Hilux 4x4 Forum

Hi All,

My name is Teddy Nyambe from Lusaka, Zambia. I have a Toyota Hilux 4d4 double cab 2011 model. This baby engine wise is still going strong despite hitting 250,000km already. Last month January 2017 i went to check out some farms in the northern part of the country. The road was bumpy and muddy. I started experiencing a cracking noise in front left wheel...further checks shows my front diff is worn out and was told need replacing the whole assembly. My question is does the front diff assembly have replaceable parts instead of changing everything???

Thank you for the add and sorry am asking a question already.

Teddy L.

Welcome Teddy

sure you'll have the guys flooding you with answers. unfortune for you, i know nothing about mechanics.

Elaborate a bit more on what exactly is worn. and yes the diff can be overhauled, you don't have to replace the complete diff

Well when you are underneath the vehicle in a bit, those drive arms that go inside the diff have a play inside the diff on both side. Thats how far i can go elaborating. So overhauling option sounds interesting were can i do it in J'burg?

Yes, it has replaceable parts but it would be a lot cheaper for you to source a good second hand one. Been there and done that when I was working in West Africa.
There are not many people I trust to work on a vehicle.
Who maintained your vehicle up to now, if not you then take good aim at the back sides of who did and tell them to take a hike!.
If those diffs are well maintained then they do 500 000km plus! but because it is a difficult job to service them nothing gets done and then you drive them to destruction! It is a bastard job to change the oil on that specific diff and the problem is that they are always moving, wheather in 4X4 or not so you cannot skip it thinking that you did not use 4X4. Good luck!

Knuppel, thanks for the message you have dropped. My gut feeling is to find a good second hand. Will try to look around Lusaka here but would appreciate some pointers on this list for sources in South Africa or Namibia. Can arrange shipment.

Yah those parts are never services...its sad these guys who work on our cars claim they have changed oils in the diffs when infact they haven't.

Welcome to our forum Teddy

I agree with Knuppel, I have one myself that I service and it is a difficult diff to check oil not even mentioning replacing so i can just imagine how many guys skip it.

Try scrap yards around Joburg