Clunk in rear diff?

[MrIsuzu1]

I have an NT manual with less than 85,000 on the clock. No clunking noises, but I would to check the rear nuts. Can someone please confirm if both sides are RH thread or is the passenger side LH thread. Thanks

[erad]

RH threads both sides.

[MrIsuzu1]

Thanks for the info. I've got a couple of days off from tomorrow, so will be breaking out the 3/4" socket set and breaker bar to check mine.

[spiderpig]

Hmmm ive got a clunk coming from the back area somewhere when backing off throttle and touching throttle again, sounds like play in the diff or tail shaft but maybe its the drive shaft/hub nuts??

NT Auto Paj, tow a van a bit, 160k on the clock.

[spiderpig]

Had the same clunking noise problem with my NT, 140000km on the clock. I tow a 20ft caravan so this would have helped exacerbate the problem. I was convinced the diff bushes were the reason for the sound as they are worn but after reading the thread I went out and brought a 36mm socket and checked the drive shaft /hub nuts. The right hand side nut was that tight I couldn’t move it with just a breaker bar, so decided it must be tight enough. The passenger’s side was very easy to undo, I had marked it with a sharpie, and then retightened it and got about 5 minutes on a clock face movement, which was enough to fix the problem. I don’t know how much torque it was but it was as tight as I could get it with my ½” breaker bar. The castle shaped washer which holds the nut in position, has progressive spacing so just keep turning it until the whole for the split pin lines up with one. Does anyone have any idea why this “stretching” of the left hand drive shaft occurs, while the right hand seems to be relatively unaffected?

Found the exact same thing with our NT today. Right side tight as left side just a tiny bit of movement with a breaker bar.
Took it for a drive and clunk has gone....

[Hatto]

Should the axle nut be tightened with the wheels on or off the ground?

[spiderpig]

Wheel needed to be off to get to cap that covers nut. Could do one side at a time, I had the whole back of car jacked, in park with handbrake on.

[erad]

Should the axle nut be tightened with the wheels on or off the ground?

People here say that the vehicle should not be on the ground when you tighten the axle nut. That condition certainly applies for the suspension bushes (you don't want them bound up under tension in the normal running position), but I doubt that it would matter with the axle nut. With the axle nut, it is not loaded with the suspension - its loading is purely torque. I would put the wheel on the ground and tighten it up (that's what I did anyway)