L Series Freelander Gearbox Problem

Hi All,

Can anyone help?
I have lost drive to the front wheels on my freelander.

When jacked up, I can spin the off side front wheel, but the nearside wheel seems to click as if there are some teeth missing in the gearbox.

Anyone have any ideas what this could be, as I am hoping for an easy fix!!

Right, have you really lost drive or is it just the noise?

If you're lucky then the CV joint is the problem. Thats the bending joint on the drive shaft next to the gearbox. Had one go on my L series (2000 plate, 80,000 miles).

If you are really unlucky then your Intermediate reduction drive unit has failed. This is the box that sits after the gearbox and handles power delivery to the front wheels through an internal differential (all though the on side drive shaft passes through the gearbox, which makes it look like its connecting to the gearbox) and passes drive back to the back wheels through the viscous coupling and the rear differential.

The CV can be easily replaced, its probably cheaper to replace the whole drive shaft.

The IRD is nearly as easy to replace but is a costly item as it has to be bought in one piece, no rebuild parts available it seems. The gearbox itself does not need to come out or be replaced.

Feel free to discuss and good luck.

Thanks for the info Darmain,

Yes I have no drive to the front wheels, I thought it could have been the CV joint, so have just come in from stripping it down, the inner and outer CV's both feel OK.

I have looked in the gearbox from the opening where the near side shaft goes in, and can see small bits of metal filings.

I have put my fingers on the splined output from the gearbox while a friend turned the offside wheel, and I can stop the splines from turning, althoug when I do they feel like they are jumping.

Do you think it will be the IRD then, and not the gearbox?

If its got drive to the rear. . . . . . i assume thats what your saying, then it will be the Ird and the front drive part is shot, or if youve got no drive front un rear , then could be either ,only a strip down will determin the real damage. . . . .sorry bout that un best oh luck

Oh dear!!

The IRD is the main diff for the front axle. The main input shaft from the gearbox to the IRD is hollow and the on side front drive shaft runs through the middle of this shaft. This part of the reason why the on side drive shaft appears to come from the gearbox.

It sounds like your IRD has shreaded up. I understand that normally it is the layshaft gears to the back axle that go but either diff could be affected by the central primary cause, a siezed viscous coupling.

Sounds a mess I'm afraid. Next thing to do is drop the oil out of the IRD. Its oil is independent of the gearbox. It is reasonably normal for it to be metalic in colour but if bits of metal come out too then that is definately not supposed to happen.

You will need to drain the main gearbox oil before separating the IRD from it. Also you need to drain the cooling system as the IRD is force cooled.

I really recommend you test the VC is not siezed first. To do so, and assuming the IRD has enough life to let you do this. Raise one back wheel. Put the car in first gear (no engine running). Handbrake off. Attempt to rotate lifted back wheel. Its going to be hard as the VC will resist. It should feel like the handbrake is slightly on so put your back into it. There should be a juddering slip. If you can't move it for all the trying then the VC is siezed and you must replace it along with the IRD. Also, if the VC turns up duff then inspect the back diff as well. The IRD and back diff have been having a fight to the death, it is possible both have been injured. If you don't replace a siezed VC then then new IRD and / or rear diff will die quickly.

Be advised this is not looking pretty or cheap. It may pay to look at a cheap Freelander as a donor.

Sorry for the bad news, keep us posted on how you get on.

Dave

Crickey Ming, your Rocket's going well tonight.

Hows Porky doing, is he feeling better now?

Darmain said:

Crickey Ming, your Rocket's going well tonight.

Hows Porky doing, is he feeling better now?

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yer eeze alreet Darmain. . . . .keep up good werk

Thanks all for the help!

I did change the viscous coupling about 8 months ago, as the rubber dampner split and fell off my old one.

I have since tested it and all was well.

I have seen the rebuild kits on ebay, has anyone had any experience of these, and do you think it might do the job?

jbradley said:

Thanks all for the help!

I did change the viscous coupling about 8 months ago, as the rubber dampner split and fell off my old one.

I have since tested it and all was well.

I have seen the rebuild kits on ebay, has anyone had any experience of these, and do you think it might do the job?

Click to expand...

yer really need to strip it firstun see wot the damage is. . . . .then if your handy re build it ,re con ,second hand ,new un. . . . . .it'll be your call

Good news about the VC jb, at least thats one thing to rule out. How many miles has your Hippo covered. What wheel you got fitted (size of tyres). Just trying to see if anything stands out that explains the fried transfer box.

As Ming says, once you know the damage you can assess the solution. Sounds like you're handy with the spanners.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Dave

Yes, can manage my way around the toolbox, but this is the first 4x4 that I have had.
The flander has done about 130K has 16" alloy wheels, which I had a new set of 225 tyres fitted to all at the same time.
Suppose that it is just one of those things!

Why is it that nothing goes wrong when the weather is OK?

I was just trying to gauge how much life my IRDs got in it. Some talk on this forum is that the IRD is force cooled to get 150K out of the oil. Bit pointless if you can't 150K out of the IRD that holds the oil.

Had a look on Fleabay. I don't think the rebuild kit is going to help you as it doesn't seem to include the planet gears for the front diff. Flipping expensive though. Depends what you find when you get the thing apart I guess. However, there doesn't seems to be a significant difference between the kit and a replacement recon unit.

Spendlanders, don't you just love um?? :violent:

Right then,

Have stripped off the IRD tonight, and on the drivers side driveshft opening, I can feel up and down play on the inernal splines.

I can also see what looks like a floating shim, or a broken spacer just past the splines.
Will be stipping off the casings tomorrow night after work to see what has gone wrong.

Does anyone have any advice on how easy fitting one of those rebuild kits from ebay is, and any tips on what I should be looking for inside?

You don't hang about JB, good on ya. Try a search on here for IRD rebuilds, I think Northern Irelander did one a while ago. Not a component I've had the pleasure of working on, yet.

What was the oil like in the IRD?

Best of luck and please report on what you find.

a later one - but this mite help

The ebay kits only consist of replacement bearings, oil seals and an output pinion and hypoid gear for the rear drive so i doubt they'll resolve your issues since it's front drive you've lost.

Remove the end cover and draw out the intermediate shaft and front differential assembly and check for damaged teeth etc. in the diff.

Hi all,

Stripped down the IRD and found no damage to any teeth anywhere.
The only thing that I did find was the bearing on the free end of the diff has quite a lot of play in it, and one of the sun gear thrust washers has disintegrated.

Anyone know wher eI can get one from?

However as there was no teeth damage, I was a bit puzzled why I had no drive to the front wheels.
After an hour or so of head scratching, I have just found that the splined tube in the gearbox that the secondary shaft fits into has lost its teeth

Anyone know if I can get one of these?

jbradley said:

Anyone know if I can get one of these?

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This is the problem, there doesn't seem to be a source for IRD parts other than bearings and the bevel gear and pinion set for the rear drive.
Although it would be good to have the peace of mind and satisfaction of reconditioning your own unit the cost would soon become prohibitive.
Better to search for a later (confirm ratio) lowish mileage second hand unit, they seem to go for around £400.

or try Ashcrofts.

The Mad Hat Man said:

or try Ashcrofts.

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£725.00....:Cry::Cry: