VCU

[wizard]

How can you tell if the vicous coupling (on the prop) is knackered ?
Mrs wizards 98 freelander knocks a bit when reversed. The only thing i can find that looks a bit suspect is the outer casing of the VCU is loose, it looks like it is coming detached from the rubber.....

Any ideas

Regards
wizard :twisted:

[V8MoneyPit]

Don't know the answer, I'm afraid, but our 2000 MY has always had a slight knocking in both forward and reverse. It's never got any worse, so we've left well alone.

[JeepCher53]

I (or you) could ask the guys on the Freelander Club forum. A wealth of knowledge on there (I'm their Secretary!).
Esther

How can you tell if the vicous coupling (on the prop) is knackered ?
Mrs wizards 98 freelander knocks a bit when reversed. The only thing i can find that looks a bit suspect is the outer casing of the VCU is loose, it looks like it is coming detached from the rubber.....

Any ideas

Regards
wizard :twisted:

[muddyweb]

Sorry.. only just spotted this one !

From the Ashcroft Transmissions website :

"To check the condition of your unit :

1) put in 1st gear 2) Handbrake off 3) Jack up one rear wheel 4) the wheel should turn slowly with resistance

Please note even a good one will be quite tight. A siezed one will feel like the handbrake is dragging when reversing slowly on full lock"

Hope that helps.

[wizard]

Thanks for that Tim, Mrs wizards VCU must be shot !!!!
When one rear wheel is lifted I can hardly turn it

wizard :twisted:

[V8MoneyPit]

As a follow on from this, I checked our Freebie and I couldn't turn the rear wheel at all. The car was taken into the main dealer today and they told my wife it was the tyres..... <quote> "4x4's wear their tyres like this and they start making this knocking noise, you need 4 new tyres at £75 each plus fitting" </quote>. Now, call me a cynic, but would they have said the same if I had taken the car in?

The front tyres are nearing renewal, but the rears have plenty of life in them. I put the rapid wear of the fronts down to the fact the VCU may not be working properly. Is this possible?

[POTASH]

there is a bush on the rear  on the final drive, when this splits you can get a knocking noise like you describe when changing gear

[JeepCher53]

"Now, call me a cynic, but would they have said the same if I had taken the car in? "
Funny you should say this! I had a few personal battles with our local dealer until hubby came with me and then their tune change totally.  "Oh, yes, Mrs Bourne, you were right about the glow plugs and head lamps - we'll have that all done and yes it will be done under warranty"
Even in the 21st Century, women still get treated like some urk

[V8MoneyPit]

there is a bush on the rear  on the final drive, when this splits you can get a knocking noise like you describe when changing gear

It's a regular 'knock, knock, knock' all the time. It gets louder as you turn corners. It's not the sort of noise I would associate with a CV joint failing. Far more muted than that. I'm not sure it is directly associated with changing gear. It is all the time.

And, yes, Mrs Bourne of course you were right all along....    :lol:

[V8MoneyPit]

Well, I have spoken to our local independant LR specialist who advised that earlier Freelanders can have a problem where the inside of the rear tyres wear strangely. I have checked ours and this is exactly what has happened. The blocks are one high, one low, one high, one low, etc. Very odd, but it is quite pronounced.... about 2mm height difference. And this is what causes the noise. So, I've just had a set of Goodyear Wranglers delivered and they are being fitted when it goes in for service next week.

So I may have been doing the main dealer an injustice after all  :shock:

[douggie]

How can you tell if the vicous coupling (on the prop) is knackered ?
Mrs wizards 98 freelander knocks a bit when reversed. The only thing i can find that looks a bit suspect is the outer casing of the VCU is loose, it looks like it is coming detached from the rubber.....

Any ideas

Regards
wizard :twisted:

Hi there,

The problems your wife has encountered, happened to us and is the viscous coupling, ours  is a 98 freelander and we got ours fixed under warranty, beware they dont put on a reconditioned prop shaft

[Range Rover Blues]

When testing the viscous unit on our Rangie I observed 2 things, firstly that it is easier to turn when the car has been driven and the transmission is hot, secondly that although you can turn one wheel, you couldn't do it by hand, the viscous unit is tight enough to fasten/unfasten wheelnuts!  it's almost enough to fasten the propshaft bolts, I test it by trying to turn the prop, usually with a spanner on one of the nuts.

[wizard]

Thanks for the ingo,
I think i will have to splash out on a new VCU.
I see Ashcroft Transmissions do recon ones for £250, so its not as bad as i first thought.
Regards

wizard :twisted:

[V8MoneyPit]

As RRB says, the wheel can be virtually impossible to turn even when the VCU is fine. I went by the Ashcroft test and thought it was shot. Took it in for tyres to be swapped and a service at the local independant LR specialist and they declared it in good health. So just because you can't turn the wheel doesn't mean it needs replacing for sure.

Have it checked by a specialist before splashing out on a new one.

Our 'knocking' was cured with new rear tyres. Check the inside edge as I described earlier.