Broke Bertie :( klunk then the propshaft and wheels stopped turning.

Hi Folks

Any clues on this one.... driving along normally, loud clunk then lost drive (in 2wd) propshaft and wheels stopped getting drive. Works ok if I engage 4WD (hi or low) but I think it's only driving the front wheels.
Put it back in 2WD no movement....

What have I broked this time ?

Series III 88"

Thanks in advance

Craig B

Probably a rear half shaft.
Jack a rear wheel up with front wheels chocked in 2wd with handbrake on wheel should not turn if it does pull the bolts out around the flange and pull the halfshaft out best do the offside / short one 1st as it is usually this one.More regular to shear at Diff end which entails removing the diff to get the broken piece out.

Thank you for the quick reply and detailed pictures.
Both my rear wheels are turning by hand, without the propshaft even trying to move.

Have it in 2wd with handbrake on and wheels chocked. Lifted one side at a time.

something to do with rear diff ??

If it is the diff end busted, try taking the opposite hub off and pushing a long pipe / rod/ broomhandle to push the broken bit through, sometimes works, sometimes dunt.

No, probably what Blackburn said . Just take the drive shafts out. You don't even need to jack it up. Just carefully chock the front wheels and undo the six axle bolts on each side and slide out the drive shafts, or the broken end!

Thanks for your input guys... just had a butchers at it... and now feels like I won the lottory.
Short shaft is spinning on the drive member
Think I'll change both sides and drive members....

You cannot get a broom shank past the centre pin in the diff carrier to push snapped shaft end out of diff.Needs to be some thing thinner maybe a piece of 8mm dia bar.
A magnet pick up might also get snapped section out if it is in the diff end
Trouble with that though is any fragments of steel are in your oil so need cleaning out .

Its snapped at the diff end. There's a weak point where the shaft enters the diff. You'll have to jack up on the axles. Pull the half shafts to see which one is gone. Need to remove the diff as well and clear out the swarf and remove broken piece. New half shafts are £12.50 plus vat n carriage from Craddocks . You'll need a diff gasket and drive flange gaskets. 24 spline half shaft for S3, 10 spline for S2. It's a bit. Of a messy oily job but straightforward. You'll need a torque wrench n the settings are in the workshop manual. Good luck.

Early series 3 are also 10 spline [mine is 1972]

s3 are 10 spline up till the introduction of the rationalised axle in the later ones (circa 1980s)

samc88 said:

s3 are 10 spline up till the introduction of the rationalised axle in the later ones (circa 1980s)

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Confirmed 10 splines for me.... oddly a washer both sides was the only thing famousfour couldn't supply. :/

But the prop doesn't spin, does it? if not, that means it cannot be diff related, since drive isn't even making it to the diff!

To me it sounds like you've snapped the rear output shaft from the transfer box or something in that region.

ProcrastinatorFraser said:

To me it sounds like you've snapped the rear output shaft from the transfer box or something in that region.

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I think you've misunderstood. Prop isn't spinning when the wheel is turned.

Unless I've misunderstood...

blue beasty said:

I think you've misunderstood. Prop isn't spinning when the wheel is turned.

Unless I've misunderstood...

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cssbutler said:

propshaft and wheels stopped getting drive.

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Beats me

Which should point to a broken drive shaft. Unlikely to be a trashed diff .

John S said:

Which should point to a broken drive shaft. Unlikely to be a trashed diff .

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No Fraser is right, if the wheels AND prop lost drive then the problem is forward of the prop but it sounds like the OPs description might have been slightly awry

He has not been back to tell us what's what for a while.