Emergency breakdown in France - Help needed

[snezza69]

Hello all, driving though France to go home, when the Disco started vibrating badly at 70mph.  It got really bad to the point I had to stop.

The vibration seemed to come somewhere from the front, but not sure.

If I let my foot off the accelerator at this speed, the vibration stopped, but if I placed the vehicle in Neutral the vibration remained.

My breakdown company have put me in a hotel in France until a mechanic can see the vehicle on Monday however a mechanic in Spain saw the vehicle and just re balanced the front wheels for 60 Euros problem not fixed at all.

The wheel bearings seem ok too.

Has anyone had this problem or do you have any idea what the problem might be?

I will check the forum later today

Thanks in advance!

The car is a 1992 200TDi with LT77 box

The vibration seemed to come quickly........no warning.

[Thrasher]

Get underneath and check the propshaft UJ's. Chock the wheels, handbrake off.....

[Budgie]

My guess would be the front propshaft U/Js, loose wheel bearing or too much play on the swivel pins.

With the propshaft, you can remove the front prop, select difflock in high ratio and take it for a drive to see if the vibration is still there. If not then it's one of the U/Js, centre spline or the balance plate.
If you can't get the parts in France then you should be able to drive it home without the front prop fitted but take it easy.  

Wheel bearings and swivels:
Jack up the one wheel (wheel & tyre still in place) and grab the tyre at the 12 & 6 o'clock positions. Try to wiggle the tyre in & out, get someone to look at the swivel housing seal for movement. If you see movement or feel it then it's the swivel bearing pre-load that needs looking at - remove the top pin and remove some shims.

If you don't feel any movement then grab the tyre at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions and do the same again. If you feel movement here then look at your wheel bearings.

Now do the other side, even if you found something on the first side!

Also check all the steering balljoints (trackrod ends etc), steering damper and suspension bushes.

Let us know how you get on.  

[hobbit]

Where in france are you?

[Edge]

Jack up the one wheel (wheel & tyre still in place) and grab the tyre at the 12 & 6 o'clock positions. Try to wiggle the tyre in & out, get someone to look at the swivel housing seal for movement. If you see movement or feel it then it's the swivel bearing pre-load that needs looking at - remove the top pin and remove some shims.

If you don't feel any movement then grab the tyre at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions and do the same again. If you feel movement here then look at your wheel bearings

Budgie.... I do hope you made a mistake with your 12-6 o clock grab and wiggle.... as thats how ive been checking my bearings :oops:
Hope i aint got it wrong and its actually the swivel i should have been adjusting :oops:

[Range Rover Blues]

12-6 oclock will tell you bearings and swivel, 3-9 oclock bearings and steering, you need to check both.

Anyway. more pressing matters, that sounds to me like a prop has gone, fortunate for you Snezza as you car has a spare (well redundant at least) so you can get home in 2wd.

I did have a Diff collapse with very similar symptoms, but that would be damn obvious from a quick look underneath.  My money is on the prop.

Pair of 14mm spanners and take it off.  Just remeber to put a brick under one wheel.

[snezza69]

thanks all.

Problem 1:  I was only allowed by SWMBO to bring the wheel brace and bottle jack as we were travalling fully laden.

Problem 2:  The vehicle is now at a local garage in Bairritz and will be looked at on Monday.

Problem 3:  I dont trust the mechanics over here.

I still have 900 miles to go to get home, will that be OK for this distance?

The good news is that my recovery comany has put me up in a hotel for 2 nights on the Bairritz sea front and has arranged for the three of us to fly home as we both need to get back to work.

If the car is fixed within 3 days, they will fly me back out to collect it or if it will not be repaired in that time they will trailer it back to me!

I am a little concerned that the garage may just replace the prop when all it needs by the sound of it is 1 or 2 joints!  Dont know how easy they qre to get hold of here!!!!

I know the garage in Germany gets all their LR parts from France :oops:

I hope it gets trailered back to me to fix myself.......

Will keep you posted.

[defenderdan]

a mechanic in Spain saw the vehicle and just re balanced the front wheels for 60 Euros problem not fixed at all.

That is £40 for a balance on two wheels, I hope for your sake that is just a typing error.

[hobbit]

If you can confirm the prop is the prob, get another proshaft locally if possible, or get them not to fix but to drag it back, or fly over with a replacement prop and change it yourself, then drive back

[snezza69]

That is £40 for a balance on two wheels, I hope for your sake that is just a typing error.

I know, but when you cant get the language!!!!!!

We just wanted to get on our way.

[Lee_D]

There is a Landrover main dealer in Biaritz, the parts / Service chaps name is Max Epicery, if you see him poke him in the eye and tell him I said he's still a Les Misreble  

Our Disco coken outen in that area last year, they fixed it fine but Max had a very high and mighty attitude with the reps from the Caravan Club Red Pennant. In so much as they wouldn't speak to them till the afternoon despite the car being fixed, meanwhile I was waiting on the car and returning a hire carand getting car and Caravan to Santander. I got a little angry so went and got the car myself then blew my top in the middle of the Sales room , full of Ferrari , Landrover and Jaguars.

For some reason they decided to speak to me then.  :roll:

Anyway, good luck with getting going, fingers crossed your not in that garage but at least you should be able to get the bits if you need them.
Our problem was electrical, theres not a mechanic in the place , just fitters so we had to wait for a electrician to attend and this is no small franchise either.

Lee D

[dew1911]

If you can't get the parts in France then you should be able to drive it home without the front prop fitted but take it easy.  

Until you do what a mate of mine did and blow the diff out (but he did run it like that for 3 weeks, moron)

[Xtremeteam]

its a pity its not a 110 as there would be way you could pop the back diff out wi the front prop off

[snezza69]

Well, made it home by flying (just).  Our bags are still in Amsterdam but should be back here tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.

Still no word on the problem with the Disco yet.  My only hope is that as there are few Landrovers out there that they might just send it back anyway.

I don't fancy going out there again next weekend to spend it driving home again!

God, its great to get a proper key board at my fingers again, the french one was doing my head in.......... :?

[thermidorthelobster]

If you can't get the parts in France then you should be able to drive it home without the front prop fitted but take it easy.  

Until you do what a mate of mine did and blow the diff out (but he did run it like that for 3 weeks, moron)

Chap I know drove his Disco around for several months without the front prop.  Didn't seem to do any obvious damage, but the fuel economy got better, and the handling got worse.

[Range Rover Blues]

the fuel economy got better, and the handling got worse.

Hmm, tried that, breifly in blue.  Don't want to try it in the LSE as it's a bit fast, it spins wheels in the wet anyway apparently.

[snezza69]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR[/color]

I have just spoken with my breakdown company who have told me that the garage who collected my car cannot find a problem with it!

It is safe for me to drive it home!   Apparently  

The mechanic probably drove it to the end of his road and back!  :(blackeye):

[hobbit]

I'd chase them up again, to confirm if it is will they cover you if it damages something more, shame you couldn't confirm the prop shaft, if it was the u/j on the spline end you could take one back in a bag with you and a couple of 9/16ths spanners

Mind you you'd look good getting on a plane with 2xprop shafts booked in as luggage :lol:

[snezza69]

Thankfully the recovery people have agreed to bring the Disco home, I am glad they believed me over the 'mechanic' who said there was nothing wrong!

I have only great things to say about ADAC breakdown cover.  Much better than anything available in the UK.

I think this is another thread!!! :D


 :(biglaugh):