Wheel locking driving at top speed.

[MattD]

While on the motorway, my defender 90, locks up and all of a sudden I become a rally driver :o)

It seems something? on the front driverside viciously locked. The diff is fine, the brakepads healthy and not broken up, no wheel wobble ( like if a bearing has gone)

Still I dont know what it may be. The brakes didnt get hot and lock and there was no warning, just instant lock and rubber smoke.

There is a grinding noise as I tried to "creep" home along the hard-shoulder, another time feeling like it was going to bite and lock. So I got towed. Still drives, still everything moves ok.

Drive shaft maybe? Can they lock up?

Anyone offer me some advice?

Matt

[Mike Hippert]

If it just the front I would guess that something in the diff broke and is getting stuck in the teeth. Maybe a tooth broke off and when the fluid in the diff gets moving around it gets pulled into the teeth. Try draining the diff fluid and check it for metal.

[mikeslandrover]

Does this happen a lot or was it a one off?
I'd check the wheel bearings. Disassemble not just try and wobble the wheel.
The bearing may well have siezed and now be rotating on the stub axle. This is not a good thing to be happening.
I think that if it was something in the diff locking the diff would have exited through the front diff pan in a rather loud, expensive and exciting manor in rather more pieces than Land Rover intended.
I wouldn't recomend driving at any speed at all until you find out what's up.:eek:

[wicks]

I'd call it a blown bearing as well. Pull the hub off and look at the outer ones first. Could be inner as well.

[mikeslandrover]

The wheel bearings usually last for ever if there the older style hubs which are oil fed from the axle. trouble seemed to start when LR decided to use grease. A friend of mine has had two bearings sieze on his TD5, similar thing couple of warning squeeks and then the wheel locks solid.
Sometimes they free up after the inner wheel bearing has friction welded it's self to the stub axle.:( :cry

[MattD]

I was thinking, it CANT be a wheel bearing.. but last monday I had it all apart and sure enough, a bag of bolts inside the hub. I just never known one lock, let alone so viciously.

Killed the hub AND the stub axle too :( - Im more p****d that it too a whole load of tread off my week old MT's :)

Thnx for the replies guys.

Matt
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"freedom begins with a game of chance!"

[mikeslandrover]

Bad news:(
Still at least noone was hurt. I must check my wheel bearings for water contamination:eek:

[Antonios]

I recently had a similar problem; of course with a slight twist. After sitting for a week in the artic cold blast we are having in the NE, I drove the rover from NYC to Baltimore. About half way there I stop for gas and driving through the rest area the wheels lock and I come to a screeching halt. I try to move forward and it feels as though the parking brake is on, the truck lurches forward but doesn't move. I try reverse and it moves, then goes forward as if nothing had happened. I had a few other instances where it felt like it was about to do it again...only I was moving about 50 mph. SO far it sounds like the issues discussed on this thread.

Now I'm on the highway again and I finally get to my exit and the brake pedal goes to the floor. After a few pumps it's back to normal. But every stop for the last mile home I needed to pump the pedal before getting any brakes.

I'm thinking maybe I have a combination going here, the problem discussed in this thread and another brake issue. Fluid reservoir is still full so there is no loss of brake fluid. How many times do you get two major failures simultaneously? This would be my first time.

[mikeslandrover]

Nope, probably just the wheel bearing gone west. The wheel wobbles about and the pads get pushed further back into the caliper than normal and then the first dab on the peddle fails to push the pads far enough out to contact the disc. :)

[Antonios]

Thanks. Does anyone know of a source for parts to rebuild the hub? I drove about an hour after this happened so I'm guesiing I'm going to need to rebuild the whole thing.

[TDI Guy]

that can also happen with a grenaded CV joint. I saw that once and it jammed everything up good

[ne4x4]

yes as the cv joint falls apart it can lock the wheels up real bad

[mikeslandrover]

Thanks. Does anyone know of a source for parts to rebuild the hub? I drove about an hour after this happened so I'm guesiing I'm going to need to rebuild the whole thing.
You may just get away with wheel bearings if the bearing race hasn't friction welded itself to the stub axle :eek: even if it has you can sometimes cut the race off and clean up the stub axle and reuse it. :rolleyes If it's th CV joint then they're not repairable in any way, shape or form :(