TD4 Stuck in light mud/grass

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D3savage

Active Member
Posts
292
Hi all I am a proud owner of quite a decent old TD4 mk1 ..... with all the usual recomended bits added synergy etc. Decided to tow my unlaiden trailor up a slippery slope in driving rain. Maninly thick grass ... I have really good grippy AT Hankook tyres (one stage back from Knobblies) and good ground clearence as the exhaust has been replaced with SS bespoke item. Now I am not experienced at off roading ... but on trurning to go up slope I quickly lost all traction ......... soon the front wheels started spinning and the back wheels just remained totally motionless....all be it sunk in the ground by about 2 - 3 inches. There seemed to be absolutely no drive to the rear at all ........... I was in mondo mode!!!!

Q. Will a freelander with good VCU drive say 80% more power to rear wheels when required. Because I recon if I am lucky I mayme am getting 10%.

Now over twelve months ago I did replace the VCU with a reconditioned item from ,freelander-spares-uk . So you can imagine I am not best pleased ......... so a warning to all you members out there buy the original GKN part and stump up the extra £150 quid or so.

To make matters worse and really humiliate me my next door neighbour who scoffs at my little freebe ...... had to come and rescue me in his P38 Range Rover ..... which I hasten to add never slipped once. I sure I have read somwhere these use a viscous coupling....similar to Freebe

So I am sigining off now ..... really depressed embarresed and humiliated.:(
 
The Freelander drive train as a whole entity and not just the VCU, will transfer power to the wheels, or even one wheel, which have/has the most grip.

In the most extreme hypothetical situation if even one wheel has traction, then you keep moving forward - or back, if reversing up a wet grassy slope.

I encounter a lot of grass and have tried once or twice to spin the wheels, by deliberately being heavy-footed and it's damn difficult to do.

Same as on hard packed snow on mountain roads - the Freelander just undramatically does the job, and gets on with it.

I've searched for the limits of traction and concluded that they were way in excess of my needs, so didn't bother scaring myself further.

disco-m is right - Freelander Spares UK have a less than perfect record re VCUs.
 
I encounter a lot of grass and have tried once or twice to spin the wheels, by deliberately being heavy-footed and it's damn difficult to do.

Same as on hard packed snow on mountain roads - the Freelander just undramatically does the job, and gets on with it.

I've searched for the limits of traction and concluded that they were way in excess of my needs, so didn't bother scaring myself further.

I too, have also tried to explore the limits of traction in my (previous) Freelander.

On snow/ice/wet grass (on A/T's), it takes a LOT of provocation to get the wheels to loose traction
 
I watched a freelander towing a small caravan, struggle to make progress on wet grass at the Glastonbury festival last year. He was obviously running mondo mode or a knackered VCU as only his front wheels were spinning.

It was cringeworthy:eek:
 
My thoughts are defo the VCU .......... unfortunately a new GKN is aroung £400 without bearings!!!! My advice to Freelander owners never buy reconditioned VCU's..........
 
My thoughts are defo the VCU .......... unfortunately a new GKN is aroung £400 without bearings!!!! My advice to Freelander owners never buy reconditioned VCU's..........

Perhaps just only buy them from reputable sources?

Have you tried contacting who you brought it from? If it were me i would give them a blast down the phone and if that didnt work politely drive down there and launch it at them
 
The Freelander drive train as a whole entity and not just the VCU, will transfer power to the wheels, or even one wheel, which have/has the most grip...
Only if fitted with working traction control. Without this the spinning wheel in the axle pair (I know it dun't have axles :rolleyes:) would take all the power and spin. Hence one wheel with grip int enough without traction control. :eek:
 
Only if fitted with working traction control. Without this the spinning wheel in the axle pair (I know it dun't have axles :rolleyes:) would take all the power and spin. Hence one wheel with grip int enough without traction control. :eek:

Fair point Hippo, I was thinking only about a Freelander with all the gizmos.

What's the score with the TC? Which models have and which don't? :(

S. :cool:
 
rear wheels have to have drive if prop is connected and viscous in good order (the more torque put through v/c the more solid it is )one can spin because of rear diff (traction control should apply brake to spinning wheel to drive other if fitted ) instead of center diff like defender or disco freelander uses v/c ,so std freelander has same drive as def or disco in diff lock
 
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We went away with the caravan at bank holiday weekend. We stayed at a CS, the field was on a slope with long grass and when we left on Tuesday it was soaking wet. I was really impressed by the way the Freelander towed the caravan up the field with no problems at all.
 
