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Bluest



Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3997

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black
Why so much backlash?
There are many many vehicles with similar drive trains to the Defender that manage to not have problems with drive train backlash. Why are our vehicle blessed with being prone to this bit of added character? Poor quality components, poor quality assembly, or something else? 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #685491 10th Feb 2018 11:57am
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DonH2000



Member Since: 12 Jan 2015
Location: North Kent
Posts: 551

United Kingdom 2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black
One word..... design. Cheers Don.
Post #685494 10th Feb 2018 11:59am
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Grouse



Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 513

The vehicle has a very pliable suspension with lots of axle travel to go over extremely rough retain = it has lots of very pliable suspension bushes to enable the extremes of axle travel = backlash, plus add in a fair few universal joints, drive shafts, 3 diffs and two gearboxes and you get a fair bit of slack to take up.

Add in a bit of wear and age and perishing of the bushes = even more slack to take up. I am afraid it goes with the nature of the vehicle, not all of it can be attributed to crap manufacture or excessive tolerances .
Post #685521 10th Feb 2018 1:45pm
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Bluest



Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3997

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black
I would argue that the long travel suspension doesn’t contribute to the backlash, all the culprits, with exception of maybe the A frame ball joint, are in the transmission/drivetrain. The transmission doesn’t have any more moving parts than a lot of other similar vehicles. It seems to me that the Defender is more prone to wear in these parts than other vehicles for some reason. On the Puma, even the clutch is suspect, something every other car maker mastered about 70 years earlier. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #685582 10th Feb 2018 6:36pm
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Grouse



Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 513

So worn Panhard Bushes / Trailing Arms don't contribute to backlash then ? Because my experience is that they do
Post #685625 10th Feb 2018 8:23pm
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Bluest



Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3997

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black
The rear trailing arms to some extent yes as the locate the axle longitudinally, fair point. Same for the hockey sticks. The panhard rod is much more likely to give issues with steering/handling than it is backlash, as it has no influence over the longitudinal or rotational location of the axle. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #685655 10th Feb 2018 9:49pm
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BogMonster



Member Since: 05 Feb 2008
Location: Stanley
Posts: 389

Falkland Islands 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Worn bushes will create plenty of backlash, particularly

- front radius arm bushes as they will let the front axle rotate
- rear trailing link bushes as they will let the rear axle rotate
- rear axle ball joint (also lets rear axle rotate)

Diff wear will also create some epic backlash and bad gearchanges (for some reason it really upsets the syncros)

Panhard rod bushes just make the steering awful and/or can create steering shake.

But primarily just due to a fairly mediocre design with lots of moving parts and 1970s British Leyland build tolerances...
Post #685656 10th Feb 2018 9:52pm
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