VCU Torque test results

dustmaker said:

just tried the test started with a 600mm bar on the 32mm hub nut with my full weight on it (11 stone) and it didn't move) think mine is goosed so will have to remove and go 2 wheel drive for a while, do i just remove the front prop or the whole lot? found a great how to on removal so thats easy but can you do any damage driving with the entire prop removed?

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most peeps remove the lot.
no you cant do any damage.

dustmaker said:

just tried the test started with a 600mm bar on the 32mm hub nut with my full weight on it (11 stone) and it didn't move) think mine is goosed so will have to remove and go 2 wheel drive for a while, do i just remove the front prop or the whole lot? found a great how to on removal so thats easy but can you do any damage driving with the entire prop removed?

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Lift both rear wheels up and turn 1. The other should easily turn in the opposite direction. This will prove the hand break int catching, which can happen. that would give you a false result. If you want to remove a prop then it's easier to remove both props and the vcu at the same time. You need to tell your insurance about this as it's a mod but most just want to know and will make a note on your records. Driving with the props and/or vcu removed won't damage yer Freelander.

MHM is a quicker typer.

removed just the rear prop in the end, couldn't get the front prop to separate at the ird end after removing the six bolts, will just leave it there for now until i get a recon vcu

was able to push freelander back and forward when in neutral so handbrake not stuck sadly,

will remove the front prop with the ird shaft all at once when i have the time and some replacement oil, will have to do this to check the ird for damage anyway

thanks to all those who go to the trouble of researching these thing and passing on the knowledge and advise much appreciated by those of us who are a in need of the help,Mark

Hi all,

first Freelander and my first post - seemed it only right it should be on the VCU

Tested mine today and 4l of Castrols GTX at 1400mm took 55 seconds to horizontal . Not too bad ? Using my "bendy wand" torque wrench 100nm turned the hub through 45 degrees in about 20 seconds ...............

Hope this is useful

I did the old VCU 45' test yesterday on my 2002 TD4 with 103k miles on it at an ambient temp of 18deg. I hung a 10kg weight on the end of a 1m long tube on the 32mm hub nut and it took about 25 sec to travel the 45' arc, as far as I know it's the original VCU.

Thanks for your results. Good to see the newer members taking part. That's where most of the results normally come from.

Well after my not so good vcu test i changed the oil in my ird expecting the worst, no unusual noises, no metal shards in the oil or on the drain plug, oil level plug unscrewed nice and easy so might just have got away without any damage, sadly cant get the rear drive to unbolt from the back of the ird because one bolt is seized solid so cant check the pinion and crown gears but hopefully i dont need to

Hippo

did the test on mine again and it was the same as last time so my part working vcu has not changed in the last week

Okay...

Just tested mine (2006, 60,100 miles covered).

1M bar and 10.8Kg of weight. Time to horizontal was 11.2 seconds.

Just done a 1 wheel up test on my Freelander (2003 TD4, 142000 miles); warm weather, VCU at ambient temperature.

14 lb sledgehammer on a 1.6m bar (equivalent to 8.5 kg at 1.2m) - took 12.3 seconds, very much in line with Hippo's graph (and Celt69's time for a new VCU lies on the curve too).

So I guess it is good for a while yet! Thanks Hippo, this is a really useful thread.
Roger

Bojer, carplander, matt1295 and sijwhite, ere's a cookie each fer yer valued efforts in performing the test and putting up results. Thanks. Ere's a cookie.



And rover1891 has posted up the results too. It's mostly the newer members or those with fewer posts on ere who perform the test and put up results. Rover1891 has done this and posted the results in his first post everer on the forum. That's a record know one else can ever beat. Thanks. You can have 2 cookies.

Ah! That's all very well, but do they have cookies disabled?

My gingerbread man is disabled

The Mad Hat Man said:

Ah! That's all very well, but do they have cookies disabled?

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You can have a cookie anorl.

Diesel Do said:

My gingerbread man is disabled

View attachment 47860

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Yer gingerbread man can have a cookie anorl.

The Mad Hat Man said:

Ah! That's all very well, but do they have cookies disabled?

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Not a chance

I came across this thread over the weekend because we have just purchased a 2000 TD4 Freelander. It was a bit of a rush to replace my wife's car that had failed it's MOT and am now discovering I didn't do enough research!

Anyhow, I am now of the conclusion that the VCU is FUBAR (research started because of the 'brake bind' symptom when reversing onto our drive on full lock.)

For reference (and probably a laugh for more experienced members) I am posting my one wheel up test results!

1.2M bar. 5KG weight (5L of screen wash) time to traverse 45deg to 90 deg 345 seconds (didn't think it was moving at first) - did it a few times with similar results. Freelander has covered 104,000 miles and I'm guessing it's the original VCU.

I am obviously now going to get a recon VCU and hope to god that not too much damage has been caused elsewhere.

Thanks for a great thread - wish I'd seen it before buying the car!

i done this test yestaday again and Hippo im still having the same results as before only taking a few seconds to go from top to bottem

so still needing a new VCU but not in a rush now lol

Update: Our Freelander is now running in Mondo mode, having had the prop and VCU removed by our tame mechanic (£35 to remove the whole assembly). It will be going back to him next week to determine the state of the IRD and rear diff before we decide how to proceed.

We're not really going to be doing any serious off-roading, but 4wd would have been useful during the winter as the roads around us flood a bit. We also have a caravan which it would also be useful for but at the end of the day, money will be the determining factor.

Kin Ell, £35 to take a prop off, 15-20 minutes tops. I would do them all day for that price

BigRog said:

Kin Ell, £35 to take a prop off, 15-20 minutes tops. I would do them all day for that price

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Peeps also send them oft to be tested when they could do it themselves anorl.