New Tyre fitted - now have big CLUNK

My much-loved 2001 Freelander Mk1 TD4

I had 2 badly worn front tyres with 1-2mm thread at most on each tyre.

Just had one of the fronts replaced with a new one, sadly funds mean the other front worn tyre has to wait a couple o'weeks to payday

On the rear, one good tyre exists (5-4-5mm+) but other rear has unevenly worn middle tread (4-1.6-3mm).

On driving away with the new front tyre, after a few miles I now have a deep clunk noise when normally accelerating after letting off the gas for a bit, eg when approaching a red light. I can stop the clunk happening if I add gas very very slowly.

When the clunk does happen, it's as if a big heavy object is in the boot rolling forward and hitting behind my seat, so you feel it was well as hear it.

Anyone advise if the new single front tyre has caused a front-v-rear tyre diameter mis-balance that isn't a coincidence to the clunk here?

Appreciate any pointers as to remedy and guesstimated costs.

Cheers, 'Sox.

Major transmission failure in 4......3.....2.....


Tyres should be replaced in pairs as a minimum and the new tyres must go on the rear of the vehicle.
This is all clearly explained in your owners manual.

The clunk might just be the rear diff mounts, which is not a massive job, but having such mismatched tyres is putting huge strain on your drivetrain.

Dont drive iit until you can get this remedied, or at least remove the prop shaft and run it in two wheel drive.

I do appreciate this advice. Off road until I can afford the 2 new tyres required.

Thanks.

Also - tyres must be the same make and variant, there can be significant size differences otherwise.

If you can only afford 1 at a time, it may be worthwhile using your spare as the second of the pair until you can afford another, then use the new as a spare again.
Also check your tyre pressures all the way around.

Check on that guys, 2 more of the same brand ordered (195x80x15 Goodyear Wrangler). That will be 4 the same.

£82 each fully fitted, just for info.

I found this quote below somewhere on the Net. Says it all for me, I wish I knew this beforehand, I know... I should have RTFM, but I just hope I haven't inflicted any permanent, expensive damage in that 6 mile run from the tyre shop.

They, a nationwide tyre shop, were unaware, hence why they didn't inform me.

Is this matter (making sure all 4 running tyres are of similar thread depth at a time) worthy of a sticky for absent-minded numpties like me?

How many people with failing IRDs have rotated their tyres regularly, and replaced a damaged and very worn tyre with a brand new one, but left the others at a significant difference in tread depth.
Loads of 4x4s, from Golf syncros to Jeep Grand Cherokees, with viscous couplings and variants thereof will end up with trashed transmissions due to mismatched tyres. Yet people seem unwilling to accept that part of running a sophisticated 4×4 is to maintain it – including that onerous moment when you’ve got 3mm on the tyres, and one gets damaged; all four should be replaced. Cheaper than a transfer case…

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dampsox said:

I found this quote below somewhere on the Net. Says it all for me, I wish I knew this beforehand, I know... I should have RTFM, but I just hope I haven't inflicted any permanent, expensive damage in that 6 mile run from the tyre shop.

They, a nationwide tyre shop, were unaware, hence why they didn't inform me.

Is this matter (making sure all 4 running tyres are of similar thread depth at a time) worthy of a sticky for absent-minded numpties like me?

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Quite a few threads on here now about this important issue , but still no STICKY

Please sticky this Mods? A moments carelessness not reading the manual, could cost a great deal of money. I think this could be a common mistake.

the trouble with adding a "sticky" is space, look at the freelander page now, there's already half a page of stickys, far easier if people just started to use the "search" function, as searching for adding new tyres would bring up loads of old posts,

Why not add a main Super Sticky and then add all other sticky in the Super sticky folder......

jedi said:

Why not add a main Super Sticky and then add all other sticky in the Super sticky folder......

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Just what I was thinking

Well, imho ruining the entire transmission is a sticky situation... failure to RTFM is common. Well, it makes me feel better to state that... Even the national tyre fitter had no idea about this situation - and they knew how different my front v rear tyre wear depths were.

Just to finalize this. Found the dosh, fitted new rubber all round, no trace of the 'clunk', I can't induce it even, and the auto box gear changes are slicker than they have ever been.

Skin of teeth and all that.. ;-)

dampsox said:

Please sticky this Mods? A moments carelessness not reading the manual, could cost a great deal of money. I think this could be a common mistake.

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I think the common mistake is in the "design" of the hippo's drive train.

i suggest you read the common faults and questions section.

essexpestcontrol said:

the trouble with adding a "sticky" is space, look at the freelander page now, there's already half a page of stickys, far easier if people just started to use the "search" function, as searching for adding new tyres would bring up loads of old posts,

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This issue is far more important than do not post fikin adverts in this section

pariah said:

i suggest you read the common faults and questions section.

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Life's to short