Fair point Hippo, I was thinking only about a Freelander with all the gizmos.

What's the score with the TC? Which models have and which don't? :(

S. :cool:
Traction control was an option on early models. Became standard after somethiing like 2 years I think. Would need to look it to be sure. It's been said before that it was removed so the entry level price was cheaper. But you could generalise about anything I guess.
 
Perhaps just only buy them from reputable sources?

Have you tried contacting who you brought it from? If it were me i would give them a blast down the phone and if that didnt work politely drive down there and launch it at them

I would say bell engineering get a good name for freelander work, they do a drive in-drive out service on VCU's, so would go to their website and have a look.

You're freeby should with a proper working VCU tow the trailer no problem up the slope. Once it's fixed properly, try again with the trailer and that hill to see if you get up it.

I know mine goes up and down muddy grassy hills no issue, so your's should be the same.
 
Hi I think AJM is right ....with a fully funxctioning VCU giving a reasonable torque split.... my little truch should have scrabbled up the slope. Situation was fronts sank into ground by approx 4 inch and the backs about 3 inches ..... at which point if sat there spinning the front wheels ..... I tried rocking out ....but no way. When I looked at rear tyres there was absolutely no evidence of any movement....the treads were totally clean. I am positive if full drive was available at rear it would not have lost momentum and would have pressed on through. My understanding is once the front wheels start spinning the prop to VCU input speeds up - increasing the friction in the viscous fluid that then gets thicker and transfers more drive to the rear wheels. Mine clearly is only passing very little to rear perhaps 10%

I was so humiliated by this .... once again I stress that Freebe fans must buy new GKN VCU's ........ you live and learn

Cheers
 
I dont understand why people replace them at 70-80k...

I have had 4 now, all with varying miles (between 50k on an 02MY, and 130k on a 98MY) and all 4 have been fine...

Granted, they may have been replaced at some point, but still...
 
Hi I think AJM is right ....with a fully funxctioning VCU giving a reasonable torque split.... my little truch should have scrabbled up the slope. Situation was fronts sank into ground by approx 4 inch and the backs about 3 inches ..... at which point if sat there spinning the front wheels ..... I tried rocking out ....but no way. When I looked at rear tyres there was absolutely no evidence of any movement....the treads were totally clean. I am positive if full drive was available at rear it would not have lost momentum and would have pressed on through. My understanding is once the front wheels start spinning the prop to VCU input speeds up - increasing the friction in the viscous fluid that then gets thicker and transfers more drive to the rear wheels. Mine clearly is only passing very little to rear perhaps 10%

I was so humiliated by this .... once again I stress that Freebe fans must buy new GKN VCU's ........ you live and learn

Cheers

I agree with and understand what you are annoyed about.

2 things though -

There are good, reliable refurbishers and suppliers out there - the problem is identifying them. I would not buy from an unknown source. The names of the good, the bad and the ugly are on here. Libel laws prevent us from running a name & shame campaign.

I would also suggest that if your 'little truck' had a fully working drive train it would not have 'scrabbled up the slope' at all - it would have 'glided effortlessly up' - no drama - no fuss - no mud flying in all directions - as the tratters enjoy doing - no disrespect meant to them - that can be fun and has a time and place .........

I have tremendous faith in my TD4 mainly because it has never let me down in some horrendous situations off road and on dirt tracks in ex-war zones on mine-clearing work where the drama is for real and a laughing or ****-taking Disco, Range-Rover, or Defender driver with a tow-rope was not on hand.

Singvogel. :cool:
 
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Replaced mine as it was rock solid..........when I was turning at low speed it would almost bring the car to a grinding hault........and reverse hard over was worse. Mine had done 105k.

I have phone Freelander Spares Uk who are looking into it ....... but I don't hold out much hope.

Richard
 
Hi Sig ....... thanks for your posting ..... yes I have seen some really terrific off road antics in situations I would not dare to go ....... and my situation although slippery and a bit ardous with some long grass looked like a walk in the park compared to some of that you tube stuff. By the way mine is a 2000 model very early M47 with twin fuel pumps ........... it is a GS would this have traction control......??? The only other thing I did do wrong ..... my tyres are blown up pretty hard for tarmac use..... but tread is ace...and I have pretty good ground clearence thanks to a bespoke stainless exhaust.
 
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