New-boy !!

Hi all, I'm completely new to this so a quick intro first. I'm 39, married, 2 young boys and run my own business. I picked up a series 3 today, 1981 ex-mod 2.3 petrol jobby. I had to drive it back from Peterborough to Southend on Sea. I have a few questions (I'm totally new to Landys)

Is it normal for the slack in the steering to increase as speeds increase?

Are they supposed to be noisier than a jet taking off?

How do I use free-wheeling hubs?

wheres the best place to get seats? The one I have bought has got a couple of seats in it out of something or other but the fuel tanks are under them. The drivers seat lifts with a bit od persuasion but the passenger one is bolted down, so lifting it is impossible. I figure that proper seats wouldn't have these problems so best I fit them. Unless someone knows better?

Hi there,

Series Land Rovers are noisy and slow! Of course they can become more noisy if things are deteriorating. The gearbox and diffs shouldn't whine for instance. The steering wanders even if the components are in good condition. This will of course become more noticeable at speed, more like a rudder than a steering wheel! Check the ball joints, tie rod ends etc for play and replace if necessary. There are lots of linkages in the steering and small amounts of play at each part all add up. Also check that the steering box is adjusted correctly, the cover for this is underneath the driver's side front wing - loosen this and then adjust the bolt underneath to take out the play but only after you've rectified any linkage problems. You can leave the free wheel hubs 'unlocked' when in 4wd or 2wd and the vehicle will still only have drive at the rear wheels. If you turn them 'locked' then the car will have all wheels driven when in 4wd and again just the rears when in 2wd. As for seats, you're lucky because all Series bits 'n' bobs are dirt cheap. Try these two sites who do mail order and the p&p is next to nothing even on bigger items:

http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/
http://www.paddockspares.com

More info on free wheel hubs:

Fitted to part-time (selectable) 4x4 vehicles, free-wheel hubs fit on the front wheel hubs and enable the side shafts and propshaft to be disconnected from the wheels. The one and only purpose behind free-wheel hubs is to prevent these components from rotating unnecessarily and thereby reduce fuel consumption when driving at speed on a firm surface.

Can free-wheel hubs, if engaged and operated on the road, damage the transmission? This is a very common question. The answer is no. However, the opposite is true; if hubs are left unlocked for long periods the following damage can result:

Bearing damage
On some vehicles the lubrication of the front hub bearings depends partly on axle rotation which sends oil to the bearings. With the front hubs disengaged, the axle remains stationary and the hub is not effectively lubricated.

Spline shaft damage
Spline shafts are located in the side shafts (in the case of vehicles with independent suspension) and in the propshafts (in the case of vehicles with solid axles) that allow for suspension travel as the vehicle moves over uneven ground. In conditions where the drive shafts are rotating, wear will be spread evenly over the splines. Should the drive shaft or propshaft remain stationary for long periods, as will occur if the hubs remain disengaged, the splines wear on a single plane. If serious uneven wear has occurred, drive shaft vibration will result. It is therefore important that, should you have free-wheel hubs fitted to your vehicle, you engage them once in a while and drive around. If free-wheel hubs are not offered as standard equipment and you wish to fit them, do not skimp – cheap units fail when the going gets tough.

Thanks for that m8 .... would it be best to have my wages paid directly to the dealers??? I have been looking around the interweb tonight and theres so many mods to d, so little time!