Freelander Newbie advice

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sivy28

Member
Posts
38
Hi guys just bought a 03 freelander td4 kalahari
Id be grateful for some advice please on a few things that need doing

the clutch pedal rises above the brake pedal no slipping though and bite seems normal from posts seems to be needing a new master cylinder . Are these an easy diy job

Im planning to take it to bell engineering to test vcu (done 58000 tested it slow reverse on full lock felt a little tight hard to tell but no wheels skipping, no droning noise when driving at speed) just want to be sure

michelins all round but rear are 2mm recon the front are 5mm would it need a set of 4 on ? or have 2 on the rear any tyre recommendations appreciated or should i stick with the michelin as i shouldnt mix brands is this absolute ? bell engineering reckon change all 4 seems very expensive

planning to do a full service filters oil etc soon , ive got a roverron to put on
is there any other maintenance which is a must eg drivetrian fliuds or greasing ?
im in shropshire near bridgnorth so any places for tyres or parts recommended would be great thanks
sivy:)
 
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If you have a set of matching tyres with 5mm on the front and 2mm on the rear - it shouldn't be a problem but if you are concerned, rotate one side only (i.e. have a 2mm and a 5mm on each axle) and this will mitigate the slip on the VCU.

If the VCU is slipping excessively through axle speed mis-match, it will get warm after driving say 10 miles at motorway speed. Some difference in axle speed is inevitable and to be expected - which is one reason why the VCU is there.
 
If you cannot afford four new tyres then....

Get both 5mm tyres on the back and the 2mm on the front and be quick about it ;)

When you dump the 2mm's buy exactly the same tyres and put the new on the back and the 5mm's on the front - to keep the vcu and the rest of your drivetrain happy.
 
if you cannot afford four new tyres then....

Get both 5mm tyres on the back and the 2mm on the front and be quick about it ;)

when you dump the 2mm's buy exactly the same tyres and put the new on the back and the 5mm's on the front - to keep the vcu and the rest of your drivetrain happy.

+1 :)
 
Yes 5mm on rear 2mm to front till you get new tyres sorted .
You 100% don't put 2mm & 5mm on same axel :eek:

Jobs to search on here -
EGR - Clean / disable or replace with bypass .
Turbo vent filter .
Engine breather replaced with BMW part .
Gearbox , IRD , Rear diff oil change .
 
thanks guys are the gearbox diff and ird oil diy or best left to the pros , and anyone tried the budget tyres on these like khumo etc or is it best to stick with the michelins, im crapping myself now after reading more on the vcu i tried a few freelander which were noisey when driven and stiff at low speed but this one is quiet (for a 4x4) and it feels a little tight on full lock so unsure now but i wont be doing many miles until its checked

is the clutch master cylinder an easy job

thanks again
 
LR says keep tyres within 3mm..
Budget tyrs are ok i run remoulds from direct tyres uk and havnd had an issue (i forget the maker mah e kingston) but their chunky 225 80 15s and only £48 each plus about a 5er to get fitted..
 
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i tried a few freelander which were noisey when driven and stiff at low speed but this one is quiet

Its probably had the props removed ;)

thanks guys are the gearbox diff and ird oil diy or best left to the pros

If you can use an inspection pit the IRD & diff are easy. Changing the oil on my PG1 L Series box was easy - just fiddly. Firstly trying to match the pics I found to the actual fill & drain bolts was confusing - then getting the oil in was a bit fiddly - no problems though - used a big syringe jobbie with a piece of flexible hose on it (used if for the IRD as well).

Make sure you can slacken the filler bolts off before you drain!

anyone tried the budget tyres on these like khumo etc

Had Khumo ATs on my Disco, I was pretty happy with them. Comfy & quiet on road and pretty good grip off. This rain gully/revine was pretty steep and was just loose gravel, got quite a way up :) ...

mountain1.jpg
 
hi grumpy the props are deffo there they were in the boot maybe thats why its quiet lol :D

are the diff and ird oil fill levels fussy i mean can they be overfilled and cause probs or is it just basically bang it in untill its full thanks any offers on whether the clutch master cylinder is easy from what ive read on here it seems to be twist and pull out self sealing fitment ?:confused:

as for tyres they are 17 inch wheels so dont seem to be much choice any suggestions ?
 
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the all in one clutch system is for the petrol ones if your props are in the boot there is a reason go back and ask why and on many cars I have known the clutch peddle to be higher by just a bit , if you are going to change the ird fluid then check you can undo the filler plug first many have failed and use a six sided socket on it hope this helps
 
are the diff and ird oil fill levels fussy i mean can they be overfilled and cause probs or is it just basically bang it in untill its full

The gearbox & IRD was just fill until it starts overflowing - I've not done my diff, but the comments on here make it sound easy - presume its the same.

You've got to do it with the car level, and the IRD is at the bottom/back of the engine which is why the inspection pit makes it so easy. Without one, you should really raise all four wheels to get under - have a search for Hippo Ramps - probably a good tool in anyones garage :)

I did the gearbox from the top (lowering the hose into the fill hole) so can be done with the car on the ground.
 
Yes 5mm on rear 2mm to front till you get new tyres sorted .
You 100% don't put 2mm & 5mm on same axel :eek:

Would like to respectfully challenge this - why would you not put 2mm and 5mm on the same axle? Surely the aim of the game is to match to rotational speeds of the front and rear axles (which loads the VCU) rather than accross the axles (which fractionally loads a differential bathed in oil) ??

Richard
 
Would like to respectfully challenge this - why would you not put 2mm and 5mm on the same axle? Surely the aim of the game is to match to rotational speeds of the front and rear axles (which loads the VCU) rather than accross the axles (which fractionally loads a differential bathed in oil) ??

Richard

See post 4 here - especially the bottom paragraphs

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f38/definitive-freelander-vcu-testing-thread-99163.html

And the proof if you dont follow the above

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/new-front-tyres-now-bust-rear-diff-155332.html
 
Would like to respectfully challenge this - why would you not put 2mm and 5mm on the same axle? Surely the aim of the game is to match to rotational speeds of the front and rear axles (which loads the VCU) rather than accross the axles (which fractionally loads a differential bathed in oil) ??

Richard
Well 2-5 is within 3mm but apparently it destroys dicfs and tranny boxes etc i beleive the new discos are the same also and suggest swapping all four tyres even if 1 needed..
 

Yep - read them, had read them before - and I say again - I think that if you must have two sets of differently worn tyres (with consequently different diameters) on your Freelander you should have one of each on the same axle.

If you keep the same size on the same axle, regardless of whether the new ones are at the front or rear - you are likely to have slip through the VCU which leads to heating, tightening and stress on the transmission and potentially consequences we all know about.

If you mix the tyres on the same axles (i.e. 2mm OSF, 5mm NSF, 2mm NSR, 5mm NSR) for a given road speed the axle speed coming out of the crown wheel of the front & rear diffs will be much closer matched than in a same size on each axle configuration - hence less rotation through the VCU and less strain on the IRD. Yes the differentials will be dealing with a greater difference in road wheel speed but that's what they do - every time you move the steering wheel.

Let's be very clear though - I am talking about a set for four matching tyres (same size, same make, same model) but with different levels of wear. I'm not advocating different makes, model, sizes etc.

On a Disco or Defender you wouldn't give it a second thought.
 
The front "axle" is driven at a different speed to the rear "axle" which is why we put the larger tyres on the rear, to try to cancel out the difference, in straight line driving.
 
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