Trashed s3 109 got me home. Now what?

Wildefalcon · Tuesday at 20:54

The shaft can be loose, it floats.

doriz · Tuesday at 21:12

Almiscarado said:
I had the 109 on stands ONLY to discover the left rear wheel is loose - not connected to transmition. Could it BE a broken half shaft?
Does this looks like it should?
View attachment 347993
The Landy was driveable because the rear diff is soldered ( Will Change that later)...

Check the 6 bolts that hold on the axel driver flange. This has happened on mine so I need to either tap new threads and go up a bolt size (bodge) or replace the hub.

tottot · Tuesday at 21:13

Half shafts are of fully floating type so some movement expected although there is usually a shim washer between hub and circlip.

tottot · Tuesday at 21:22

Rear diff soldered ? If you have both wheels off the ground and in gear/hand brake on you should be able to turn both wheels. This is because the diff will be doing its job.[one on the other side goes in reverse]
If out of gear hand brake off and you spin a wheel either the other wheel turns as above or the prop shaft turns.

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T14:06:23+0100

tottot said:
Rear diff soldered ? If you have both wheels off the ground and in gear/hand brake on you should be able to turn both wheels. This is because the diff will be doing its job.[one on the other side goes in reverse]
If out of gear hand brake off and you spin a wheel either the other wheel turns as above or the prop shaft turns.

The half shaft is broken.

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T14:09:29+0100

From what i seen, i need a shaft than has 10 splines on the diff SIDE and 24 ou the outside. Does this sound good for a 1979 S3 ?

tottot · 2025-08-20T14:51:53+0100

Aha, as @Wildefalcon noted a 79 series 3 should have a heavy duty Salisbury rear axle but yours has a Rover axle/diff. Diff itself looks OK in pic and 10/24 shaft will get you going.
To have driven it home with a broken half shaft it must have been in 4 wheel drive pulling along on the front wheels.

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T15:00:52+0100

tottot said:
Aha, as @Wildefalcon noted a 79 series 3 should have a heavy duty Salisbury rear axle but yours has a Rover axle/diff. Diff itself looks OK in pic and 10/24 shaft will get you going.
To have driven it home with a broken half shaft it must have been in 4 wheel drive pulling along on the front wheels.

It was rear drive ONLY, but with a soldered diff

kermit_rr · 2025-08-20T15:03:10+0100

Soldered!?

Wildefalcon · 2025-08-20T15:22:27+0100

Welded. Translation error?

Wildefalcon · 2025-08-20T15:23:27+0100

That diff doesn't look welded to me.

Chalky. · 2025-08-20T15:40:43+0100

tottot said:
I agree with the chaps above regarding repairs. Do not be tempted with doing a complete strip down overhaul unless this is really your thing, so many are never finished. Keep as a rolling restoration and enjoy each fix/improvement done as you use it.

I honestly think this is the best piece of advice I have ever read or heard anywhere, and I wish id had someone say that to me when I was in my early 20's.

It's what I've done with my 90 for the past 10 years, and what I should have done with my 2 door rangie!

hef19898 · 2025-08-20T16:59:34+0100

Chalky. said:
I honestly think this is the best piece of advice I have ever read or heard anywhere, and I wish id had someone say that to me when I was in my early 20's.

It's what I've done with my 90 for the past 10 years, and what I should have done with my 2 door rangie!

This is a reasonable thing to do, keep it road safe and pass MOT, do the the necessary work as it comes up. Might end up with a bunch of stuff to be done at once so. But yeah, those nut and bolt restorations trnd to never be finished, cost a lot and if done only look great for a day or so on the road.

Unless you want (!) to do one, in which case just go for it!

tottot · 2025-08-20T17:10:04+0100

If that diff is welded you will need a new one or at least a set of the bevel gears.

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T17:42:54+0100

Wildefalcon said:
That diff doesn't look welded to me.

Let.me explain the whole story: the guy that sold me included this diff in the deal, because he was planning to remove the welded diff. I plan to Change to this "regular" diff because I wont BE doing any hardcore OffRoad, so i do not feel the need of a welded diff.
But the One currently in use is welded...

Wildefalcon · 2025-08-20T17:44:48+0100

Ah! Yes. I understand. Do you have a photo of the original diff? The one fitted to the back?

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T17:45:01+0100

tottot said:
If that diff is welded you will need a new one or at least a set of the bevel gears.

Sorry but i am still finding my way: this diff i took photo of is a extra diff i have that i plan to install, because I do not want to use the welded One...

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T17:47:08+0100

Had half an hour to spend and tried to remove the whole broken half shaft from the axle, and it seems stuck when it is almost all out. Is there any trick to remove it or just brute force?

Wildefalcon · 2025-08-20T17:50:02+0100

Any photos? If damaged they can be hard to remove.

Almiscarado · 2025-08-20T17:52:31+0100

tottot said:
If that diff is welded you will need a new one or at least a set of the bevel gears.

Is it reverseable after someone welded One? Seems quite hard to cut that weld off to remove the Bebel gears

Trashed s3 109 got me home. Now what?

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