf spring u-bolts on drivers side have come loose and seized up.. (Have ordered new ones)
B) the wheel bearing on passenger side had become very loose, causing a substantial oil leak!! Tightened them and filled axle back up with oil.
C) this was a little frightening.. The gearbox sump was quite empty of oil!!:-(
Had been dripping away over time I suppose... I have filled it back up, probably a litre or more of oil missing!

My question is, would the lack of oil in the gearbox be serious enough to cause the feeling of juddering that I am getting? Or am I looking to find another cause? There is a feeling of lack of power too, and I'm wondering whether the wheelbearing that I tightened may be effed! What if anything do you reckon? Thanks.

I could hear when my wheel bearing was fubbared - rumbling when out of gear coasting downhill. I would inspect it if you're not sure. Don't think it would make a lack of power though.
Check transfer box oil. On some the gearbox oil leaks into the transfer box so periodically it's a case of topping up the main box and draining a little off the transfer box.
Enough oil in swivels?

Juddering could be a UJ on a prop shaft going. Is it road speed related?

Thanks, will check bearing in morning. Where is transfer box plug? Can't seem to find it.. Have topped up main gear box, which seems to have two filling plugs?? and the overdrive, will heck uj too, but need a day clear to check everything!! Seem to be busy too, so it's squeezing in checks when I can.. It's sounding a bit desperate tho, fingers crossed I sort it in the day tomorrow, as I'm worried now.. Making me think about the worst... no, I'm not gonna say it...

Check all uj joint in your propshafts !! Make sure bolts are tight !! 9/16 spanners !!
Check diff input for play wear etc !!
Check handbrake isn't binding !!!
Give the uj joints a good looking at ! Prise them around with a bar ! They can look ok but be very badly worn !!!
Good luck

Cheers, will do. It seems like its pointing to a UJ problem.. Which would effect drive power.. I know it's not very powerful anyway, but it's making hills a right pain.. Thanks.

Well, I spent most of the day under the beast... Looked at the UJ's, and the one at the back diff is a tad loose.. There is some play, I filled with grease, and will order one, there was also a couple of bolts loose on the front join of the prop, which I tightened, not very loose tho.. Tightened a rear near side bearing, and fitted new u-bolts on the front leaf springs.. (Unfortunately got sent britpart ones :-/) and after all that, you know what..? I can't tell if it has changed, or I have just got used to it.... :-(
Also done some welding on front of chassis.. It's GOT TO have helped... Need a long drive to tell tho...

wouldn't have thought the ujs would cause a huge loss of power. Sure your clutch is alright?

Hmm me too, but replaced clutch and bearing 6months ago, so wouldn't have thought it was that... The gearbox was a recon, at the same time, but there is a squeak that has appeared recently, that disappears when I press clutch..

anyway, if it was the clutch making it judder, then you could just depress it and see if it goes away.

i was wondering oil contam. re the power loss

Oil contam in the gearbox?
I can confirm that the juddering seems to go away when I press the clutch or go into neutral... :-/ does that make it the gearbox? Clutch? Bearing?

Sounds like possibly 2 separate probs? did power loss come at same time as juddering or are you now being more akin to the prob? UJ's & wheel bearings favourite for juddering though usually hear bearings if they are vibrating (loose) or breaking up (noisy / graunching). As stated earlier binding brakes could be power loss cause and also cause juddering, can usually smell them after a drive put ya hands on the hubs of each wheel afetr a trip, though have seen mine on past vehicle smoking and smelling like a steam engine which was a give away

I'll look again at the wheel bearing that was first the problem, but to be honest, because the problem disappears (as far as I can tell) when I disengage the clutch, it takes the attention away from the drive train? I suspect the gearbox!
It would be hard to hear the bearing in the wheel with the general noise from the beast, so am thinking that I am looking at finding and fitting a new box!! Darn it, I was hoping not to have to do that for another few thousand miles!!
Could really do without a major operation at this time of the season, and also got rid of my spare, when I moved..

I'd be checking the clutch, was it a cheapy you fitted?

No, a Borg and beck... A nos.. :-/

Actually you said it didn't do it in neutral, so i dunno.

Also check the mounts are still ok and the metal hasn't come detached.

Hopefully someone with more of a clue will be along

If the juddering is on takeoff i would suspect clutch as well - had one doing that and it damn near shook the truck apart. If it is rumbling on the road under load but not with the clutch in U joint is definteyl my first choice as well.

On the gearbox, before you start ripping it out what about pulling the plug and draining the oil through a sieve? The condition of the lubricant and any entrained metal would tell you a lot about the condition it's in.

As a matter of curiosity, what does the damn thing do on overrun down a hill - is the juddeirng there/worse? Juddering in lower gears on overrun but none in 4th would point to bad layshaft bearings.

Just tossing in a few random ideas here - hope this helps narrow it down.

ajr

Thanks, will check overrun, it doesn't necessarily judder on take-off, more once I'm going.. There is a high pitched squeak involved now too.. :-/

Gem said:

Thanks, will check overrun, it doesn't necessarily judder on take-off, more once I'm going.. There is a high pitched squeak involved now too.. :-/

Click to expand...

Oh right, yeah change your ujs

Just the rear ones I presume? Or all of them? Whole I'm at it, might as well.. Cheers.

*while