Freelander 1 joining propshafts to vcu & balance plates

hello guys
when i brought my freelander the prop had been taken off i want to put it back to 4wd & have brought a new prop & vcu from ebay it was sent in 3 parts so i need to put it together i have read that it should be marked when removed.Sadly it was not marked so its a case of put it together & hope for the best. Also i would like to know if the balance plates welded to the props need to be in line with each other or are the meant to be at 180% to each other
many thanks in advance

I'm not 100% sure maybe someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the ballance plates are put on indepentantly....each propshaft is spun up to speed and balanced as a single unit and not as a pair

Remember that in use, the shafts often spin at slightly different speeds anyway. Positioning is largely irrelevant!

Check out ird and rear diff before refitting !

Props are indivually balanced when first made.
You don't need to mark before removal but some do to rule out problems. If you get a high speed vibration only, then turn one of the prop's 90 or 180 degrees. simply disconnecting and recponnecting can solve this too. Few get this problem.
It's true the props turn differently therfore the whole assembly is not balanced as a whole, just individual parts.
If your props/vcu have been removed then this is normally for a reason. Hrndce there's a fault the owner didn't want to pay for. Could just be the vcu but may be worse. Pleanty of info on ere.

freelance said:

Check out ird and rear diff before refitting !

Click to expand...

thxs what should i be looking for in these sorry if this seem a dumb question but it my first 4x4

The ird box could be damaged.
As this is your 1st FL I guess we'll be hearing from you a fair bit

It will pay to change the oil in ird, make sure you can remove the filler plug before the drain plug, they get very tight, if the oil is silvery or has shrapnel, then the ird needs a serious check before reconnecting prop, likewise lift the rear wheels and check the rear axle turns sweetly.

You should probably test the VCU isn't locked up before fitting it. Clamp one end in a vice and you should be able (if with some difficulty) the other end with mole grips or similar.

quick update fitted prop today everything seems to be working fine no bangs whines or vibrations seems i have got lucky Thanks for all the advice

Happy for you. Welcome to the happy hippo zoo.