regular thrumming noise barely audible, coming from transmission and or running gear.

[Stanleysteamer]

I ordered the Optimal hub 'kit' last Monday so when I get it I'll see what make of bearing is fitted & let you know. I didn't think the noise I had could be a wheel bearing at first especially with the harsh vibration through the throttle pedal but when I noticed the noise/vibration disappeared when I cornered, I jacked it up & sure enough a fair bit of play. It's the opposite side to the drive shaft oil seal I did (with your great tip of taking the d/shaft & hub out in one) but this time I'll have to undo THAT nut to change the hub . I going to change the seal & knuckle ball joints whilst it's apart, in for a penny in for a pound, so with the new hub I hope I won't have to revisit that area for some time.
When do you hope to tackle yours ?

I was going to do it today, but due top a trapped nerve in my back I have referred paind and worse the muscles are as weak as a kitten in my left elbow and upper arm.
So I just put it all back together as, stupidly, I had forgotten I was doing all this on a slight side slope so I'd be losing oil from the axle.
Tomorrow I'll turn the truck around and hopefully the arm will be better, as i have to tackle the nut at feck off torque.
Once swapped I'll test it, with everything crossed that the thrum thrum will have gone away.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Best of luck with getting those ball joints out. It is no picnic and I didn't do it. Couldn't justify it on the grounds of no play in three and only tiny play in one.
Unlike yours I can detect no play whatsoever in the hub. I'd have seen that when I tested them first time around, if it had been detectable. So I am not changing the hub based on that. Nor any indication from the 3 amigos, cos there is none.
Did you not get the three amigos up? Play in the hub is supposed to set them off as the critical distance between the reluctor ring and the sensor is supposed to go off when it's worn.
Anyway, best of luck!

 

[Andy Warren]

I was going to do it today, but due top a trapped nerve in my back I have referred paind and worse the muscles are as weak as a kitten in my left elbow and upper arm.
So I just put it all back together as, stupidly, I had forgotten I was doing all this on a slight side slope so I'd be losing oil from the axle.
Tomorrow I'll turn the truck around and hopefully the arm will be better, as i have to tackle the nut at feck off torque.
Once swapped I'll test it, with everything crossed that the thrum thrum will have gone away.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Best of luck with getting those ball joints out. It is no picnic and I didn't do it. Couldn't justify it on the grounds of no play in three and only tiny play in one.
Unlike yours I can detect no play whatsoever in the hub. I'd have seen that when I tested them first time around, if it had been detectable. So I am not changing the hub based on that. Nor any indication from the 3 amigos, cos there is none.
Did you not get the three amigos up? Play in the hub is supposed to set them off as the critical distance between the reluctor ring and the sensor is supposed to go off when it's worn.
Anyway, best of luck!

I hope your aches & pains disappear overnight so you can crack on. No I don't get the three amigos on but occasionally when I hit a pot hole the TC light lights up accompanied by a farting noise for a second or two & that's it. I have a split boot on the ball joint but that's on the side I did the d/shaft oil seal on (& didn't notice it ), it's just typical the bearing has gone on the other side so I'll end up doing all four but I will have a good look/check/feel in case I'm lucky & they don't need replacing.

 

[Andy Warren]

Hi Andy!
What you say makes a lot of sense, and yes it does seem to go away a bit on turns.
What you say about metal as opposed to rubber shields/seals also makes sense.
So, if this is the problem, and I solve it with the second hand, but Timken, bearing in the hub flogged to me by the Dutch guy, he will be getting a very nice phone call.
It would appear he is right about after market bearings and once this is solved, if it is solved, I'll go back and find who I got it from and warn everyone.
What make/supplier of bearing are you getting? If I dare ask!
Thanks massively for the support and encouragement!

Hi Stan, my hub turned up yesterday & it has no bearing manufacturer's name on it, on the plus side it has a cut out in it so you can change a wheel stud if needed without having to take the ABS sensor out & grind a flat on the head of the new stud (like I had to do a few months back). @Royston90 has kindly offered to lend me the correct torque wrench for the hub nut, top man, as I had no luck sourcing one.

