Freelander TD4 (2003) snapping wheel studs

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Universally_Challenged

Universally_Challenged

Active Member
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513
Location
axminster
Evening.
The freelander had its rear hubs changed in or around 2001.
It altered the Offset of the wheel, so if your alloys on your post 2001 hippo touch the outside of the rear drum get them changed. They are more than likly off an earlyer model. however, newer wheels are backwards compatable.

I found out the hard way.

1. changed front pads to find the calipers were pushed out so far the wheel would no longer turn (snagged on the spoke) - had to grind 4 mm off my pads to alough the wheel to turn again..

2. not learning from number 1, had my rear wheel started to snap studs off. on closer inspection the wheel was not sitting on the spiggot fully, (as the alloy spokes were touching the outer edge of the drum) meaning the weight and forces of the wheel/vehicle were being transfered through the studs, it all starded with a gentle clicking sound like a stone in the tyre, then 3 days later BANG, 2 studs gone shooting off down the road. VERY NARROW ESCAPE.

best go check your read drums now.

PS 2001 is what i believe, some one correct me if i'm wrong
 
I bought some steel wheels off ebay (£25), suspect pre-2001 and tried fitting them to my 2003 freelander, rear wheels jsut dont look right, as described above sit flush with the drum, not on the spigot in centre of hub.

Does this sound like these wheels are usuitable for my vehicle?
 
chuts said:
I bought some steel wheels off ebay (£25), suspect pre-2001 and tried fitting them to my 2003 freelander, rear wheels jsut dont look right, as described above sit flush with the drum, not on the spigot in centre of hub.

Does this sound like these wheels are usuitable for my vehicle?
Click to expand...

it does. i've had this 18 months before they started to fail. previous owner recons they got the alloys few months after getting the vehicle. so it took 4 years before the first one went.

im not telling you to use them

but

im getting some off a guy on here, and if there wrong i'll keep them as i'll only use them once in a blue moon for use on site and towing.

just check your front wheels first to ensure they clear the breaks
 
havent bought the rubber for them yet, so may put them back on ebay and get A/T tyres for my alloys when they start to wear thin in a few months. Thanks for the advice mate, I aint gonna risk it
 
chuts said:
havent bought the rubber for them yet, so may put them back on ebay and get A/T tyres for my alloys when they start to wear thin in a few months. Thanks for the advice mate, I aint gonna risk it
Click to expand...

VERY good decision!

Road wheels MUST be mounted correctly, and that MUST mean they are fitted so that there is NO possible bending moment on the wheel-studs.

There are THREE requirements:

1. the wheel fits the hub squarely and seats securely and runs true.
2. the wheel is centralised and spins true without up-down wobbles.
3. the wheel is secure enough to handle driving and braking forces, and all the thumping and bumping of roads and off-roads.

This means that the wheel MUST hit the hub fair and square (and CLEAN - coppergrease but no gritty stuff), MUST be centralised, and MUST be tight enough that there is NO rotation between wheel and hub due to drive and braking.

Basically, you want only ONE force on the wheel studs - straight tension, of which they can stand plenty. If you have any BENDING forces on wheel studs, they WILL break. Also, if the studs and nuts a re filthy rusty when you tighten the nuts you WILL apply TORQUE to the studs, which is as bad as bending them. Torque AND bending .... B-A-D. It would only be a matter of time till they break, from fatigue failure. It might take years, or it might take hours. It all depends .... but when they break they break like snapping glass rod. NO warning, and if one goes, chances are others might follow a few seconds later.

That's why Chuts took a good decision. Wheels falling off is never a good plan, and definitely not at 70 in lane 3 of the M1 on a dark wet night in rush-hour.

CharlesY
 
CharlesY said:
VERY good decision!

Road wheels MUST be mounted correctly, and that MUST mean they are fitted so that there is NO possible bending moment on the wheel-studs.

There are THREE requirements:

1. the wheel fits the hub squarely and seats securely and runs true.
2. the wheel is centralised and spins true without up-down wobbles.
3. the wheel is secure enough to handle driving and braking forces, and all the thumping and bumping of roads and off-roads.

This means that the wheel MUST hit the hub fair and square (and CLEAN - coppergrease but no gritty stuff), MUST be centralised, and MUST be tight enough that there is NO rotation between wheel and hub due to drive and braking.

Basically, you want only ONE force on the wheel studs - straight tension, of which they can stand plenty. If you have any BENDING forces on wheel studs, they WILL break. Also, if the studs and nuts a re filthy rusty when you tighten the nuts you WILL apply TORQUE to the studs, which is as bad as bending them. Torque AND bending .... B-A-D. It would only be a matter of time till they break, from fatigue failure. It might take years, or it might take hours. It all depends .... but when they break they break like snapping glass rod. NO warning, and if one goes, chances are others might follow a few seconds later.

That's why Chuts took a good decision. Wheels falling off is never a good plan, and definitely not at 70 in lane 3 of the M1 on a dark wet night in rush-hour.

CharlesY
Click to expand...
well said trigger
 
I have just encountered this problem. Tried to put new alloys on 2003 TD4 - took them to Kwik Fit. When they tried to fit them onto rear they came into contact with the drums. When the guy torqued up the nuts to see if they would fit there was an horrendous crack ! The whhel stud seemed unharmed, but I'm sure it was not his torque wrench. Since replecing them with original alloys from the car I've had a grinding noise when braking from that particular wheel. Someone on the forum has suggested that the drum may be deformed. Could that crack have been the drum bending ? 2 garages have now had the drum assembly and brakes apart but can find nothing wrong - still getting the grinding noise, so could this be a distorted drum housing fouling on brake shoes ?
Any ideas ?
 
Shows the value of this site, it's worth wading through all the abuse etc that occasionally appears on it.
I was considering another set of wheels with off road tyres, never realised I had to be careful what age they are.

Thanks
 
interesting thread I bought a set of steels with new bridgstone tyres on intending to swop them to the alloys as the originals wear then to fit some Gnarly off roads to the steels (DONT THINK I WILL BOTHER NOW)
Thanks very much guys u may have saved my bacon
 
Mine is a 2001 - would be curious to know exactly when the change occured and whether I should fit older wheels or newer ones?

I'm after a set of Freedoms.
 
hey Ian.

i'm not familer with freedoms, as for when the brakes were upgraded, it was 01 and 02 other models, nobody even seems to know. not even the stealers. i havent really looked at any "pre upgrade" hubs so i dont know it there is a visual difference or not. i could measure a rim tomorrow so you could tell if your current wheels are new type or old type. might be a crude way, but there is definatly a 10mm or so difference.

UC

oh yeah, what are you driving?

Ian Griffiths said:
Mine is a 2001 - would be curious to know exactly when the change occured and whether I should fit older wheels or newer ones?

I'm after a set of Freedoms.
Click to expand...
 
free.jpg


This is mine, 2001 TD4 GS. Its on a Y plate now, that pic was off the sale advert, not got any myself!

Wheel pics on this page - LANDROVER SPECIALISTS SIMMONITES WHEEL TYRE SPECIALS

Those wheels are certainly found on later ones than mine, as are the other 17" style named Trek although they're a bit rarer and thus more expensive when they come up on Ebay.

Might whip my spare off the hanger tomorrow and see if there are any markings on the inside.
 
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