2005 freedlander td4 knocking noises at 30mph+

Hi folks,
My freelander is making some strange knocking noises at 30+mph.
it only really appeared after I changed the front diff mount, although it could have been there before and since changing the diff mount I just tend to listen more for strange noises.
I thought it sounded as though it was coming from the prop so read up on vcu and prop bearings......did all the vcu test everything seems ok, although I know people say the vcu shouldn't run hot.....on a short journey mine seems cool to touch although if i've been on a motorway run it is hot!...is this normal?
Anyway i whipped off the prop and vcu today and on a test drive the noise is still there, it isn't a constant knocking but seems to come and go.
My next thoughts are check all wheel bearings and then all the front suspension bushes etc...
Any one have any thoughts which don't include the need for my neighbours to call the fire brigade?

stay under 30 mph

There's a thought...and maybe just use it on a sunday aswell:doh:

mjrimmer said:

There's a thought...and maybe just use it on a sunday aswell:doh:

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but not in the rain the doors will fall off

Ha.... No they won't. I took them off when i bought it to stop my missus knackering them on other peoples cars at the supermarket.

mjrimmer said:

Ha.... No they won't. I took them off when i bought it to stop my missus knackering them on other peoples cars at the supermarket.

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No wer your coming from ther.Dont no alot about gaylanders but as long as you can take the stick someone will give you the answer(you proved the stick part p.s give it to the missus and buy a proper 4x4 for your self lol)

Gaylanders? I don't know what you mean....it does exactly what it says on the tin(brochure) drives like a car on the road and can handle off road within its stride. Mine does this every day at least 2 or 3 times by going off the road onto my drive without any problems what so ever.....fantastic.....although i must admit it was quite good in the snow before xmas.
As for a proper 4x4, I luv the disco, we had one for about a week on test last year. I thought it was f....ing brilliant but she who knows best decided it was too big and put the mockers on it.
Oh well, since then i've taken out a life policy on her, so hopefully soon she may trip on the stairs i have still got to repair if not the list of things shes given me to do gives ample oppertunity for her to have a misshap.....that is if she doesn;'t follow current health and saftey rules

Anyway more to my problem on my freelander, so I have put it into 2 wheel drive mode and the noise is still there.
I can't decide if the sound is coming from the front or rear!...you drive along at above 30mph and it just starts..... its not a knock more like a rotational drone that goes thump thump thump as though your going over small cats eyes then dissapears for a bit and then comes back.
I checked the wheel bearings today and they seem fine apart from the rear left which seems to be catching on the brake shoes slightly,,,,i'll strip this down this weekend to make sure this isnt the problem.
Road surfaces dont seem to matter as it appears on both A roads and the motorway.
It's a freelander sport with the 18inch wheels so i'm also going to check that the wheels are still round, as at the moment i'm at a loss, I had a quick check on all the bushes....how much movement should you get from the front antiroll bar, as this was quite flexilible just using my hand..

Right, update.
i've had it in 2 wheel drive for the last 2 weeks and have been all over it.
The noise is coming from the rear, Iv'e checked all bushes and wheel bearings and they seem fine (to Me anyway).
The only thing I can find is the rear right strut is very squeaky when you bounce the truck up and down.
I had it loaded up in the back with 6 bags of chip bark last weekend and i't definatley made the noise slightly louder....
Help....any ideas....anyone......

Something wrong with a tyre perhaps? Try swopping them to the front and see if the noise moves.

Hi Chaser,

Iv'e tried that, I've even used the spare on opposite rear corners just to make sure one of the wheels wasn't out of shape.
It sounds like the exhaust knocking underneath but it isn't that and I can't see anything else loose anywhere underneath th back of the car

mjrimmer said:

Right, update.
i've had it in 2 wheel drive for the last 2 weeks .

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Sorry to be a total newb but how do you put it 2wheel only??
I thought it just decided when 4 wheel drive was needed??

Hi sasha,

You remove the prop and vcu, best to remove it as one whole unit.
If you do a search for mondo mode you should find info on it, I think Hippo has a photo description on how to drop the whole thing.
Make sure you mark everything up in situ befroe you drop it though so it can go back on in exactly the same way it came off.

Oh ok nothing as simple as a switch then lol.
(bloody newbies eh)

Right I've just been out for a ride in the truck with me missus driving it.
The noise is definatley coming from the passenger rear wheel side.
Could it be wheel bearing or outer cv joint? the noise isn't a grinding noise but more of a light thud thud thud thud .......stop for a bit then .....thud thud thud thud

mjrimmer said:

Right I've just been out for a ride in the truck with me missus driving it.
The noise is definatley coming from the passenger rear wheel side.
Could it be wheel bearing or outer cv joint? the noise isn't a grinding noise but more of a light thud thud thud thud .......stop for a bit then .....thud thud thud thud

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To clarify, did you actually move both rear tyres to the front at the same time? or just change one at a time?

wheel bearings or CV? yes it's possible to be either of these, just a case of continuing to narrow things down.

I would expect the wheel bearing to a give a bit if a rumble if/when turned by hand. Compare the feel and sound with another.

CV joint can be harder to identify as faulty, sometimes there is movement in the joint but substitution is the only way to confirm unless you want to strip the joints and clean for inspection then rebuild/re-grease.
TBH the rear driveshafts and CVs are much less likely to give trouble than fronts.

Hi Chaser,

I had swapped both fronts to the rear at the same time to begin with and this made no difference, I then went round changing each wheel for the spare one at a time to see if one was out of shape.
Could the driveshaft have got damaged when the front diff bush was changed?
The 2 rear diff bushes looked ok so they were left alone, would it pay to change these aswell incase they are on the way out?

OK just wanted to be clear about the tyres, sometimes the tread wears in an unusual way and can cause odd noises, depending on the pattern.

I can't see the driveshaft being damaged when changing a mounting/bush. No reason to suspect the remaining diff mounts. Your posts really suggest that the noise is associated with road speed/wheel rotation rather than security of diff or suspension.

yeah I agree.
It's just thinking back...........Thinking he was doing me a favour my dad had started the job of changing the front bush and had tried to push/force the diff out of the way without loosening off the rear bush mounts till i bollocked him. This could have put stress on the lefthand driveshaft cv's.
It'll be my luck that he's buggered the inner cv which as far as i know you can't get hold of which will mean buying a new expensive complete driveshaft.

MJRimmer any more info?

our 2001 FL TD4 has a knocking noise when driving off & up our drive(house is lower than road), sounds like coming from rear right of the 'lander. Has got more a repetative knock rather than a suspension loading 'thud' that we initially thought it was? oh some sign of oil leak down, under rear diff .

Seen this - http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/freelander-2-0-td-problem-36722-3.html

Any advice please folks?