WARNING: FREELANDER SPARES VCU's

[chris.sargent]

The one we just had in was stiff enough to do this, but when we jacked both front wheels up and put it in drive the VCU just span round. So its worth a check, but obviously be careful you dont drive of the jack!!!

could be interesting trying to test that!

 

[D3savage]

Hi I have been conned as well ....... read my stuck in mud/grass post....below .....
Hi all I am a proud owner of quite a decent old TD4 mk1 ..... with all the usual recomended bits added synergy etc. Decided to tow my unlaiden trailor up a slippery slope in driving rain. Maninly thick grass ... I have really good grippy AT Hankook tyres (one stage back from Knobblies) and good ground clearence as the exhaust has been replaced with SS bespoke item. Now I am not experienced at off roading ... but on trurning to go up slope I quickly lost all traction ......... soon the front wheels started spinning and the back wheels just remained totally motionless....all be it sunk in the ground by about 2 - 3 inches. There seemed to be absolutely no drive to the rear at all ........... I was in mondo mode!!!!

Q. Will a freelander with good VCU drive say 80% more power to rear wheels when required. Because I recon if I am lucky I mayme am getting 10%.

Now over twelve months ago I did replace the VCU with a reconditioned item from ,freelander-spares-uk . So you can imagine I am not best pleased ......... so a warning to all you members out there buy the original GKN part and stump up the extra £150 quid or so.

To make matters worse and really humiliate me my next door neighbour who scoffs at my little freebe ...... had to come and rescue me in his P38 Range Rover ..... which I hasten to add never slipped once. I sure I have read somwhere these use a viscous coupling....similar to Freebe

So I am sigining off now ..... really depressed embarresed and humiliated

Just to add I did ring them up and complain ......... they offered another replacement .... even mine is just out of warrenty...........

I will take them up as I have nothing to loose............

 

[Hippo]

Exactly right - if you jack both fronts off the ground they should do the same.

And if you jack both wheels on one side they should both turn in the same direction.

If you have only one wheel up, front or back, it should not be able to be turned by hand.

 

[dave21478]

I got one from them a wee while back. Here it is two days after I fitted it in "operation" on a slight slope covered with snow.....

P1000471.MOV - YouTube

And with one wheel jacked up......

P1000472.MOV - YouTube


I got a refund from them, and Bell Engineering sorted me out with a proper one.

 

[Singvogel]

Quite right Hippo - post now amended.

 

[teddywood1]

I am rather concerned, as I had a problem wih mine they did replace it, and I told them I relied on my car being disabled and do not want to get stuck in winter. I do not know what to do now but as soon as possible i will get it inspected

 

[teddywood1]

reply to d3savage normaly it is a front 70%and rear 30 until the car needs grip then it is 50/50 hope this helps

 

[WLJayne]

reply to d3savage normaly it is a front 70%and rear 30 until the car needs grip then it is 50/50 hope this helps

I thought that the VCU didn't engage until there is a significant difference in RPM on the props due to wheelspin etc? Whereby most of the time the action of the front wheels pulling the back wheels along during normal use would create only a very small difference due to the different diff ratios, so the VCU isn't normally engaged at all. Or have I got my lions crossed ...

Yes we'd all like the fancy Halex units, but as an analogue mechanical device it's pretty damn clever IMO .

 

[jamesmartin]

jack one rear wheel up and try it to turn it, you will see

 

[Diesel Do]

So if I buy a vcu drill a couple of holes in it and fill it with chocolate sauce, put a green quality control sticker on it, it's reconditioned? I'm in the wrong job!
VCUs R US.......... Get your chocolate VCUs here

 

[Mainwaring]

The one we just had in was stiff enough to do this

:cheer2:

 

[Hippo]

There isn’t a defined percentage of power split between drive to front and rear that we know of. LR have never given out the facts. Figures are pure guess work. It’s difficult to guess what power from the front prop drives the rear prop when the vcu hasn’t been “activated” by the rotational difference of the props which causes the sheering effect in the vcu.

All we know is the rear wheels follow along and receive a lesser amount of power from the engine than the front wheels do, until the rotational difference between the props differs enough to “activate” the sheering effect in the vcu. Then the rear wheels are driven with what we think is the same amount of power as the front wheels, or very much near the same (if yer vcu is working proper that is). Naturally the ratio of front wheel turning to rear wheel turning fights this, across the vcu (or tyres slip due to transmission wind up effect) but we’ll forget about that for simplicity. The percentage could theoretically be measured but the forces involved are massive so it’s not easy for the average owner to test.

Somewhere on landyzone there’s a video of how to test yer vcu. Fek knows where it is but it’s well worth doing a search for. It gives the average owner a sample view of their vcu’s performance, as a comparison to other vcu’s. I think it’s called the “one wheel up test”. Carry out the test yourself and see how your vcu responds if think you have a problem.

 

[Singvogel]

So if I buy a vcu drill a couple of holes in it and fill it with chocolate sauce, put a green quality control sticker on it, it's reconditioned? I'm in the wrong job!
VCUs R US.......... Get your chocolate VCUs here

That's ridiculous - everyone knows that a chocolate VCU wont work.

I have a cunning plan for Dragon's Den -

Roll up, roll up, get your Golden Syrup VCUs here!

 

[Hippo]

So if I buy a vcu drill a couple of holes in it and fill it with chocolate sauce, put a green quality control sticker on it, it's reconditioned? I'm in the wrong job!
VCUs R US.......... Get your chocolate VCUs here

Can yer do auto gearboxes too?

 

[Diesel Do]

That's ridiculous - everyone knows that a chocolate VCU wont work.

I have a cunning plan for Dragon's Den -

Roll up, roll up, get your Golden Syrup VCUs here!

That just makes me sick! Chocolate all day long

 

[Diesel Do]

Can yer do auto gearboxes too?

Happy to try, bring it to my clean choclatey room

 

[Diesel Do]

What's the shearing effect of chocolate sauce compared to treacle? Treacle

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

Somewhere on landyzone there’s a video of how to test yer vcu. Fek knows where it is but it’s well worth doing a search for. It gives the average owner a sample view of their vcu’s performance, as a comparison to other vcu’s. I think it’s called the “one wheel up test”. Carry out the test yourself and see how your vcu responds if think you have a problem.

ffs - in the FAQ section!

 

[Mainwaring]

What's the shearing effect of chocolate sauce compared to treacle? Treacle

Treacle has a far higher viscocity rate I'm reckoning.

 

[Freelaner]

it's molasses, i fink