 

[Stanleysteamer]

Hi Stan, my hub turned up yesterday & it has no bearing manufacturer's name on it, on the plus side it has a cut out in it so you can change a wheel stud if needed without having to take the ABS sensor out & grind a flat on the head of the new stud (like I had to do a few months back). @Royston90 has kindly offered to lend me the correct torque wrench for the hub nut, top man, as I had no luck sourcing one.View attachment 246997 View attachment 246998

So it has arrived!
No markings at all in the bearings, duly noted, cutout, handy.

Good on @Royston90 for the torque wrench. They must be expensive bits of kit. I'll just be using my weight, an extension to my breaker bar and some maths!
But I won't be doing this for a while now as my back has made me hors de combat for the moment. Prolly from all the fiddling around and changing the prop. On morphine for the first time in my life.

So best of luck with it curing your thrumming.
It might be an idea to note the mileage at which you put it on, to look at again should it fail again. I didn't do that and regret it.
All the Best
Stan

 

[Stanleysteamer]

So I'm back again to report the Thrumming has now gone.
I had to take the truck into an Indy to get the gearbox leak sorted out. I also asked him to diagnose the thrumming.
£1013 later the gearbox should be leak free, (haven't checked) but he reckoned the thrum could be coming from the front nearside.
So, over two days, I did the following:
Removed the REAR nearside hub, this cos it has the wires for a front hub and was replaced only as few years back. (Unnecessarily due to a local Landy garage having misdiagnosed the correct hub that was causing the three amigos. The supplier sent me a front hub minus the seal, obvs, so I just told them to send me a seal and I fitted it as was.)
I then replaced it with the one I had taken off years back. It is fine, no amigos etc.
So I then had a known good front hub.
So I replaced the front hub with it.
The one that came off had no discernible play, and if it did I think the 3 amigos would have shown up. But it was rusty on the inside and the seal was almost invisible. So I suspect the bearings were rusty or at least short of grease. The seal would be impossible to change even if I wanted to.
I then eventually took it for a good test drive, the thrum thrum had sort of gone although I am now a lot more aware of other similar noises so wondering if the only hub I haven't looked at and changed, is making a tiny bit of noise, namely the offside front. but the vibration has deffo disappeared. So , RESULT!!!

For those interested in the problems incurred doing it:
Be prepared to have to jump in the cab and swing the wheels from left to right quite often to access the bolts.
The hub nut may well be done up to totally feck off torque. OK, so it is staked as well and if you can't be assed to try and knock the staking back but just undo it with a long bar, it will take even more effort. I used a scaffold pole over my breaker bar.
To do the (new) hub nut up, you don't need to buy/hire/borrow/steal a very expensive torque wrench that you won't use for anything else, just use a long breaker bar, marked at the correct place and stand completely on it, all available to see here.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/discovery-2-2004-td5-landmark-rear-hub-nut-torque.348751/
Pics so you can see a comparison between a used but good one and the one I took off.
So thanks for the interest in my problem and I hope this is of help to others in my circumstance.

 

[kevstar]

So I'm back again to report the Thrumming has now gone.
I had to take the truck into an Indy to get the gearbox leak sorted out. I also asked him to diagnose the thrumming.
£1013 later the gearbox should be leak free, (haven't checked) but he reckoned the thrum could be coming from the front nearside.
So, over two days, I did the following:
Removed the REAR nearside hub, this cos it has the wires for a front hub and was replaced only as few years back. (Unnecessarily due to a local Landy garage having misdiagnosed the correct hub that was causing the three amigos. The supplier sent me a front hub minus the seal, obvs, so I just told them to send me a seal and I fitted it as was.)
I then replaced it with the one I had taken off years back. It is fine, no amigos etc.
So I then had a known good front hub.
So I replaced the front hub with it.
The one that came off had no discernible play, and if it did I think the 3 amigos would have shown up. But it was rusty on the inside and the seal was almost invisible. So I suspect the bearings were rusty or at least short of grease. The seal would be impossible to change even if I wanted to.
I then eventually took it for a good test drive, the thrum thrum had sort of gone although I am now a lot more aware of other similar noises so wondering if the only hub I haven't looked at and changed, is making a tiny bit of noise, namely the offside front. but the vibration has deffo disappeared. So , RESULT!!!

