more newbie freelander questions

tonight i fitted new discs and pads to my freelander ready for the mot, i tested it out on the dirt road at my house and all ios well, coming back up the hill i tested the brakes and as i set of (wet mud road) it started spinning, not much at all, seemed to grip after a few seconds, i thought being 4x4 it would not do this. the prop is still in place, p.s i no freelanders are not real landrovers blaaaaa

That's odd, the whole point of the different gear ratio of the rear diff is to eliminate VCU lag - it should kick in as soon as the front wheels start to spin.

Perhaps someone fitted one of the **** one around ebay which don't have any fluids in them? Note: Bell Engineering sell theirs on Ebay too, but they are actually good.

Funny how people are adding disclaimers about how we're gay and Our Landrovers aren't propper to preempt flaming. Are we really that afraid of the tratterspammers? Sad.

In snow mine will spin the front wheels slightly till you feel the back cut in !

it was dark and i couldnt tell if the rear was spinning aswel. if i was stuck on a mud hill, which happened, and it was just spinning, should both rear wheels spin ?. i looked out and the os rear was not spinning but could not see the other side

Crombie said:

it was dark and i couldnt tell if the rear was spinning aswel. if i was stuck on a mud hill, which happened, and it was just spinning, should both rear wheels spin ?. i looked out and the os rear was not spinning but could not see the other side

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The Freelander has open diffs at both ends, so it will spin the 2 wheels on one side if they are both in mud!! You normaly find the Freelander will still move though!! Does it have TC? If so you would hear it kick in if the wheels spin.

I'm not sure that I understand this -

You tried to go up a muddy hill and you got stuck - do you mean that the Freelander stopped going forward?

You sensed the front wheels spinning and saw one rear wheel not spinning?

If even only one wheel has grip a Freelander will move forward.

I have in the past tried to follow a Unimog up a near 45degree slope (overconfident or what?) and eventually all forward motion was lost - the Freelander just sat on the hill with all 4 wheels spinning.

They're good but gravity beats them. Pure sheet ice on an incline will stop them too.

If you have any wheel stationary and others are spinning - you have a problem somewhere.

A muddy slope should normally present no problem to a Freelander.

You need to get all 4 wheels up and try turning one and see what the others do.

Have a search for such tests - there's plenty on here if you look for them.

Singvogel.

Yes I got stuck. Front was spinning. Unsure which one and the rear driver side was not spinning. I read somewhere that only 1 side will spin so I guess it's the side that I couldn't see. It has tc but the 3 lights are on at the moment

Crombie said:

I read somewhere that only 1 side will spin so I guess it's the side that I couldn't see.

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I don't know where you read that - but it's just not true.

As I said, if even one wheel has grip, that one wheel will be enough to keep you moving - the other 3 wheels will not spin - they will simply rotate at the speed of the wheel which has the grip.

I am suspecting that you may have no drive to the rear wheels.

There are IRDs available that are front wheel drive only.
There are empty VCUs available that do not transmit any drive at all.

Someone may have fitted such kit in the past, and from underneath it will look OK.

Are you 100% sure that you had 4 wheels driven before?
Have you had this vehicle a while?

S.

Singvogel said:

Are you 100% sure that you had 4 wheels driven before?
Have you had this vehicle a while?

S.

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Yep sounds to me like some one has fooked about with your transmission and they've neuteres your Freelander !

Not to worry, if you do Hippo's torque test you will know whether you're VCU has failed in the open or closed position. If your VCU seems ok then your IRD might be sick.

Will.

If I am stuck how can 1 wheel keep me moving ? I'm stuck. I'm just going out with a friend to check it out

Singvogel said:

I don't know where you read that - but it's just not true.

As I said, if even one wheel has grip, that one wheel will be enough to keep you moving - the other 3 wheels will not spin - they will simply rotate at the speed of the wheel which has the grip.

I am suspecting that you may have no drive to the rear wheels.

There are IRDs available that are front wheel drive only.
There are empty VCUs available that do not transmit any drive at all.

Someone may have fitted such kit in the past, and from underneath it will look OK.

Are you 100% sure that you had 4 wheels driven before?
Have you had this vehicle a while?

S.

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I'm going to have to disagree with some of your post, A Freelander won't drive if only 1 wheel has grip! It will simply spin the other 3 They are good but they have open diffs that will send the power to the wheel that has the least grip. The TC won't overcome this ether it just helps keep it moving. Now if it had cross axle locking then it would be unstoppable but sadly it doesn't.
I do agree that this Freelander does seem to have a problem with ether the driveline or tyres cusing the front and back wheels to haveno grip? Or with a duff or dodgy VCU only the front to have no grip. With the TC out of action it's very possible to get it stuck.

I am getting front wheels spinning and 1 rear wheel. Either or depending where I am. Tc is not working. This is a field track I am on. Very slippy

Nodge68 said:

I'm going to have to disagree with some of your post, A Freelander won't drive if only 1 wheel has grip! It will simply spin the other 3 They are good but they have open diffs that will send the power to the wheel that has the least grip. The TC won't overcome this ether it just helps keep it moving. Now if it had cross axle locking then it would be unstoppable but sadly it doesn't.

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Hi, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to the FLs TC, but I assumed it would be capable of braking any spinning wheels, emulating locking diffs. Certainly in the snow I thought i'd felt the TC braking spinning wheels to move power to wheels with more grip?

If not, what is the TC for?

traction control on ANY vehicle will only brake spinning wheels in an effort to regain some grip. if theres no grip available, the system will just brake on the spinning wheels constantly. to emulate locking diffs, the system would have to brake the wheels to a complete standstill, and as far as im aware, because they usually operate through the ABS system, this is not possible, assuming the freelander system works the same way as any other TC system does

turbopete7975 said:

traction control on ANY vehicle will only brake spinning wheels in an effort to regain some grip. if theres no grip available, the system will just brake on the spinning wheels constantly. to emulate locking diffs, the system would have to brake the wheels to a complete standstill, and as far as im aware, because they usually operate through the ABS system, this is not possible, assuming the freelander system works the same way as any other TC system does

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I think you're on the money there .

So the wheels that had no grip would be braked ?

the ABS would try to brake them to slow them down a bit yes.

So I guess mine is spinning as I have the 3 dash lights on

Crombie said:

So I guess mine is spinning as I have the 3 dash lights on

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Having 3 dash lights is'nt going to help the situation as it stops the TC working too

Well this has answered my problems thanks. 3 lights are my next job