Hey guys

Well I had to pull another vehicle out of a bog the other day and i selected the 4 wheel low with the lock on it and when I started to pull this other vehicle out of the bog, my H3 was under full throttle full load pulling it, there was an extremely loud clicking / clacking noise and it sounded like it was from the rear ...

Is this normal? What kind of locker do they use in the rear of these? It was under extreme load and the noise was bad ...

Anyone ever heard theirs do this?

Thanx

Chad

 

Just because it "sounded" like the rear you may want to check your front diff crossmember bushing (eroded away), Rear diff pinion (loose), rear drive shaft joints (rear and @ the t-case).

If you have the Adventure (I5)/OffRoad (V8) package you have an Eaton E locker in the rear.

 

X2... There could be other variables as well but Taint offered up some good suggestions... Check your sway bars, rear shackle mounts, loose or play in them could cause similar symptoms but chances are its more than those...

 

Ok got an update ... hadn't really drove my car on road since this happened as it was on my property where I pulled the truck from the bog so id only traveled about 1/2 mile after it happen on a dirt driveway ... so anyway

Just took the truck for a spin and clunk , clunk , clunk as I drive along and you where right it wasn't the back this noise I hear now sounds up FRONT ...

It sounds like maybe the crown or pinion gear has a chunk out of it or a broken tooth or something as the noise increases as road speed increases ... or maybe one of the CV shafts? Its dark outside I cant really have a good look but something is NOT happy!

Surely the diffs arnt this weak in these trucks are they? I mean I was on smooth ground although it was on an angle ...

 

Found the problem, broken crown wheel ... anyone else had or heard of them breaking? Or I got a faulty one?

 

Are you referring to a ring gear as a crown gear?

 

Crown wheel = ring gear.

 

I see that is now diagnosed but back up there where he said 4 wheel button with the lock on it and then asked about lockers had me thinking there could be some confusion.
That button is to lock it in low and 50-50 split front to rear, the way I understand it.
If you have an adventure model there is a locker button on the other side of the pass air bag switch. If so it is an Eaton locker.
Sometime back there was talk of early models with some lapping compound not fully flushed from the diffs and not properly hardened gears, but that should have should up before now.
I don't see your year model or mileage but if you have the cast aluminum front diff and that is the one that has the problem, the case needs to be checked very closely for deformation or cracks. Some people that had this happen, had it happen again because the dealer slapped new parts in the now torqued case.
Pushing for a CI replacement now that those are more common might work if they will work with you or possibly they finally destroyed all the aluminum ones. They like to replace parts with like parts under warranty but if not under warranty I would think about that option.

 

Hey guys Thanx for all the responses!

Yes crown wheel is same as ring gear in Australia they normally refer to them as crown.

It's a 2007 H3 and the case looks to be cast aluminum.

On my dash I have 3 buttons, 4WD normal, 4WD high with a little padlock on the button also, and a 4WD low with a padlock printed on it too. When you use either button with the padlock printed on it, the rear diff locks, It skips the inside wheel just like a locker or mini spool / full spool.

Apparently the Australian models are not made in the same place as the U.S models so we may have different options.

It's only got 30k miles on it.

This is a 2007 H3 Luxury.

 

So Hunner, so your saying they dropped the alloy front diff housing and now do a cast iron? The guy at the diff place seems pretty cool I might hit him up for a full new housing and gear set ... he prolly won't care the after market warranty place will be paying for it ...