Good vibrations...or probably not.

Now then this 98 Petrol FL1 I’ve got.
I’m having issues.
It’s started to give me rumbly vibrations that I can feel through the seat. I only get it when I’m slowing down/coasting maybe from 25mph down to about 5mph in gear, out of gear, braking, not braking, braking on engine same difference.
Consequently I’ve started driving very slowly, between 5 and 15mph, taking the long way round the back streets, and not wanting to get out of the car. Thankfully the vibration doesn’t come through the gear stick or I’d just be circling the local petrol station all day long.
I knew the CVs weren’t so clever on the front, and a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across J&V something or other in Birmingham on the internet who make driveshafts and the like and got 2 new driveshafts for £55 a piece – they’re fitted. That shifted some knockings and rattlings, but not the one I was after.
So I went to local Landrover place. Landrover stealer man number 1, I didn’t like one bit because he did that thing where he sucked air through his teeth, shook his head and told me the IRD was about to drop to bits. They’re very keen on IRDs dropping to bits….last time it was dropping to bits it turned out to be a prop shaft bearing. Plus he never took it out of the carpark and got preoccupied by the fact that it really doesn’t like going round in circles on full lock – which it’s not liked for all the 4 years I’ve had it.
Landrover stealer man number 2 was much nicer, he didn’t think the IRD was dropping to bits and lifted up in the air for me and we pulled and pushed and tried to rattle stuff about. Front diff mount was obviously knackered. ‘That could do it!’ said Landrover stealer man number 2. So I got one of those from the spares dept and got the Haynes manual out….had another look under the car….surely not….discarded Haynes manual in favour of the Fluffy method which took about 40 minutes, only involved removing 3 bolts instead of a million and didn’t involve dragging the diff and other paraphernalia off the car. I’m not very good with bolts…
Anyway, diff mounts all good now and that hasn’t cured it….it’s possibly maybe perhaps made it more pronounced…..
So, squirted a load of oil in the diff this afternoon just in case. I was rather pleased that the oil plug did not look like a hedgehog when I pulled it out and that most of the oil fell out again. I was less pleased when that didn’t cure it either, because that made it 2 days on the trot that my hair was full of dirt, twigs and creepy crawly things.
Now I’m eyeing the propshaft with suspicion. It looks to be doing all the right things, and my new Tippex daubings don’t match up, which is always good news, still….it’s got lots of bendy twisty things going on.
Before I attempt to drag that out from under the car does anyone think it could be something else? Perhaps a job that doesn’t involve lying in dirt under the car, or preferably even one that doesn’t involve undoing any crusty nuts and bolts?

Right. You lot are no help to a damsel in distress. But hey I'm going keep on at it, because if I can do this stuff without so much as breaking a finger nail then anyone can.

I've dragged the prop shaft off, and that's cured everything. All the noises, and rumblings and stopped it complaining about doing tight circles - if anyone's interested that was making a chuggy creaking sort of noise on full lock - which is what the rarse clart landrover stealer said was the death throws of an IRD, and what another garage thought was the power steering or the rack.

Car goes like a dream now and the whole prop assembly is now lying in my living room ready for surgery.

So the UJs seem all to be okay, so I'm not going to bother with them.

The CV at the front is completely devoid of all grease - this I know because it's whizzed it all round the underside of the car, so I assume that's had it. (gear oil = stinky, engine oil not so much, grease no smell hardly at all).

Prop bearings....hmm....how hard is that rubber bit supposed to be? It looks a bit soft to me. Rear diff mount - rock hard rubber bush. This bearing rubber - not so much. One of them is only 2 years old, but they're both the same squidgyness. Might do those. Hoping J and R CV Joints do prop shaft CV cheap. Will mess about with that lot over the summer instead of wasting time watching TV or looking for a boyfriend...which my Dad told me, when I crawled out from under the car last week covered in crap, would be like flogging a dead horse.

Right I'm going to hoover round this prop shaft now, then hell I think I'll paint my nails.

Nice post!
Oh the joys of freelander ownership.

Thoroughly check the bearings supporting the VCU and their isolation mounts. Also the needle roller bearings in the hardy-spicer joints before you move on to the more expensive parts.

As yours is a 98 F/L you may still have an original IRD with the early ratios. Its objection to going round tight corners would suggest this. Will not repeat it here, just do search on IRD ratios, I've just got three good hits.
To check the IRD drain the oil into a clean white plastic tray and examine for wear debris. Some may have stuck to the magnetic drain plug. A little very fine grey sludge is acceptable, larger debris isnt good news. Depending on what you find you can choose to withdraw the final drive pinion which lets you also examine the crown wheel. If you jack up one of the front wheels rotating this will let you examine the whole of the gear.

Best of luck.

Wiff the props/vcu removed, you'll have to tell your insurance.

Also check the rear diff flange and ird pinion connection for extra play, more than would be expected. Push/pull and turn both to see if loose or anything up wiff em.