I'm planning on making a mechanical replacement for the VCU!

I would miss the, for want of a better expression, Quattro effect, where even in wet , icy or gravel roads etc the current system would cut in automatically and you wouldn't have time to select 'real' 4x4

I think it's a great idea and does not have to be complicated at all, a simple connect/disconnect of both props is all that is needed..(Haldex clutch in place of vcu ).



Even better something than would also allow permi 4x4, so some slip from the device would be required..(haldex clutch again maybe? Set to slip a little at certain force)....


Would some sort of torque sensing differential gear work?



Or you could just service the origional vcu, set the ammout of slip you want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBCLkgUT5RQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Free wheeling rear hubs might work but you would need to fabricate something.

The best way of doing it would be to put the disengagement part on the front prop and keep the vcu, probably more work than its worth but it would mean the vcu would prevent the serious wind up on road with it engaged, and when disengaged it would prevent all the drivetrain problems associated with f1s, land rover have already tried a similar idea on the f2 using the haldex in the rear diff which electronically controls power to the rear diff.

So what happens, say, when you're driving up a main motorway in the middle of winter and as often happens, there's a bank of snow on the edge of the lane and you inadvertently dip a wheel, or theres a little bit of ice across the road.
Your Freelander would naturally distribute power as required when some slip is noticed, but because your car would be stuck in 2wd, you'd be no better off than in an astra and likely to end up facing where you came, or wedged into the car next to you.
Seems like a total waste of time to try and better a system that works perfectly fine when looked after properly. After all, LR only invest millions in R&D every week.

The Mad Hat Man said:

Ah!

The (good) old days !

Yo memories are better than mine, NI. There were a couple of try's weren't there? Not sure anything came of either of them.

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The good old days indeed

I thought ianh1 used a solenoid gear engaging setup..............he was slated at the time IIRC it was only for sandy desert conditions in NZ outback???

I agree with all the ideas put forward, but for all the new blood in the forum and those who never discussed before

Land Rover fudged the ratios (0.8%) pre 2001 due to the prototype (CB40 project) not handling properly (can dig out info if peeps are interested?)
These were later changed and stronger journals in the rear diff post 2001.

It was Taipan who jacked up his early FL1 and counted the revolutions of front and back wheels, they spin out of sync 1 in 120 times! rear spin faster than front IMRC

The VCU works and I only want a quick release for disconnecting, into Mondo mode (2wd) lol

For starters, any fabrication would never pass an MOT here in NI, too heavily regulated and the vehicle would fail due to it 'not being presented as it was designed'

Sure, don't get me wrong, I'd like to see this happen and buy any man a pint who does so!..... but don't let us old timers dampen any enthusiasm, but I fear that any success will be 'one offs', donor parts will need to be reasonable cost and sustainable supply

More useful threads below:
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/search.php?searchid=4569827

SES88 said:

So what happens, say, when you're driving up a main motorway in the middle of winter and as often happens, there's a bank of snow on the edge of the lane and you inadvertently dip a wheel, or theres a little bit of ice across the road.
Your Freelander would naturally distribute power as required when some slip is noticed, but because your car would be stuck in 2wd, you'd be no better off than in an astra and likely to end up facing where you came, or wedged into the car next to you.
Seems like a total waste of time to try and better a system that works perfectly fine when looked after properly. After all, LR only invest millions in R&D every week.

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If you had it so it still had the vcu then at the sign of ice or snow just put it in 4 wheel drive mode and it would act like a normal freelander, plus it would wind up just as much as a normal f1 too.

I am going for the selecting gear set up myself as for the 0.8% difference in ratios, it is widely accepted that a 1% difference for road going 4x4's and 2% for off road 4x4 is acceptable so as I am only planning to use the 4x4 in snowy/muddy conditions I expect it would be fine.

oh and as a quick progress update I have stripped my main shaft and split my vcu, now I just need to figure out how to stick them together! lol

edwardcraney2012 said:

If you had it so it still had the vcu then at the sign of ice or snow just put it in 4 wheel drive mode and it would act like a normal freelander, plus it would wind up just as much as a normal f1 too.

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Quite often you need to stop to engage 4wd mode. Which isn't possible if you're already driving along and hit something you don't see. Sounds ridiculously impractical and something that would never be commercially viable.

kev1nlm said:

oh and as a quick progress update I have stripped my main shaft and split my vcu, now I just need to figure out how to stick them together! lol

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:nopics:

Lol pretty much all standard 4x4 you have to stop to engage 4 wheel drive, in every other 4 wheel drive Ive had I have managed not to end up the wrong way on the motorway and at no point I have ever said I would want to make it commercially viable! Blimey you would think I'd asked everyone to join a terrorist group or something, I'm doing it for me partly to see if it will work and improve the areas of my freelander that I would like to improve and partly to see if I have the skills to actually do it!

Nodge68 said:

:nopics:

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sorry cant get piccies on at work I will upload some tonight

kev1nlm said:

sorry cant get piccies on at work I will upload some tonight

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I'll be interested to see what you come up with. I run my V6 without it's props for 8 months of the year anyway.

kev1nlm said:

I am going for the selecting gear set up myself as for the 0.8% difference in ratios, it is widely accepted that a 1% difference for road going 4x4's and 2% for off road 4x4 is acceptable so as I am only planning to use the 4x4 in snowy/muddy conditions I expect it would be fine.

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The different ratios should never have been the case, first came the 0.8%, then LR overcame that by slapping on a VCU.

The FL1 was an 8yr business plan, they could have made it twice the machine, but economists build cars, not engineers and designers!

MHM and the rest of us are only trying to point out a few pitfalls in trying to fab something like this,
but good luck with it, or should I say........knock yourself out in the process!

here's the VCU getting chopped up! First attempt with a big saw!



Second attempt with a bigger saw!!



One split VCU!!

My FL drive is mechanically switchable between normal FL mode and Mondo mode.
The only problem being it takes about 20 minutes to switch it over.
(plus it involves scrambling underneath with some tools)

I prefer your proposal. If you figure it out I'd be interested to hear.
In fact I'm so interested, I have a spare prop and VCU from an L series I can donate if you want them.

bukko said:

I have a spare prop and VCU from an L series I can donate if you want them.

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Thanks for that, hopefully it will be a lot easier than having to change the prop! I think I'm ok for parts (we have a spare 05 plate freelander at work as a donor ) but I appreciate the offer