So, here is how I spent Christmas Eve:
Grovelling in the mud, replacing the rear propshaft.
As some of you may have read elsewhere, a couple of weeks ago I had a sudden onset of a loud rumbling, whirring noise as I drove along, with a lot of vibration. On investigation it turned out to be the Rotoflex coupling on the rear propshaft, which had come apart and was flailing around.
As a temporary measure, until I could get a replacement, I removed it, and the rear propshaft, last week, and became the owner of a front-wheel drive Discovery - just in time for the worst ice we have had yet this winter. Still, even as a front-wheel drive, the Disco managed to cope ok.
On inspection, I found that the rear propshaft was damaged as well, by the bits of the Rotoflex hitting it, and also the bush in the end of the propshaft, which locates on a spigot on the rear diff, had worn away and become oval, so I decided to replace the propshaft and the Rotoflex. Here is what the old and new ones look like:
I think you can just about tell the difference
So here I am on Christmas Eve morning lying under the Disco, swearing at the propshaft to transfer box bolts as I do half-a-turn, move spanner, half-a-turn, move spanner, half-a-turn ...
Then I realise that, now I've got a new shiny propshaft, with no play in any of the joints, I can't rotate it enough to get a spanner on all four of the nuts at the front (transfer box) end, so I've either got to jack up another wheel (not a good plan, since it's already on ramps) or take it off the ramps, move the ramps, put it back on the ramps and hope that everything is rotated enough to get at the last two bolts.
Well it only took me 3 goes...
Who'd have thought that moving the Disco forward 3 foot would be exactly one rotation of the proshaft?
Anyway, finally got everything tight, and took it for a run up the lane, listening for any nasty noises.
There weren't any - or at least none from the propshaft - the rest of the car makes plenty of other squeaks, groans and rattles...
Put it back on the ramps after the run, and went round every nut and bolt again checking they were all tight.
Job done, time for beer...
Happy Christmas, all of you.
Grovelling in the mud, replacing the rear propshaft.
As some of you may have read elsewhere, a couple of weeks ago I had a sudden onset of a loud rumbling, whirring noise as I drove along, with a lot of vibration. On investigation it turned out to be the Rotoflex coupling on the rear propshaft, which had come apart and was flailing around.
As a temporary measure, until I could get a replacement, I removed it, and the rear propshaft, last week, and became the owner of a front-wheel drive Discovery - just in time for the worst ice we have had yet this winter. Still, even as a front-wheel drive, the Disco managed to cope ok.
On inspection, I found that the rear propshaft was damaged as well, by the bits of the Rotoflex hitting it, and also the bush in the end of the propshaft, which locates on a spigot on the rear diff, had worn away and become oval, so I decided to replace the propshaft and the Rotoflex. Here is what the old and new ones look like:
I think you can just about tell the difference
So here I am on Christmas Eve morning lying under the Disco, swearing at the propshaft to transfer box bolts as I do half-a-turn, move spanner, half-a-turn, move spanner, half-a-turn ...
Then I realise that, now I've got a new shiny propshaft, with no play in any of the joints, I can't rotate it enough to get a spanner on all four of the nuts at the front (transfer box) end, so I've either got to jack up another wheel (not a good plan, since it's already on ramps) or take it off the ramps, move the ramps, put it back on the ramps and hope that everything is rotated enough to get at the last two bolts.
Well it only took me 3 goes...
Who'd have thought that moving the Disco forward 3 foot would be exactly one rotation of the proshaft?
Anyway, finally got everything tight, and took it for a run up the lane, listening for any nasty noises.
There weren't any - or at least none from the propshaft - the rest of the car makes plenty of other squeaks, groans and rattles...
Put it back on the ramps after the run, and went round every nut and bolt again checking they were all tight.
Job done, time for beer...
Happy Christmas, all of you.
