Advice please, I have a 2006 free lander 1 with 175000 miles, recent clutch, new MOT, but prop shaft was removed last year. My question is should I sell for not much money, don’t have massive budget for newer vehicle, or replace prop shaft and keep it going? How expensive is this work likely to be? Thanks
Freelander 1 Prop shaft help
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Dbest43
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If you're not using it off-road and don't mind it being front wheel drive there isn't alot of benefit from it being removed contrary to what people think,it could have well been that the VCU was knackered as the live line is about 75000miles
Why was it removed?
What are you going to get for the same amount of money?
How expensive is what going to be?
Prop shaft was removed as it was noisy, not an authority on this, guessing it was knackered. I live up a track now so would prefer my 4 wheel drive back, don't like front wheel drive - the dilemma is whether to keep an old vehicle going by throwing more money at it, or get rid and buy something younger which would mean borrowing money - hence, how much would it cost to replace prop shaft and give him back his useful life?
andyfreelandy
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If it is only the propshaft and nothing else, then VCU is about £300 exchange. Bearings are £60 per pair and then fitting costs.
Only other items that are worth testing are the UJ's and the front CV joint. If needed budget £100 for the 3.
Only other items that are worth testing are the UJ's and the front CV joint. If needed budget £100 for the 3.
Thanks, that's a great help
Noisy sounds like the VCU bearings, which aren't expensive or difficult for a decent garage to change.
If the rest of the vehicle is able to do what you need for the next few years, then do the work and keep using it. It'll cost you less to maintain the vehicle you have compared to replacing it with another.
Keep in mind that the Freelander 1 is currently going up in value, as they are good vehicles which are easy and cheap to maintain compared to newer vehicles.
Alex1000
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I would be of the same. View. The freelander 1 are a good vehicle and worth putting money into, but ask here for advise for each repair or fix. Garages can try and screw you. Are you able to do any of the works yourself?..
Things to check on the vehicle are diff, vcu and finally ird. Do you have the removed drives?. If not try a local breaker for the complete drives, vcu and diff. I paid £150 for mine, cost 180 for garage to fit..you might not need diff, but will need drives and vcu if removed and you don't have.
Your drives issue seems to be bearings.
So basically, refit drives, vcu and new VCU Bearings
Then check VCU, details on here. Search for 1 wheel up test.
Allow £200 labour assuming you have the drives and a further £60 for new bearings. Labour is a guess on high side based on my garage. But he's very good and reasonable.
Then check vcu. If good your sorted..
If not, Recon vcu under £300, (Bells Engineering) not sure labour to fit but say £100.
That should sort her out.
With new MOT there should not be much more wrong with her.
Good luck. I just did all this work on a 2004 td4. Best investment I've ever made. She served me well in this frost and snow.. beat brothers new, (still price tags on her) Volvo XC90 getting up Mauls Brae Hill in the snow. He didn't,I did. FREELANDER £1400 on the road, inc all the works, Volvo £60k plus. And the freelander even does better mpg than his volvo.
Things to check on the vehicle are diff, vcu and finally ird. Do you have the removed drives?. If not try a local breaker for the complete drives, vcu and diff. I paid £150 for mine, cost 180 for garage to fit..you might not need diff, but will need drives and vcu if removed and you don't have.
Your drives issue seems to be bearings.
So basically, refit drives, vcu and new VCU Bearings
Then check VCU, details on here. Search for 1 wheel up test.
Allow £200 labour assuming you have the drives and a further £60 for new bearings. Labour is a guess on high side based on my garage. But he's very good and reasonable.
Then check vcu. If good your sorted..
If not, Recon vcu under £300, (Bells Engineering) not sure labour to fit but say £100.
That should sort her out.
With new MOT there should not be much more wrong with her.
Good luck. I just did all this work on a 2004 td4. Best investment I've ever made. She served me well in this frost and snow.. beat brothers new, (still price tags on her) Volvo XC90 getting up Mauls Brae Hill in the snow. He didn't,I did. FREELANDER £1400 on the road, inc all the works, Volvo £60k plus. And the freelander even does better mpg than his volvo.
Alex1000
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Also, doing the work, your sure what you have, you can never be sure when buying a 2nd hand vehicle
GrumpyGel
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If the car is in otherwise good condition, and you're happy with it, then I can't see why you'd want to be rid.
If you had the props removed because of the noise, as opposed to you bought it like that and the story was the props were making noise, then you are likely to be able to reinstall the props OK.
