Have you bought a Freelander 1 and then gone underneath to find there is no prop shaft fitted? You have been looking forward to a bit of off-roading and now you find it is only 2WD? This has happened to quite a lot of people unfortunately, and is a big disappointment when the reason you bought the Freelander was for its 4WD capabilities (and it is VERY capable when it has all the right parts!)
It is not a difficult job to return your beloved Freelander to its full 4WD awesomeness, however, unfortunately if you do not have any of the parts it is going to cost a bit!
Before converting it back to a 4WD it is worth checking the rest of the drivetrain to ensure there is no damage that has occurred (which may have been the reason for the prop shaft being removed):
– Check for any play in the pinion of the IRD / transfer box;
– Drain a little of the oil from the IRD / transfer box and check for any pieces of metal in there. The drain plug is magnetic, so if there are any pieces of metal they will be stuck to the drain plug (you would expect to see a shimmer of metal from the oil but no pieces);
– Check the pinion of the rear differential for any play.
If both these units seem fine then what you will need to return your Freelander to 4WD is:
– A front prop shaft – a good used one will suffice;
– A viscous coupling unit (VCU). This will need to be a new or reconditioned unit – since you would have to pay the surcharge for a reconditioned unit (as you do not have an exchange) it could be worth paying the little extra for a new VCU. Do not go for a used unit unless you can guarantee the mileage it has done on good, matched tyres – the approximate lifespan of the VCU’s is 70,000 miles (120,000 km);
– A pair of VCU bearings, these are the hanger bearings that attached the VCU to the body. In our experience the cheap VCU bearings which are available do not tend to last, so we would only supply the good bearings which we are happy to warranty.
– A rear prop shaft, a good used one will suffice;
– A prop shaft fixing kit.
The prices* for the above, including VAT, are:
– A good used front prop shaft, £150;
– A new VCU, £450; or a reconditioned unit plus the surcharge, £395;
– High quality VCU bearings, £140 for the pair;
– A good used rear prop shaft, £60;
– A prop shaft fixing kit, £45.49.
Hence the total for the parts required is £845.49 including VAT with a new VCU or £790.49 including VAT with a reconditioned VCU.
If you would like us to fit the parts onto your Freelander the fitting price is £105 including VAT.
If you need any more help putting your Freelander back to 4WD, or are having a problem with the drivetrain, leave a message below, email me on sue@freelanderspecialist.com or call me on 0780-9575-421 (or +44-780-9575-421 from outside the UK), we will be happy to help.
*All prices are correct at the time of publication. Please contact us to confirm current prices.
y878uug freelander the three amigos
4 new relucter rings fitted
4 sensor fitted
4 new cables
yaw sensor replaced
brake switch fitted
start up ok for about 2 miles then come on and wont go off again
no faults on code reader
Hi Martin,
Apologies for the delay in responding.
Have you checked the wires under the gearstick gaiter for any chaffing or loose wires?
All the best,
Sue
Hi Sue,
I am writing from Cyprus, earlier in the year I bought a 2002 LRF MK1 2.5V6 Auto Petrol. Very happy with the car until it started making the loud bang when accelerating or changing shifts. Also there was a bit of “shaking” when accelerating and I could feel the car being kind of “heavy” on the road. My mechanic suggested to convert it to 2WD therefore he removed and gave me the prop shaft and he mentioned something about the transfer box. He also mentioned that it is impossible to find spares down here and that the costs would be sky high. But, I want to use my car, especially its 4WD capabilities which I know are great. What would you suggest I do to put my LRF back to where it really belongs???
Many thanks
Hi Mario,
It sounds as though the banging when changing gear or accelerating may have been the rear differential centre bush, very possibly caused by the viscous coupling unit (VCU) being past its useable lifespan of approximately 120,000 km.
In order to put it back to 4×4 you will need to check if you have any play in the pinion of both the transfer box and the rear differential. If both of these feel fine then it would be a case of replacing the VCU and bearings and possible the rear differential bushes (there are three of them). If there is any excessive play in the transfer box or rear differential you will need to replace that unit too.
We can supply all parts needed if you can get the units checked and let us know which are required I will send you a quote.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
theteam@freelanderspecialist.com
looking to buy a freelander 1 1.8 have you got one thanks
Hi Bruce,
My apologies for the delay in responding, we have just returned from Christmas vacation.
We have just donated the one we had ready over to Ukraine. Do you have any particular specification / budget you are looking for and we will check what we have available – although it would have to go through the workshop beforehand, so could take a week or two to get it ready.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
theteam@freelanderspecialist.com
Hi, I am wondering if anyone could help me diagnose a knocking in my Freelander 1 (2002 TD4 ~90k miles). I fear it may be the IRD, however I am unsure weather my symptoms match up with the reported symptoms of IRD failure.
My symptoms are:
– A knocking noise (sort of like a ‘dun dun dun dun’) which is proportional to the road speed I am traveling at. I am fairly certain is not coming from the suspension, nor engine, but the drivetrain.
– The noise is only present when the vehicle is under load from the throttle and disappears when lifting off. The noise only begins above ~30mph and seams to be slightly louder when under load during a fast left turn and quieter under load during a fast right turn.
– The noise appears to be originating from underneath at either the front centre or front passenger side. (It is difficult to tell from the drivers seat)
– (I cannot feel any vibrations through the pedals, wheel or gear leaver.)
