↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home > Maintenance & Modifications > UJ Replacement - Shocking state.....
Post Reply  Down to end
Page 1 of 2 12>
Print this entire topic · 
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
UJ Replacement - Shocking state.....
In the process of replacing my two rear UJs after forum member JayGti kindly pointed out it might be the cause of my slop/noise/clunk in my driveline. Having got it off and been able to properly look, it’s clear it was in a very, very bad way, so thank you to JayGti and this forum for all advice so far.

Completely covered in gunk. (From now on I’ll certainly do period checks/cleans of this area)


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge


Rusted beyond belief


Click image to enlarge



Click image to enlarge


Sheered-off end cap


Click image to enlarge


Finally, the muppet who fitted the previous UJ seems to have either hammered the older UJ out and damaged the prop shaft UJ housing, or hammered the c-clip back in, achieving the same damage.


Click image to enlarge


Either way, the track to house the c-clip is almost flat for about a fifth of a turn. Clearly this poses an issue for the new UJ as the c-clip will never be seated properly. A shame as the prop and splines at the transfer box end are in very good condition. So a number of questions arise:

1. Is it worth trying to get the track/prop end repaired, given the track is almost flat?
2. If not, and a new PS is needed, is there any advantage to going HD or Double Cardan (approx £200 more than a standard GKN replacement), if I do 90% road miles, with what will be at most (for the foreseeable future) a 2.4Tdci with perhaps a BAS 175bhp tune.
3. Finally, I still need the Def, and the part might take a week to get here, is it OK to drive FWD only?

Thanks all.... Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768003 10th Apr 2019 1:01pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
jaygti



Member Since: 04 Nov 2012
Location: essex
Posts: 375

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 90 Td5 HT Epsom Green
I would stick a new circlip in the groove before reassembly, and another in a good groove to see how it sits in there compared to the good one , and then make a decision.

If it’s bad it may come out anyway upon reassembly.
If you get a new prop just get a standard one, if the car is not lifted.

The problem with u/j’s is that when they are greased the grease finds the path of least resistance, so some of the cups end up getting dry and it becomes a vicious circle after that, and they end up like yours.

The only way around it is to give them a squirt of grease every 6 weeks or so so it never gets a chance to dry out, not every 6 months as recommended.
Although whatever you do they all need replacing eventually, as the live in a pretty hostile place under the car. 2002 td5 90 county hardtop
Post #768014 10th Apr 2019 2:19pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Thanks JayGti. Indeed I was just about to head out and try exactly what you recommended and go from the there. The prop is very serviceable otherwise, and only needs a good clean. Thanks for the advice on regressing, noted. I do mostly road KMs, but also live in a place with a lot of snow, mud, rain etc. So 6 weeks seems sensible and now I know what I’m doing, easily achieved. Better than driving around with 2WD (thanks for that info as well). Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768015 10th Apr 2019 2:23pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Mo Murphy



Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2077

United Kingdom 1984 Defender 90 200 Tdi HT Pennine Grey
Welcome to the wonderful world of Land Rover prop shafts 😊
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.
Post #768017 10th Apr 2019 2:48pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19531

United Kingdom 
I'd say that circlip seat was done in by removal of the circlip in the wrong manner or hammering a punch or blunt instrument around it instead of using circling pliers.

I do mine every six months now, its surprising on servicing it seems to me they aren't touched at all.

It's mainly wading that they need to be looked at a lot with. Diesels Lives Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️
And if You Love the Country, then we’re on the same side ~
I got’ love for Britain, I got’ British pride’. 🇬🇧
Post #768034 10th Apr 2019 4:50pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16857

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Wading won't hurt a greased UJ, they are sealed after all. The thing that kills them (as jaygti says above) is not greasing them frequently enough so that the old grease dries out and new grease can't get in. Then they will inevitably self-destruct quite quickly.

I have actually seen far, far worse than that pictured above over the years.

If you have to buy a new front propshaft then personally for a TDCi I would recommend a DC joint on the transfer-box end, since it will help with the generally cattywumpus geometry and will reduce vibration (the front of the t-box is cocked up in the air, so the two flanges are not co-planar). However they are a bit pricey. At the rear, the question of a DC join doesn't arise. Should you fit an HD prop on the rear? Unless you work the vehicle hard I don't feel it is necessary. An HD prop will probably have larger UJs, but these will fail just as quickly as standard ones if you don't grease them. So for most vehicles a standard rear prop is quite good enough if looked after.
Post #768038 10th Apr 2019 5:17pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Thank you all.