The noise was almost certainly the support bearings, which are not expensive - although "cheap" ones will not last long at all. Get OEM decent ones.
Hopefully you kept the props and VCU !!!!!
However, before spending money on the bearings which you might not use, check the other components are OK to reinstate first.
First thing to check is whether you have 4 matching tyres - make and model. If you are running mismatched try make or model, it is risky running 4WD.
Next thing to check is the VCU. This is best done by installing the props (as-is) and doing the 1 wheel up test. Don't just go by the first couple of timings. If the props have been sitting for a while, do a good few to mix up the VCU contents. If the test is taking to long, you'll need a recon unit - as described above - and don't drive with the old VCU... remove the props again.
It is also advisable to do an oil change on the IRD, and also rear diff. If the old oil comes out with a metallicy sheen - then that is a sign of previous misuse (through mismatched tyres or overly stiff VCU) and the bearings are worn and may not be up to the task of being reinstated to 4WD. You can check on the Bell Engineering website for a recon IRD, but you are now talking more serious money to reinstate 4WD.
If you have disposed of your props, then you'll need to source a set with VCU and the bolt fixings to IRD & diff flanges and 4 bolts to mount the support bearings. You can budget on that and a recon VCU (you'll need 1 with the props to exchange) - but do the oil changes firs to make sure the other bits are OK and you know what money you are talking.
Also, if you had the props removed by a garage - make sure they left the pinion/flange on the IRD for the prop to bolt to - some times they remove them. Its possible they may also have removed the rear diff and most of the rear drive shafts - so once again, check they are there!
There's a lot listed there - but TBH if you're happy with the car, its a no-brainer - reinstate the props (its low cost and easy), but make sure the tyres, IRD and diff are OK first.
If you are unsure of the names/terms used above, simply ask. A good page to read, with info on the 1 wheel up test is...
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-1-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/
If you had the props removed because of the noise, as opposed to you bought it like that and the story was the props were making noise, then you are likely to be able to reinstall the props OK.
The noise was almost certainly the support bearings, which are not expensive - although "cheap" ones will not last long at all. Get OEM decent ones.
Hopefully you kept the props and VCU !!!!!
However, before spending money on the bearings which you might not use, check the other components are OK to reinstate first.
First thing to check is whether you have 4 matching tyres - make and model. If you are running mismatched try make or model, it is risky running 4WD.
Next thing to check is the VCU. This is best done by installing the props (as-is) and doing the 1 wheel up test. Don't just go by the first couple of timings. If the props have been sitting for a while, do a good few to mix up the VCU contents. If the test is taking to long, you'll need a recon unit - as described above - and don't drive with the old VCU... remove the props again.
It is also advisable to do an oil change on the IRD, and also rear diff. If the old oil comes out with a metallicy sheen - then that is a sign of previous misuse (through mismatched tyres or overly stiff VCU) and the bearings are worn and may not be up to the task of being reinstated to 4WD. You can check on the Bell Engineering website for a recon IRD, but you are now talking more serious money to reinstate 4WD.
If you have disposed of your props, then you'll need to source a set with VCU and the bolt fixings to IRD & diff flanges and 4 bolts to mount the support bearings. You can budget on that and a recon VCU (you'll need 1 with the props to exchange) - but do the oil changes firs to make sure the other bits are OK and you know what money you are talking.
Also, if you had the props removed by a garage - make sure they left the pinion/flange on the IRD for the prop to bolt to - some times they remove them. Its possible they may also have removed the rear diff and most of the rear drive shafts - so once again, check they are there!
There's a lot listed there - but TBH if you're happy with the car, its a no-brainer - reinstate the props (its low cost and easy), but make sure the tyres, IRD and diff are OK first.
If you are unsure of the names/terms used above, simply ask. A good page to read, with info on the 1 wheel up test is...
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-1-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/
Dbest43
Member
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- Carmarthenshire
I've got a prop of a 56000 mile td4 and 1 new bearing spare diff off the same if your near South Wales £75 for prop and bearing or £150 the lot if you're interested
Jon Dor
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Excellent nar
Excellent narrative. I'm hoping to follow this route, but need to see if I can get the lower mileage FL1 to start first.
I removed the Camshaft position sensor off it yesterday, intending to swap it onto the higher mileage, working one later if I get the time. If it DOES work on other car, I need to dig deeper on t'other one
GrumpyGel, I'm on bended knee...will you please marry me?
Mike
andyfreelandy
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Oh you two.....get a room 
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