SLROC Forum

Hello,

  I removed the front propshaft from my defender on the weekend to diagnose a pretty heavy vibration - it was the culprit.

  Rather than fit a new one laying in my drive in the snow, I've been offered the use of a hydraulic lift in a workshop ten miles from my house - how far can I safely drive on diff-lock without knackering the centre diff?

  Any thoughts would be much appreciated

-mudTerrain

I did a full green road run and back to Glasgow (around 50 miles or so) once when my front propshaft dropped off and have suffered no lasting damage. I think as long as one prop shaft has been removed and you don't go mad there shouldn't be a problem.

Hi Dave,

  thanks for that - better safe than in bits all down the road behind me...

-mudTerrain

i commuted back and forth auchenblae to dyce for 3 weeks when my front prop died - till i found a suitable used unit.

only issue was that they are a horror to drive in RWD only on wet hill junctions.

Mine seems a bit more prone to juddering when I pull out of my drive, which is up a steepish hill, but apart from that, I haven't noticed any difference at all...I'd have thought the steering would feel lighter (I had a hilux with electric-switched 4wd and the steering was heavier with it switched on), but it doesn't at all...

While I'm asking questions...I've not long replaced the rear prop-shaft (I should have known the front would follow it on the way out!) and one of the handbrake-end bolts started to turn when I torqued the nut on it - do you know how the bolts are held in place inside the handbrake drum?

Thanks for your help,

-mudTerrain

Your hilux was like that because all 4 wheels were being driven and your f and r axels were turning at the same speed , which in 2 wd mode they dont

With your diff lock in and a prop off your just driving one axel not both , wi both props on and diff lock in you would have same thing or certainly less responsive steering , bigger turning circle

Re the handbrake bolts - there are slots in the back of the drum to hold the heads in place , i used a chisel wedged in to hold the bolt head in the slot so it undid as mines were also spinning when i was removing the prop to have a look at the drum

I don't see why driving with one propshaft off and the diff locked would give any concern at all.
I've pulled the front shaft and driven home several times on the 110 when a u/j went west
Driving with a driveshaft missing and no propshaft might be iffy but the works lwb (IIa) limped home many a time  on the front axle. Halfshafts did not like the variety of drivers.