Dribbler
Member
- Posts
- 92
- Location
- Kilmaurs near Kilmarnock
Thinking of buying a FL with propshaft removed. How much are they and how much would a garage charge to fit it. Is it the sort of job a decent DIY er could do?
As stated, the IRD serves 2 functions, as the front diff and a PTO to the rear axle. There is no center diff between front and rear axles, so if the prop was 1 solid piece the car would suffer wind-up - like driving a switchable 4WD constantly in 4WD or a permanent 4WD with center diff always locked. The prop though is split and separated by a Viscous Coupling Unit (VCU). The does not put up much resistance to small changes in speed between front and rear axles - so you do not get the wind up associated with cornering etc. On paper only the front wheels are therefore driven as the rears have this "sloppy" VCU limiting drive to them - the VCU kicks in (sort of locks up) if differences in axle speeds rise above normal expected speed differences - ie the front wheels have lost traction.
However, over time the VCUs tighten up and - this puts excessive strain (wind-up) on the transmission and something breaks. The weakest point is usually the IRD and it is this which goes, sometimes its the rear diff. Both suffer wear - its just a case of which "goes" first.
You've been talking about bolting on all sorts of 4WD accessories to a Freelander purchase - that really is running. The walking bit is understanding how the Freelander transmission works.
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