For those interested in the problems incurred doing it:
Be prepared to have to jump in the cab and swing the wheels from left to right quite often to access the bolts.
The hub nut may well be done up to totally feck off torque. OK, so it is staked as well and if you can't be assed to try and knock the staking back but just undo it with a long bar, it will take even more effort. I used a scaffold pole over my breaker bar.
To do the (new) hub nut up, you don't need to buy/hire/borrow/steal a very expensive torque wrench that you won't use for anything else, just use a long breaker bar, marked at the correct place and stand completely on it, all available to see here.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/discovery-2-2004-td5-landmark-rear-hub-nut-torque.348751/
Pics so you can see a comparison between a used but good one and the one I took off.
So thanks for the interest in my problem and I hope this is of help to others in my circumstance.

I knew it would be one them at fault. Im glad its sorted as it was getting on your nerves.

 

[Stanleysteamer]

I knew it would be one them at fault. Im glad its sorted as it was getting on your nerves.

You bet!
Interesting that you also had similar on your EVO and again it turned out to be a wheel bearing.
I was more than a little worried about it, I even carried a spare hub (the good one in the pics) an axle stand and all the other tools to be able to change it by the side of the road if it suddenly got worse, during the journey back through France, as well as not exceeding 55 mph. And this was when I wasn't even sure it was a hub. BUT I didn't have a scaffold tube with me, so I wouldn't have been able to do it, unless I drove to a building site and persuaded a "macon" to let me borrow one! Anyway, big sigh of relief and boost to the morale! Must have been the same for you after your 6 hour heat and hammer session with yours on the EVO!!!!

 

[Stanleysteamer]

Actooly @kevstar I'd have used the other jack and the Disco's weight, or I'd have rested the end of the bar on the ground or a block and driven the truck a little way backwards!!
Sometimes I just have to think outside the box!

 

[kevstar]

Actooly @kevstar I'd have used the other jack and the Disco's weight, or I'd have rested the end of the bar on the ground or a block and driven the truck a little way backwards!!
Sometimes I just have to think outside the box!

Where there's a will there's a way. I had to wait until it was really bad before I could find
the problem & the issue was the lack of tools n spares, they would be flying all over the place

 

[PopPops]

You bet!
Interesting that you also had similar on your EVO and again it turned out to be a wheel bearing.
I was more than a little worried about it, I even carried a spare hub (the good one in the pics) an axle stand and all the other tools to be able to change it by the side of the road if it suddenly got worse, during the journey back through France, as well as not exceeding 55 mph. And this was when I wasn't even sure it was a hub. BUT I didn't have a scaffold tube with me, so I wouldn't have been able to do it, unless I drove to a building site and persuaded a "macon" to let me borrow one! Anyway, big sigh of relief and boost to the morale! Must have been the same for you after your 6 hour heat and hammer session with yours on the EVO!!!!

Glad you got it sorted, but I did wonder why you would have asked the French president for a scaffold pole (until I read it properly).

Wheel bearings seem to be able to make you go in all directions making wrong diagnoses. I was convinced that my last car, a Citroen, had a failing NSF bearing, that was where the noise was coming from. Neither front had any play but the OSF was possibly less smooth. I even had my late father, a musician with excellent ears, in the car and he too said NSF. I asked my local indy to replace the NSF. He replaced the OSF and said there was nothing wrong with the NSF but the OSF was shot. Noise gone! I wonder how the noise appeared on the NS??

Hope the autobox is OK.

PP

 

[Stanleysteamer]

Glad you got it sorted, but I did wonder why you would have asked the French president for a scaffold pole (until I read it properly).

Wheel bearings seem to be able to make you go in all directions making wrong diagnoses. I was convinced that my last car, a Citroen, had a failing NSF bearing, that was where the noise was coming from. Neither front had any play but the OSF was possibly less smooth. I even had my late father, a musician with excellent ears, in the car and he too said NSF. I asked my local indy to replace the NSF. He replaced the OSF and said there was nothing wrong with the NSF but the OSF was shot. Noise gone! I wonder how the noise appeared on the NS??

