Help Required...

Hi Folks.

Would really appreciate any help with a few problems I'm having with my 03 Freelander TD4 from more educated persons than I.

Had a wee accident a couple of weekends ago in the midst of a blizzard. Had a bad off and hit a stone patch where the N/S/F wheel clattered the stones, whilst steering turned to the right. Wheel was tilting in at least 10 degrees inward. Bumper and wing damage too. I nursed the Freelander 40 miles or so home, where driving was near impossible. (in retrospect I should have got it picked up - oops)

Jacked it up to find a mangled wishbone and bent ARB link on inspection. Replaced these last week. Drives much better but there is an intermittent drone coming from the wheel, especially bad between 45-60 mph. The vibrations also increase with speed. It also pulls slightly to the left. When driving, there is also a small cluncking noise when braking and about to stop. The vibrations and noise gets worse when turning to the right, and less so when turning to the left.

Today I got the wheels re-balanced and tracking done, and still as pulling to the left slightly (not as bad though)

Is it the CV joint? Would I be better replacing the whole drive shaft? There is slight play (about 2-3mm) when pulling the DS forwards and backwards whilst in the wheels are in the straight position.

Any opinions are much appreciated. I dont know too much about the Freelanders (First one, but I love it) and if there are any other checks I could do or other parts to inspect, please point them out!

Thanks

Bob

Definitely needs further investigation. You have done things in the right order by changing the bent bits but sounds like the wheel bearing or CV joint gone too. All easy and cheap second hand. A complete hub with bearings and ABS sensor is easily obtained from a breakers as is a shaft if you have to. It could have a slight kink in it too. Hopefully you haven't damaged the front diff at the inboard end of the shaft. That's more serious. Is the fore and aft movement at the wheel end or the inner end?

Thanks for the reply mate.

The play appears to be at the hub end. I think I'll replace the driveshaft and the bearing and hopefully that will help eliminate potential problems.

Now, are driveshafts hard to remove on the FL's? I've only every done old minis and golfs before which were not too bad. Anything to watch out for? Apologies for the Q's.

Cheers

Bob

sounds like the wheel bearing needs replacing, this in turn will probably need a new abs sensor

Its quite easy. The most difficult bit is the big nut in the middle but if you've done Minis etc then you know what to expect. Its not a castleated nut though, but the one where you chisel a nick into a groove on the shaft. A couple of pinch bolts a ball joint and a hammer thump should see the hub off. The fiddly bit is the abs sensor wire - tracing it up through the plastic shroud (do that first). The whole lot comes off complete with the brake disc (undo caliper first of course). I paid £46 for a complete hub/ disc and abs sensor from my local breakers and am waiting for the weather to get slightly better to fit it. (Had to do a shaft last year on the other side as the abs reluctor ring had snapped. The shaft pops out once the hub is off as you would expect (decent second hand one about £40 as well).

You could of course just do the bearing itself but will pay about the same plus have all the fiddling to press it with no guarantee that you haven't flattened off part of the hub anyway in the accident and end up replacing the whole thing anyway. (Ideally get one off a newer car with about the same mileage as yours).

Cheers mate. Phoned the breakers today and ordered new shaft and hub with ABS sensor. Hopefully get it sorted this weekend.

Thanks again for the help.

Bob