Thread: HELP! Anyone raised a PUMA? Big TROUBLE!!!

Originally Posted by JohnR

Heh Rick, Puma's definatly have a longer shaft by 60 or so mm. Pete and I had a good look at his TD5 and my Puma lastnight and really there is no real reason they should be doing this. The only observable difference we spotted but did not measure was that the Puma transfer case apears to be tilted back more than the TD5 case??? This is so weird, I can not see why they are doing it??

Any other theories??

Cheers,

I think someone else mentioned that the whole engine/g-box/t-case was at a steeper angle than previous versions, so that'd explain the uni binding at the t/case end.
A minor lift is exceeding the maximum run angle of whatever uni L/R are using.

Sounds just like the cock up they made with the first run of TDCi's where the front prop fouled the sump and in some cases holed it at full suspension droop.

It almost sounds like no actual road/of road testing was done at all.
Maybe it was just all simulated and signed off ?

i still have my original prop and its perfict,

il put it up against a puma one and see how it looks, but me thinks its not the props its the tcase position,

we do get alot of 130s have vibration probs, wev done alot of work on some cars and they just vibrate, balanced props, swapped between cars, removed just one, wev put it down to the rear prop is so long,

G'day guys, sorry to keep you waiting with the latest!

OK, where to start........ My last update entailed my car once again going back to LR with absolute stock suspension from ARB.
Got the call to say, Shes all good!
Asked about if it still binds on full droop and got the run around, saying that it's all good and been signed off by LR and if there are any probs, bring it back!
Apparently they removed the front prop shaft and drove it, put it back in and it drove the same.... Good enough for them to sign off on it.
Only catch with picking it up was that LR would not release it until the bill was paid???
Um....... I asked who they expected to pay the bill and the reply was, "Doesn't matter as long as it's paid!!!" Just a lazy $4831.10!
I then proceeded to ask if the t/c damage was caused by the lift from ARB, shouldn't they pay?
"How about I email you the bill" was the reply.... I said "No worries mate, I'll then forward it to ARB and come and pick up my car after 27 days"!
Got the bill and it was in my name, forwarded it to ARB and the reply was, "We can't pay the bill because it's in your name! WTF.... I was then told that LR won't change the bill! I said, "We'll see about that"
Rang ARB back in 5 mins and told them, "The bill is on it's way!" Woo hoo...

Now I have to say I'm not 100% happy with the outcome, but, I do have my car back, it drives ok, it's quite low at the pointy end now with standard susp back in, and it's still covered by warranty.
I'm really happy ARB have admitted fault I guess, by accepting the bill and also reimbursing my suspension costs.

Just wanted to THANK EVERYONE who has given advice on this drama that has gone on for tooooo long.. It really is much appreciated and I hope to repay the favor sometime with my own Deefer knowledge. I will measure my new heights for a comparo with everyone else and I'll post some pics over the next couple of days after I fit the roof rack etc..
Once again, THANK YOU GOOD PEOPLE!
A happier Povman...

Originally Posted by stig0000

[snip]

we do get alot of 130s have vibration probs, wev done alot of work on some cars and they just vibrate, balanced props, swapped between cars, removed just one, wev put it down to the rear prop is so long,

That's odd ?
Plenty of other vehicles have prop shafts that long. My old F100 would have had a prop near a 130's length and the Jeep J3000 I used before it had a 131" wheelbase and no vibes.

I'd be looking at a tiny bit of bearing play in either the t/case output shaft or diff pinion magnifying a problem or any movement at all in the slip splines, or something not centred properly, eg the yoke

I must be lucky, never really had an issue with the front or rear shafts and I have a reasonable lift.

The worst part of my suspension mods was I had to remove the front anti-roll-bar as the prop shaft would crash into it at full droop.
I at least cycled the front end through maximum bump and droop before hitting the road to save any embarrassment.




Here's an interesting sequence of events.

I had a harmonic like vibe at just on 100km/h and put it down to exhaust resonance. (Tdi, 3" exhaust, only a resonator)
Had the flywheel and clutch assembly balanced and that helped a little but didn't eliminate it.

Installed a very heavy wall muffler (3mm+ thick) and that reduced the vibration a bit more, it worked like a mass damper but it was still there, just.

After swapping out the big ends, no more vibration.

May I now suggest that you get LR to fit their heavy duty springs on the front.

Assuming you still want to raise the front back to what it was before fitting bar etc.

Originally Posted by povman

G'day guys, sorry to keep you waiting with the latest!
[snip]
A happier Povman...

Good to hear you've finally got your Defender back mate.

It's a shame when someone becomes the unwitting R&D guinea pig.

Just for giggles I'd love to know what the operating angle is on the front driveshaft on the new Defenders.

Anyone have one off ATM they can run a digital inclinometer over ?
You'd need to run a straight edge across the t/case output flange and sit an inclinometer across it and then hook the shaft up and sit it on the front prop shaft.
Subtract 90* and there's your operating angle.

Originally Posted by rick130

Just for giggles I'd love to know what the operating angle is on the front driveshaft on the new Defenders.

Anyone have one off ATM they can run a digital inclinometer over ?
You'd need to run a straight edge across the t/case output flange and sit an inclinometer across it and then hook the shaft up and sit it on the front prop shaft.
Subtract 90* and there's your operating angle.

This is a really good question. I will be swapping front prop shafts in a few weeks so I can make the measurements then if nobody comes up with them beforehand.

Povman, good to hear you got your car back. I am amazed ARB paid it. Hats of to them for taking the bullet.

Cheers,