Hope the autobox is OK.

PP

thanks for this!
Me too re the box, haven't dared look underneath it yet for the dreaded pink fluid!

Agree about wheel bearing on French cars, we too had one go on a Citroen Xsara, again couldn't tell where the sound was coming from.
Usually on jacking the car up and doing the old MOT-style feel around you can find it, but deffo not in this case. And if I had been able to, the 3 amigos would have come on. So, the hub is off and I cannot feel a rumble or any play.
But I have to confess Wifey could only hear it occasionally on the car although the vibration became more obvious above about 45 mph.

 

[Stanleysteamer]

Update!
One, no ATF leaks, form the autobox, so well chuffed.
Two, there is still a tiny thrumming.
I think this must be the offside front, as it is the only one I haven't taken off and looked at.
In view of the 150k miles it's done, I'm not surprised. I'm not worried about it, but it is interesting nonetheless.
And also funny that I can hear it but Wifey can't although she could hear the first one.
I did notice originally that the thrumming sometimes went in phase then out of phase, like the beats on the engines on a Lancaster turning at supposedly the same revs, or two piano strings for the same note that aren't quite in tune. This depended on the speed of the vehicle.
So having two bearings going out this would make sense.
I've obviously spent too much time tuning guitars and pianos!
So, upshot. Not worried I do still have one spare bearing so I might just do it before we go away at Christmas, if i have time.
thanks for you interest in the thread guys!

 

[Andy Warren]

Update!
One, no ATF leaks, form the autobox, so well chuffed.
Two, there is still a tiny thrumming.
I think this must be the offside front, as it is the only one I haven't taken off and looked at.
In view of the 150k miles it's done, I'm not surprised. I'm not worried about it, but it is interesting nonetheless.
And also funny that I can hear it but Wifey can't although she could hear the first one.
I did notice originally that the thrumming sometimes went in phase then out of phase, like the beats on the engines on a Lancaster turning at supposedly the same revs, or two piano strings for the same note that aren't quite in tune. This depended on the speed of the vehicle.
So having two bearings going out this would make sense.
I've obviously spent too much time tuning guitars and pianos!
So, upshot. Not worried I do still have one spare bearing so I might just do it before we go away at Christmas, if i have time.
thanks for you interest in the thread guys!

Hi Stan, did/do you get the TC light come on & that farting noise ? I was getting both when my O/S front went the other month (which cured it for a couple of weeks)
but the TC light with associated noise is back mainly when going over a bump (I know it's not breaking traction) but only one in twenty times & when I reverse off my drive on full lock, when it feels like it. I'm now wondering if I have a N/S bearing on it's way out but I don't have any rumbling noise or play like before.

 

[Stanleysteamer]

Hi Stan, did/do you get the TC light come on & that farting noise ? I was getting both when my O/S front went the other month (which cured it for a couple of weeks)
but the TC light with associated noise is back mainly when going over a bump (I know it's not breaking traction) but only one in twenty times & when I reverse off my drive on full lock, when it feels like it. I'm now wondering if I have a N/S bearing on it's way out but I don't have any rumbling noise or play like before.

Hi Andy.
The TC light coming on and the farting noise, which i think is the TC putting the brakes on a bit, occurs if I give it beans while on full lock, which i think is fair enough.
I have come to the conclusion that there is no clear indicator of a bearing STARTING to be on the way out. but there are indications when one is well on the way.
No, I didn't get the three amigos, nor could I feel any play at all at the hub by doing the usual tests with the hands as per an MOT test, hands on the tyre at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock then at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock, followed by spinning and listening for grinding.
As I have changed 3 out of the 4 hubs I am led to think the thrum now present must be front the front offside.
So, no rumbling, no play, just this little thrum- thrum noise which only I can hear.
I wish you were nearer me then you could come with me for a spin and see if you could hear it. It is so subtle I know it would not be audible if I recorded it.