I’ve taken apart, cleaned and prepped it ready for the new UJ. All good. But on getting to the front (transfer box end) of the PS I’ve found that the UJ is a good 2mm wider (circumference of the end caps) and has a larger body as well. I was led to believe by the supplier that they would both be the same. Is this the case, or are the two different sizes normal? If so, anyone know what the part number is? Ta Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768041 10th Apr 2019 5:48pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
dorsetsmith



Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: South West
Posts: 4554

Post #768044 10th Apr 2019 6:01pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Thanks DorsetSmith. Yes, the listed part looks the same as mine. Just wondering why, therefore, the UJ supplier didn’t tell me I needed two different sizes of UJ for the front and rear sections, unless mine has been adapted somehow. But looking at the photos it looks identical. Rolling Eyes Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768116 11th Apr 2019 8:31am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Bluest



Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3995

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black
I was under the impression Pumas have different UJ on the front prop compared to the rear, but each prop has 2 of the same. I’d be interested to know if this is wrong, as I carry spares for long trips and want to know I’ve got right ones. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #768118 11th Apr 2019 8:56am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Honestly, I don’t know whether your impression is right or wrong, or if I simply have a different UJ head on mine to a standard GKN made post 2007 PS. As far as I can tell my prop is as presented by DorsetSmith. Post 2007, tapering at the transfer box end, but it seems that it might have a wider UJ mounting than standard at the transfer box.

Basically I’ve measured as follows:

Front, transfer box end, 95mm.
Rear, diff end, 75mm.

So I’d strongly suggest actually measuring yours at both ends (Fnarr, fnarr Whistle ), to be doubly sure.

I had come across the odd thread saying different sizes at each end, but supplier said the same at each end. Another week’s delay Rolling Eyes Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768119 11th Apr 2019 9:10am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16857

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
I have never come across a Landrover propshaft where the two UJs on the same propshaft are different sizes, that is wrong.

On a TDCi 90 the front and rear shafts both use two TVC500010.

TDCi 110 (and I think 130) use two TVC500010 on the front shaft only, and two RTC3291 on the rear shaft.


TVC500010 is approx 95mm across the flats of the cups, and the cups are 30mm diameter.

RTC3291 is approx 75mm across the flats of the cups and the cups are 27mm diameter.

It sounds to me as though someone has taken the long bit of a 110 propshaft and the short bit of a 90 propshaft and fitted that result to your vehicle.

I do have a spare rear prop for a TDCi 110 which I am intending to advertise on here shortly, but I suspect that I am too far away from you for this to be a sensible option!

As a curious aside, it is interesting to note that the RTC3291 was also used on Series 1, 2, and 2A vehicles up to 1964. Strange that the last and most powerful version of the classic Landrover reverted to the same UJs as the first and least powerful! It make you suspect that it was over-specified in 1948 and under-specified in 2007.
Post #768128 11th Apr 2019 10:21am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Thanks Blackwolf. It did seem odd to me. You’re more experienced than me, but any reason you can think of why this might be the case? Also, any reason you can think of why I shouldn’t keep using it in this configuration? It’s actually in good nick. But if it’s not right, then perhaps your rear PS would be welcomed. As it happens, I work for a UK company that ships stock regularly from Cornwall, I could have it brought over from there with their next load. But, back to the original thought, any reason why I shouldn’t just buy a 95mm UJ and pop it in? Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768131 11th Apr 2019 10:46am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16857

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Actually there is no reason that I can see, and it would give you a larger (and hence stronger) UJ at one end of the propshaft. I suppose that it is possible that this is why someone has done it in the first place.
Post #768132 11th Apr 2019 10:59am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Thanks. I think I’ll pop the 95mm in and get it back on the road asap. Ta Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #768133 11th Apr 2019 11:11am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Post Reply  Back to top
Page 1 of 2 12>
All times are GMT + 1 Hour

Jump to  
Previous Topic | Next Topic >
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
DEFENDER2.NET RSS Feed - All Forums