Series 3 driving on front wheels only

looks like the daughter has buggered the s3 down in Exeter so might have to have it recovered back here, the joys of breakdown cover .

symptoms are no hand brake and no drive in normal high range rear wheel drive.

movement with yellow lever pressed down and movement with transfer case in low.

so the rear must not be working and my question is how long might one drive it on just the front axle. i.e. could she drive it till the end of term and make the c180 mile trip back here mid December.

although without hand brake I think it would probably be best to have it brought back.

should be no problem with drive, Handbrake will be another problem unless she leaves it in gear (and remembers to depress clutch and footbrake prior to starting. Personally there are loads of peeps that way that could help.

Most likely a snapped halfshaft.

There's no real difference between front wheel only drive and normal rear wheel drive though its probably worth dropping the rear prop to save any brojen bits clunking about in the rear drive train.

rear half shaft is the usual culprit,you can drive on the front but its not so good for the half shaft ujs

blue beasty said:

Most likely a snapped halfshaft.

There's no real difference between front wheel only drive and normal rear wheel drive though its probably worth dropping the rear prop to save any brojen bits clunking about in the rear drive train.

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how will that stop it?

The Mad Hat Man said:

how will that stop it?

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Umm....it won't

how easy is it to remove both rear halfshafts on a series?

6 bolts either side on the drive flanges

blue beasty said:

6 bolts either side on the drive flanges

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easy to do then....... @RoyalPythons has not been seen since 2013

The Mad Hat Man said:

easy to do then....... @RoyalPythons has not been seen since 2013

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Half shafts need pulling to see if they're the problem.

The tricky bit is getting broken bits out and might need the diff pulling out.

I managed mine with a telescopic magnet (long side, diff end in 3 parts) and double checking all the bits made a compete end with a drain and refill.

an opportunity for local help - sort of low priority LZIR?????

The Mad Hat Man said:

an opportunity for local help - sort of low priority LZIR?????

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Don't see why not.

Its may cheaper to put it in somewhere local and get it fixed. You don't yet know what is broken or what else its done or could yet do. 180 miles is a long way to drive on a known defective vehile, OK if it works but really hard to explain why it seemd a good idea if it goes wrong. With things like this I role play defending myself as if its gone wrong, if I sound convicing I go for it, if I'm clutching at straws I go for plan B. We are assuming half shaft and that's front runner, but it doesn't explain why, where the bits went, whether they will get in the diff and lock the remaining back wheel or whether the half shaft broke because the hub / bearngs are about to fail and the wheel is running out of line. Unlikely but impossible to rule out until its checked.

thanks for the replies chaps, it is so annoying when something happens so far away, I am more than up for going down to do it down there, but the landlord may object to her having it fixed/making a mess on the drive. It would be kind of someone to help and if it were a simpler sounding job I would probably be more than happy to accept, i wouldn't want to put someone to the trouble of a big effort.

the recovery would be gratis and fixing it here would be my preference.

if the breakdown chap can sort the handbrake, sounds like letting her drive it occasionally for the next four weeks should be ok - she doesn't need it to get to lectures - then I would go down and do the drive back here then fix it over the xmas hols.

rob1miles said:

if I'm clutching at straws I go for plan B

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my plan b is usually to make sure plan a works

I agree 180 miles is a long way but the recovery option would still be available, I would go down with my eldest so he would drive back with her in his car in case there were any problems.

I am sure they would be happy to abandon me at the roadside to wait for the recovery truck

@Top5y

@Dartmoor Navigator

according to the breakdown chap the prop has gone - not saying he is right, but I assume that would explain the handbrake, annoying that I can't see it - so it is going to be recovered here.

not sure how it could have gone though, something in the transfer case?.

before he arrived I told her to look underneath for anything hanging down.

had a propshaft joint fail on another vehicle some years back but that was pretty obvious and demonstrated by one end of the prop resting on the tarmac.

Its possible the big part fell off just leaving the stubby splined bit behind, either that or someones had it away

I love 4WD more than the 3 wheel drive. The four wheel drive tends to run faster.