Prolonging your IRD/VCU...

To quote from Decembers LRO magazine (p41, Use it off-road or lose it)....

"it has even been suggested that Freelander 1 drivetrains will enjoy being able to allow the wheels to slip and that doing so may prolong the life of problematic IRD and viscous couplings"

What's the general consensus on that then chaps? Off-roading needed to keep things sweet?

:crazy_driver:

Ed T said:

To quote from Decembers LRO magazine (p41, Use it off-road or lose it)....

"it has even been suggested that Freelander 1 drivetrains will enjoy being able to allow the wheels to slip and that doing so may prolong the life of problematic IRD and viscous couplings"

What's the general consensus on that then chaps? Off-roading needed to keep things sweet?

:crazy_driver:

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dont you already then

I int got it yet! Pick up '98 XDi on monday - and it will be off road on saturday! Was just wondering if peeps agree, or does it make no difference??

Ed T said:

I int got it yet! Pick up '98 XDi on monday - and it will be off road on saturday! Was just wondering if peeps agree, or does it make no difference??

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ah right sorry a freind of mine who works for local deal says yes it dose help makes things wok that dont just using it on the rd

Ed T said:

To quote from Decembers LRO magazine (p41, Use it off-road or lose it)....

"it has even been suggested that Freelander 1 drivetrains will enjoy being able to allow the wheels to slip and that doing so may prolong the life of problematic IRD and viscous couplings"

What's the general consensus on that then chaps? Off-roading needed to keep things sweet?

:crazy_driver:

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It's been said before 'The design is flawed' driving on tarmac constantly will always put great stress on IRD/VCU and diff. Basically the driveline is crying out for selectable 4wd. My answer on our small fleet of TD4 comms is fully synthetic IRD oil and removing props between April and October. D..

Dann said:

It's been said before 'The design is flawed' driving on tarmac constantly will always put great stress on IRD/VCU and diff. Basically the driveline is crying out for selectable 4wd. My answer on our small fleet of TD4 comms is fully synthetic IRD oil and removing props between April and October. D..

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sounds good but are you seeing any difference

cremator said:

sounds good but are you seeing any difference

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Erm..Original VCUs and IRDs. MPG better overall.TD4 is a great workhorse and a pleasure to drive if only 4wd were selectable.

Dann said:

Erm..Original VCUs and IRDs. MPG better overall.TD4 is a great workhorse and a pleasure to drive if only 4wd were selectable.

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how many miles done on originals and what mpg you get with them removed

Oldest is 165k miles and MPG averaged over a year is 33 to 36 mostly on B roads and tracks

Dann said:

Oldest is 165k miles and MPG averaged over a year is 33 to 36 mostly on B roads and tracks

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mmm not bad i get 40 out of mine doing same sort of thing

we both have a td4 (the wifes) and a disco and I have taken the hippo off road, I am sure that it may do some good to use the 4 wheel drive like it should. I think that some may get them selves in trouble trying to take the hippo where it will not go with not having a low box and a diff lock. So take it on tracks but do not try to use it like a true 4 wheel drive as you may come unstuck

booboodag said:

we both have a td4 (the wifes) and a disco and I have taken the hippo off road, I am sure that it may do some good to use the 4 wheel drive like it should. I think that some may get them selves in trouble trying to take the hippo where it will not go with not having a low box and a diff lock. So take it on tracks but do not try to use it like a true 4 wheel drive as you may come unstuck

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you will be surprized what they can do in the right hands we have 2 freelanders l series and td4 both very good but not as good as tour defender or range rover

Int the IRD and VCU in constant use? I understood the front and rear props both spin, when there is a difference in front and rear change in speed - ie front wheel slip in mud etc the VCU detects the differential spin and drive is sent to the rear by virtue of the VCU. Hence it;s described as permanent 4 wheel drive but only driven from the front on the road.

The constant slipping which lead to failure of earlier IRDs was due to the ratios not being correct. It’s largely resolved in later models - 01/02 I think.

They are also surprisingly competent off road - ground clearance is the main issue rather than the 4 wheel drive system.

not having a go about hippo off road as I have pushed ours at times but with out a low box they will not go slow enough and you will find the traction control will not like it.

the two hippoos did ok today over Salisbury - but ground clearance is a problem

Not sure about LRO's claims, if you are constantly locking up the VCU on the early models with 0.8% difference between diffs. It has to take it out on the IRD.

Might not be such an issue with newer FL1. Then again the design is only as strong as its weakest point.

I was probably one of the founder members of mondo mode since 01. I thought it might save the transmission wear and tear, IRD bearings are slack, nearly a grand for a new IRD. I aint paying that for an old run around.

The whole system is flawed, lets not deceive ourselves, I mean they made the decision of 0.8% difference so it would handle better, this assumption was made with their test mule, running gear of a FL and Maestro body. In the name of gawd???? Scrapheap challenge could churn out something better.

Then the VCU was an after thought.

I'd love to meet some of these Austrian and LR engineers, who proposed the IRD oil would last over 160k miles by fitting an inter-cooler to the IRD. What were they thinking?

replace the silicone based rubbish in the vcu

Northern Irelander said:

I'd love to meet some of these Austrian and LR engineers, who proposed the IRD oil would last over 160k miles by fitting an inter-cooler to the IRD. What were they thinking?

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Great thinking. If something runs hot fit extra cooling, don't ask why? !!

Are you for real JF.

It was so great that the oil is spent after 40k miles, not to mention they enshrowded the whole engine and IRD with a plastic undertray, that's gonna help the cooling issue, they are not what I would call visionaries.

Northern Irelander said:

The whole system is flawed, lets not deceive ourselves,

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Crikey! Never thought I would hear that from you NI.

An i thought it only had dodgy winda mechanisms?:bolt: :behindsofa: :love: :love: :love: