Defender gone bang :-(

Well after buying the defender 2000 miles ago and having the clutch replaced 1000 miles ago, I was on my way into work this morning and something happening from underneath such that the vehicle now Judders, and doesnt drive smoothly, and from underneath is a cacophony of metal on metal, metal rotating and other sounds I have no idea how to diagnose. All gears still select, as well as hi and low and I believe diff lock seems to be engaging okay too. This makes me think it's a problem with the props or drive.
I've reversed a short distance down the road and into a pub car park and the noises worsened especially when turning the steering wheel.
Having looked underneath, the props are still attached, look find and are relatively new. I haven't had a good look at the UJs but I greased and inspected them 1000 miles ago they looked okay then. There was some oil on the underside of the transmission.

I'm hoping its a simple UJ has gone, but expecting to find that the gearbox or diff is goosed.

Any ideas?

Check your CV joints and swivel balls

After posting my message I figured I'd take a better look underneath and hey presto:





How I missed that the first time I do not know!!

Is there any way I can drive it with it in this state? I'm guessing there's nothing I can do unless I unbolt the rear prop from the centre diff? I want to get the vehicle home so I can fix it on the weekend, but don't want to have the faff of waiting for roadside recovery for a mile and a half of driving.

No not really. You are going to have to unbolt the other end and put it in difflock. It's only four bolts and nuts. But last time I had to do it at the side of the road I could only undo three easily.
But you really don't want that prop flapping about under there.

Looks like you are on a business/industrial estate. Are there any tyre fitter/garages or exhaust places nearby (or even a Halfords)?

What are the yokes like on the prop? If they are knackered or you are going to change the whole prop anyway you could jus hack saw the prop at the other end

So you said it would still drive like that? Doesn't that indicate that diff lock is stuck on? Or did you mean you could drive it with diff lock on?

james6546 said:

So you said it would still drive like that? Doesn't that indicate that diff lock is stuck on? Or did you mean you could drive it with diff lock on?

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Looks like it doesn't it.

You need a couple of 9/16th (from memory) spanners to remove that shaft first.

Same happened to me while on holiday, had to be recovered by AA. Garage bill was about £120 ish for fitting a new shaft.

1.5 miles - either walk home and get your 9 /16th spanners OR

borrow some fence wire - make a sling to suspend the prop shaft up between the chassis rails. - the prop should be able to spin freely in this "sling" then stick it in difflock and drive carefully and slowely home.

i did this once to get back off the fields - worked fine.


disclaimer - if you dont feel competent to assemble this bodge then do not do it - if it goes tits up you may end up causing more damage to road/vehicle .....

....check what the prop damaged as it was flailing around, see if the brake lines have been touched...ask me how I know

Once you've resolved this you'll want to take the front prop off and check that one too for play in the universal joints and grease if it's fine. The only way to really get grease to all the cups is to do this off the vehicle

Well I managed to get her home with the use of a ratchet strap between the chassis rails and resting the loose prop on top. Seemed to drive fine, no dodgy noises or anything but I wouldn't want to drive more than a couple of miles like it.

If I finish work early tonight I'll definitely have a good look underneath and check for any damage. The exhaust looked to be fine without so much as a dent on it when I looked earlier. If I have time I'll be taking off the remnants of the UJ and the prop.

Pricing up replacements now, and seeing a lot of 'hardy spicer' on eBay. Are they any good?

When done let us know how you got on and if difflock comes out of lock.[the jack up one wheel and spin test]

ReadySalted said:

Well I managed to get her home with the use of a ratchet strap between the chassis rails and resting the loose prop on top. Seemed to drive fine, no dodgy noises or anything but I wouldn't want to drive more than a couple of miles like it.

If I finish work early tonight I'll definitely have a good look underneath and check for any damage. The exhaust looked to be fine without so much as a dent on it when I looked earlier. If I have time I'll be taking off the remnants of the UJ and the prop.

Pricing up replacements now, and seeing a lot of 'hardy spicer' on eBay. Are they any good?

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Did you have to put it in diff lock to drive it? If not it sounds like the lock is always on which would have helped explode the prop.

Hardy spicer are the ones to go for, cheaper ones don't last as long.

Well then the plot thickens...

When I picked the landy up 1000 miles ago from the garage, the mechanic who is a friend of my fathers told me that the diff lock switch was playing up and permanently staying on. I asked him how I check to make sure it's not stuck locked as I don't want to trash the transmission and he told me that it definitely wasn't stuck in, and that it just needs a new switch. I took him on his word as he'd had the car for a week and has worked on all the landys I've owned for the past 4 years.

When in North Wales last week I noticed that as slow speeds on full lock the wheels would skid somewhat. As if the front wheels were being pushed forward instead of guiding the vehicle. At the time I was certain it was stuck in diff lock so bungeed the diff lock lever over to the right to ensure it didn't vibrate across to the left which it felt like it was doing. I also reversed a short distance a few times and drove on some wet muddy verges to encourage the diff lock to disengage. With a diff lock light which meant nothing I had no way of telling, but drove around a gravel car park and saw that I had left four separate tyre tracks. I wasn't sure but driving on the road, it felt fine, and it didn't seem to feel like it was in diff lock unless I was on full lock.

Anyway; I got home fine, and have used the landy for a few short journeys since but the the prop UJ shearing this morning, seems like it could be linked. The diff lock wasn't engaged by the way when I limped home this morning.


I think my best bet is to speak to my fathers mate at the garage quiz him. However, if the diff lock is in fact stuck engaged how do I go about freeing it? The lever itself is fairly vague anyway but there is a positive click when pushed from side to side and seemed to move as it should.

Everything was fine before the clutch change so from what you chaps have said these problems are linked.

uj was buggered anyway though it does sound like its stuck in diff lock if you have drive with a bust rear prop , the way to check in future is to jack just 1 front wheel up , you can put a 13mm spanner on diff lock spigot and turn anti clockwise if that releases diff lock (maybe need to turn a prop)then linkage needs checking/adjusting, other causes can be switch wound in too far

Point 1 you can't drive around for 2000 miles and not know the difflock is engaged. Well not unless you're a complete idiot. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but it's the truth.

Point 2 you can not drive a defender on one prop unless Diff lock is engaged. Not ever under any circumstances.

Have a good think about the above 2 points before you go and speak to the mechanic.

Pikey said:

Point 2 you can not drive a defender on one prop unless Diff lock is engaged. Not ever under any circumstances.

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Sorry Pikey but if I'm being pedantic you can. If the rear prop is removed and you leave the hand brake on you can drive without diff lock engaged. Not good for the transfer box diff but in an emergency can get you moving :behindsofa:

Kwakerman said:

Sorry Pikey but if I'm being pedantic you can. If the rear prop is removed and you leave the hand brake on you can drive without diff lock engaged. Not good for the transfer box diff but in an emergency can get you moving :behindsofa:

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I'll give yu that one :monitor_punch: Bastid!!

Pikey said:

I'll give yu that one :monitor_punch: Bastid!!

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Smug Bastid actually!