Hello everyone,

I recently bought a freelander from 2005, and I have a VCU problem.
No noises whatsoever, except a little squeaking from rear wheels when I turn fully left (easier to hear for the drivers.. left sided steering wheel). Reverse, the rear is going up a little bit (not really noticeable, though).

I found out after paying (my mistake... I should have been more attentive when inspecting the vehicule !!) that front tyres are differents. It has been swapped with the spare wheel for I don't know how long. Anyway, tyres are differents.

I have then, to :
- change tyres (4 of them for a fresh start)
- change/repair the VCU + 2 supports bearing
- be sure the IRD is fine, so I don't spend 1500€ for nothing.. how do I do that ?

What's your opinion about the right order to do things ?
I suppose the VCU could be fine but engages all the time because of the tyres being different in the front ? (also different brand/wear on the rear).
Should I change tyres first ?
What are the chances for the IRD to be dead ?

Thank you for reading,
Jean-Baptiste

1st job is do a one wheel up test (plenty of info on here).

If the VCU is duff you can take the prop off and then it doesn't matter what tyres you have on the car and you can drive it with them as much as you want.

If the VCU is good, you can either take the prop off until you get new tyres, or get new tyres immediately, being sure to drive an absolute minimum until you do (i.e. to your nearest tyre place).

2nd job is change the IRD oil and see what condition it's in. Again there is loads of info on here about it. Ensure to undo the IRD filler plug before undoing the drain plug. Look for metal in the fluid.

Put 4 tyres on change bearings check/ change oils and see if it’s reliable before you get drowned

Hello and thank you very much for your quick replies !
I've read about the one wheel up test and will do it tomorrow first thing. Although I've also read that if it's stiff it's not significant as the cause may be from different sources.

I'll investigate on the forum how to take off the prop OFF properly for now and I will do it before anything else. Then I'll be able to drive with it safely, test and recondition the VCU and then I'll check the IRD oil.

Prop off is easy, even on axle stands, but do the one-wheel test first !!

As all have said above.

And worth repeating to do the 1 wheel up test first as you need the props on to do this!

Remove it if its to stiff, post your timings on here if you need advice. Actually, you could post them on here...


If you need to remove the props & diff, obviously the more room under the car you have the better, but I also find it easier if you can push the car a bit to turn the axle so that the top bolts, which are harder to get at, are then at the bottom

Be careful as well, the VCU, and props, is heavy. Try and lower it on a jack rather than it falling on your bonce. We'd quite like you to be alive and let us know how you get on.

Depending on local regulations & insurance, eg modified vehicles, its quite OK to drive the Freelander with the props removed.