Wide angle prop

Sorry this has probably been posted a hundred times.

I'm in need of my front uj's replacing, had a word with my usual mechanic and he reckons, because my 90 is lifted that a wide angle prop may be the most cost effective solution.

Thing is he's silly busy moving house and his work load has backed up.

Is changing the prop a relatively easy thing to do myself?
Ive done bits on the truck myself so I reckon competent enough, just don't want to come across any nasty surprises.

Thanks again

Morning,

Changing a prop is a really easy thing to do, just make sure you have the correct spanners for the job. Some people utilise the special prop "spanner" I find a ratchet with extensions work well enough.

Make sure to chock the vehicle securely. Do not disassemble new prop, if you do make sure it goes back together exqctly as it came apart.

Cheers

Thanks neilly.
Just a case of a few nuts and bolts then?

As @neilly says, be careful tightening the prop nuts up, if you use an impact or nut runner, DON'T tighten them up fully, just run them down and use a torque wrench or just a hand ratchet to finish them off.

9/16th spanners ... and I do use the 'special' prop tool .. but mine's even more specialerer 'cos I've ground it down a little so it fits even easier ..

Just to add a bit,

Also if you are replacing the nuts or bolts at any time , make sure to use the correct ones and not just a few spares you find in your jar of bolts, They are nyloc nuts and the bolts have the shoulder on them so that the torque is not transmitted thru the thread.

Cheers

Just buy new nuts and bolts with the prop - that way you'll get the right ones. A 9/16 open ended spanner for the diff end make life easier.

zeaphod said:

Just buy new nuts and bolts with the prop - that way you'll get the right ones.

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If you are planning on doing the bolts, you will need to remove the drive flange as well, at least if it is like mine.

Cheers

Hmm. My rear has the bolts facing towards the diff, probably just a PO's work. Classic Landy stuff!
Of course, if you don't need the bolts you can use the new nuts and put the bolts into your odds n sods jar!

I just checked mine, front and rear T box end has the bolts in the T box drive flange, the Diff ends the bolts are in the prop flanges.
Although it is not a big job to drop the T box drive flange / T Brake off and replace the bolts, if you are not expecting to do it , it would make life interesting.LOL

Cheers

Paul D said:

As @neilly says, be careful tightening the prop nuts up, if you use an impact or nut runner, DON'T tighten them up fully, just run them down and use a torque wrench or just a hand ratchet to finish them off.

9/16th spanners ... and I do use the 'special' prop tool .. but mine's even more specialerer 'cos I've ground it down a little so it fits even easier ..

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Typical you paul. I find you always get three off easy with the prop tool but there's always one bugger. Did you grind the head down so it's slimmer?

Prop tool and 9/16th spanner makes easy work of the prop bolts

Yeah, the rounded bit is 'just' too wide and long, so I ground it down the easy way .. Small bench grinder, other end held in an electric drill chuck via an adaptor ... nice and smooth. I worried that it would be too fragile to use, but the bolts don't need a lot of torque, so it's fine ..

New propshaft was the first job I ever did on my Defender, for that matter, I'd never done any car maintenance before.
Watched a couple of videos on You Tube ( ) and just did it.

Only thing I'd do differently, is make sure all the nipples are greased up suitably before starting. Just one less fiddly job to try and do after you've grazed your knuckles.

Jamscone said:

New propshaft was the first job I ever did on my Defender, for that matter, I'd never done any car maintenance before.
Watched a couple of videos on You Tube ( ) and just did it.

Only thing I'd do differently, is make sure all the nipples are greased up suitably before starting. Just one less fiddly job to try and do after you've grazed your knuckles.

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Quite possibly the worst piece of advice I've ever read.

If you grease your prop whilst its off it will hydraulic lock and it will be to long to fit in the space, always grease em up after you bolt them in place!!!

Gottschalk said:

Quite possibly the worst piece of advice I've ever read.

If you grease your prop whilst its off it will hydraulic lock and it will be to long to fit in the space, always grease em up after you bolt them in place!!!

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Disagree, but I'm sure you're far more experienced in such matters.

Jamscone said:

Disagree, but I'm sure you're far more experienced in such matters.

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Well I obviously am yes.

I did this when I was 17 on my series 3 thinking it would be easier with I off, hydraulic lock was the result and I couldn't fit it.

So yes, grease it up after fitting!

Gottschalk said:

Well I obviously am yes.

I did this when I was 17 on my series 3 thinking it would be easier with I off, hydraulic lock was the result and I couldn't it it.

So yes, grease it up after fitting!

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What a hero you are.

What?

Stop taking offence, you offered bad advice and I countered it.

If someone had done as you suggest, a p1ss easy job turns into a right fookin mare.

Get over yourself chap

Some one was on this forum the other day with a prop that did not fit. probably filled it with grease.

Gottschalk said:

What?

Stop taking offence, you offered bad advice and I countered it.

If someone had done as you suggest, a p1ss easy job turns into a right fookin mare.

Get over yourself chap

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Yes pudding.

Well had the truck In to have the uj's looked at and my problem isn't them
so back to the drawing board