Needs some TLC...any ideas?

[Iain C]

Well...my truck needed a little TLC prior to a playday...and now it definitely needs some!  It comes under the following areas...

Grumbling sound...prior to going offroading, there was a slightly grumbly noise coming from underneath it somewhere.  Sounded from the driver's seat a bit like a wheel bearing, or possibly just noise from the rear axle.  However sit in the front passenger seat and it sounds like it's coming from directly under your feet. Confession time, I have gone fording without extended axle breathers, probably to a depth near the top of the tyres briefly, is this deep enough to let water in the standard breather?  I know that I really need to just get under it and have a poke around, I just wanted to know if anyone might have had exactly the same symptoms and could save me some time.

Brake problem...I was doing some pretty extreme climbs and drops for a road going Disco and after doing that I noticed rather alarmingly that the brake pedal went straight to the floor once, and then needed 2 pumps to stop properly.  Still on the site, I had a poke round...no pipe/hose issues (and they are all brand new), no pedal going slowly to the floor, no apparent loss of fluid.  In fact, it drove home fine and the brakes now seem OK.  Is it possible that the master cylinder took a gulp of air whilst at an angle and that bubble has now made it's own way out back into the fluid reservoir and is now fine, or should that never happen and they need a bleed?  Incidentally, I notice that I do have some evidence of rust spots on my rear disc, but the top surface is still shiny.  Is that likely to be lazy calipers (starting to seize?) or just rubbish discs that probably need replacing?

Handbrake...it was always a bit of a pig...it would come on 2 clicks and hold the truck fine, but then almost always needed 2 hands to release it again!  Now, suddenly, it comes on 5 clicks, still holds the truck fine, and is very easy to release.  But there is now a metallic dragging sound from underneath, could a handbrake shoe have popped out of place or something?  How is a handbrake suposed to "feel"?

Oh, and there's also the slightly bent bodywork but I think I know what happened there! :roll:

Thanks in advance!

[mobi]

as for the brakes you just have to get use to it, the brakes will fade when they get wet, and with the wheel bearings getting abuse from off roading they make the discs move the pads back in so when you pump the peddle you're just putting the pads back to the disc.
just check the wheel bearings though.

[90Mike]

Hi mate sounds like the wheel bearings to me  :roll: skibum had the same problem when we went to billing for the weekend let me know if you need a hand getting it sorted  8)

[lurch_917]

on the subject of the wheel bearing i had the same thing and changed out boyh front bearings and the sound was still there ??? then someone said to pull the prop off and check the uj's you have to pull the prop off as when in place it puts preasure on the uj's hiding wear took mine off and both uj's needed replacing job done no more rumbeling

[Iain C]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll have a poke around in the next couple of weeks (probably won't need to drive her for a while) and see what i can find.

Mike...I might just take you up on that!!!