Clutch or transmission??

Looking for some thoughts before I take my Tacoma back to the repair shop. I had the clutch replaced a month ago and it worked great and I have probably put 75 miles on it. Yesterday as I was pulling into the driveway I slowed down and shifted from 2nd to 1st and when I let the clutch out I heard a loud bang or clunk. I stopped and sat there for a minute and then restarted the truck and left it in first gear and slowly let the clutch out. It barely started to move and then another load noise. I stopped and tried second and reverse and got the same loud noise.

I called the repair shop and they are more than glad to take a look at it as soon as I get it there.

So any thoughts on did something fail in the transmission or the clutch?

Also....am I safe to put it in neutral and tow it behind another vehicle to the shop, probably5 miles away or do I need a tow truck?

Thanks

 

That sounds more like a driveshaft U-joint. Also, a loud drivetrain "bang" should probably elicit a somewhat thorough visual check, not trying it again... just a friendly tip, to probably protect your floorpan.

 

I would let the shop look at it. They should offer to tow it in for you.

 

5 miles can be terrifying and dangerous, your insurance won’t cover any damage incurred either.

phone the shop see if they will pay for tow

 

Not if the front u-joint is about to fall off; it can drop and cause more damage if it catches on the roadway. Look underneath the truck to check the drivetrain first. If the U-joints look ok, then your call if you want to tow behind another vehicle, which could be illegal in your area.

 

Maaaannn... I hate if shop do sloopy job. You crawl down the truck and look any lose or scratches after u hear big bang or leaking oil before tow your truck.

 

I agree, and I've done exactly that more than once, but would NEVER do it again. In 1977 my dad drove the tow vehicle while I was being towed in a Jeep truck for over 50 miles. Talk about a white-knuckle experience. We made it OK but looking back on it can't believe we even attempted it. Get your truck towed.

 

with it only being a 5 mile tow I would imagine the tow bill would be relatively cheap. I would likely get it towed unless you look underneath and see something obvious like a cracked U-joint...at that point I would remove the drive shaft, put it in the back of the truck, and then, if safe and legal, put it in neutral, start it and then get pulled to the shop.

When it doubt, call a flat bed. Not only do you want to avoid further damage to your truck, but if you live in a busy area, you want to avoid potentially causing a vehicle accident which you would likely bear some decent amount of liability for.

 

I did it with my dad around 5 miles, I was 16 and couldn’t stop from rear ending him at the red light haha. No brakes!!! Both gm trucks had steel bumpers of course

 

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions. To be honest I didn't even think about the u joints, I'll definitely take a look tomorrow and then decide on towing if necessary... I'll keep the forum updated.... thanks

 

Shop just called and said that the rear differential is shot and a used part and installation is about $3200 with 12000 miles or 1 year warranty. It's a 373 gear with a electric diff lock. Any thoughts or suggestions as I just put $1400 in it for a clutch. Never replaced a rear diff so wondering how difficult it is.... thanks

 

https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-131078-8-tacoma-fj-cruiser-4runner-e-locker-3rd.html

Can be done in a few hours, in your driveway, without special tools... as long as you buy a complete 3rd. All the hard stuff is in setting up the bearings & gears within the 3rd. The 3rd member design makes it about as easy as possible*.

*as long as your truck isn't rusty as hell, cuz you do need to be able to get the drums off, the brake lines out of the wheel cylinders, and the bleeders open when done

Edit: Shop quote isn't totally out of whack for a junkyard axle... but unless you've got more problems besides the diff I don't see why you'd go that route. Way more cost, more work, and you don't really gain anything.

 

thanks for the link and the feedback. No rust and pretty clean underneath. I looked on the forum for a link to replacing just the 3rd and couldn't find one, but I found a video on utube where the guy was replacing the 3rd which doesn't look to difficult. he actually disconnected all the brake line connectors and was able to pull the axles out far enough to install the 3rd without disconnecting the brake lines from the cylinders and avoided bleeding them. I'm not sure how the axles interact with the gears inside the 3rd, so my question is do I need to be worried that the axles may be damaged? also, do I need to be concerned about damage to the electric diff lock assembly since it has to be re-installed?