– (At low speeds there is no noise whatsoever, regardless of lock nor is there any noise whilst reversing, even at (relatively) high speeds.)
– (In addition there is no whining or grinding noise whatsoever, only the knock as described.)
I have removed the VCU as I thought that the noise may be related to worn prop shaft Barings (these require replacing as well as the VCU regardless) however the noise only appears to be slightly louder. I presume the prop shaft/VCU was absorbing some of the sound energy from wherever the noise originates.
I changed the IRD oil at 88k miles and the oil inside was full of metal flakes, however I checked the IRD oil again at 89.5k miles and it appeared to have remained clean.
Do the symptoms above suggest a worn IRD or perhaps something else such as a front drive shaft? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jack,
There is a possibility it is the IRD, if you jack up the front wheels then and turn the IRD shaft, is it turning smoothly or is it jumpy?
Also check your driveshafts by shaking them in both the up and down direction and the in and out direction.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
Hi I’ve recently purchased a Freelander 1 to use for fishing trips. There was a very bad whining from the transmission tunnel that the previous owner thought was a wheel bearing noise.
I am aware of the problems with VCU and IRD on these motors so I removed the propshaft and the noise has gone completely. There is no play at all when attempting to turn the diff or the IRD by hand so I assume they are OK.
The propshaft bearings are very noisy and the rubber mounts are shot.
Before removing the propshaft I could feel a slight resistance when turning a corner slowly.
Could this be caused by the propshaft bearings or is it a sign that the VCU needs replacing?
Hi Roger,
Congratulations on your purchase, these are great vehicles, perfect for fishing trips
Yes, the noise could have been coming from the VCU bearings and it is definitely a sign, along with the resistance you were feeling, that the VCU is due to be changed. So it will be a case of changing both the VCU and the bearings (we can supply these if required – reconditioned VCU £295 and a set of high quality bearings £140; UK shipping is £35 which includes shipping the reconditioned unit to you and your old unit back to us. It sounds as though you have removed the prop shaft in time before it has done further damage along the drivetrain.
All the best,
Sue
theteam@freelanderspecialist.com
0780 9575 421
Hi Sue,
On the service schedules at 150,000 for the pre 2012 (2004) td4 it mentions timing belt (not sure if that is check/adjust or replace). My mechanic tell me mine has a chain, A is that right? And does it need replacement?
Hi Paul,
Your Freelander is the Freelander 1 2.0 TD4 (the Freelander 2 is a 2.2 TD4), so yes, your mechanic is correct, it is a timing chain and does not need replacement.
All the best,
Sue
Hi Sue, earlier this year I had the clutch replaced on my Freelander 1, but after that I had a whine from somewhere on the drive train. I fitted new bearings to the VCR but the whine was still there. So I removed the rear prop shaft and it was whine free. August I refitted the rear prop shaft and got the whine back so have removed it again and all is quiet. All the tyres are as before the clutch was done (pre whine). The vehicle is in the 140,000 mile zone, I have had it since about 50,000 miles. Any thoughts please?
Hi Terry,
My apologies for the delay in responding.
If the whine stops when you remove the prop shaft it is likely one of the units – the transfer box / IRD or the rear differential – is failing, particularly the bearing on the pinion. Check the pinions for any play and the oils in the units for and metal filings.
All the best,
Sue
0780 9575 421
Are VCUs good for 120,000 kms or miles? Above says both.
Hi Brian,
The VCU’s are generally good for 70,000 miles which is approximately 120,000 km.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
Hi Sue,
I made the classic error – fitted new tyres to the front only and then drove 1,600 miles across Europe at high speed. After an horrendous return trip (which literally dislodged my teeth), all tyres are now from the same batch! In common with several other FL owners here, I am now running without the propshaft. However, I will need the 4×4 in the winter and suspect that a new VCU will be required. Is there a way of checking the VCU when it is off the vehicle?
Hi Steve,
My apologies for the delay in responding.
The best way to check the VCU when it is off the vehicle is to spin it on the bench. If it comes to a stop rather than spinning a number of times then it is too tight.
All the best,
Sue
I have a 2002 FL TD4 auto which is used mainly in eastern Europe on roads that would make the worst English roads look like an ironing board. (Even Polybushes last only one year!) The VCU damper sheared and when after it was replaced the vehicle has consumed VCU bearings at an alarming rate. I suspect that the two parts of the prop shaft are not balanced. In your article on re-instating drive to the rear axle you give a list of the parts needed but give no mention of the need to rebalance the whole assembly. How is this done?
Hi Steve,
There is generally no need to balance the prop shaft on the Freelander 1 – in fact we have never had to. Have you changed the viscous coupling unit? A viscous coupling unit which has been used past its lifespan of approximately 120,000 miles would damage the rear differential bearings and shear the damper at an alarming rate.
All the best,
Sue
+44-780-9575-421
Sue, thanks for prompt response, and your other helpful articles. Everything seemed ok until I had to make a sharp low-speed turn on the deck of a cross-channel ferry – the propshaft bearing popped at that point. I had it replaced but that one lasted less than a week (about 2,000 miles). The entire propshaft has now been removed and the vehicle runs smoothly again. Interestingly, we also have a 4×4 Kangoo which also eats a lot of propshaft bearings.
Hi Steve,
When was the viscous coupling unit replaced? Are all four tyres the same make, model, size, tread depth remaining and air pressure?
All the best,
Sue