Front drive shaft replacement options...

[Homestar]

So, after crawling around under the 101 tonight, I had a closer look at the front drive shaft - reminded by Stuee's latest update - that caused me issues on my last trip. To add to my current list of woes, the front drive shaft is shot. The splines are VERY loose and worn, the spline boot is MIA and the Uni joints are due for replacement.

So, with all this talk of front drive shafts recently, I thought I'd ask the brains trust what options there are for buying new ones. Not necessarily just a standard option, but that is most likely due to cost, but what others have done when this time arrives. If it's not too cost prohibitive, maybe something a bit beefier than standard?

I've sort of got used to the overrun vibration, so don't really care about trying to fix this - I think a new shaft, with nice tight splines would be substantially quieter than what I have anyway.

Box is coming out soon, so might as well save undoing a few nuts and bolts twice....

So, let me have it - what did you do, and where did you get it?:)

[isuzutoo-eh]

In my 110, I really like my Tom Woods shafts...so many options to customise with, and a good price to boot!

[Homestar]

If you dont mind me asking, what sort of price were they - including shipping?

[101 Ron]

Series three tailshafts fit..........just cut and weld to length.....cheap as.
Best to go to a tailshaft specialist and just get a new one made.
just remember any increase in weight of the tail shaft is not your friend, so going to a stronger one could make any tailshaft rattle worse,,,,,stock strength ones never break unless stuffed or not bolt up correctly etc.
When fitting another tailshaft ensure it is one than has good range of movement in the universal joints........if you look at some of the series 3 landies and the 101s they have depressions in the drive flanges to ensure no binding of the universals during suspension travel.

[Homestar]

Yeah, I want a brand new one, not a cut and shut job - I've done that before and it's worked fine, but happy to hand over the dollars and have a new one made. Don't want to risk my dodgy welding if I'm in the middle of now where...:D

[isuzutoo-eh]

I'd tell you how much my Woodies cost, if just I could find the receipt. So much for a filing system....
I do know the two of them were comfortably under a grand as I didn't pay GST!

[Mick_Marsh]

AJ gets them made up by someone in the eastern burbs.

[buffaroo]

I had a double cardon one made by a company in the UK for £250, less than half price of other companies here. Three inch's longer than standard due to engine change. No rumble what so ever.

[Homestar]

I had a double cardon one made by a company in the UK for £250, less than half price of other companies here. Three inch's longer than standard due to engine change. No rumble what so ever.

Which company did that one for you?

[grey_ghost]

Hi Gav,

Might be cheaper if 2 were purchased...

[101RRS]

The standard shaft is plenty strong enough but due to the shaft angle the length of the splines is a bit short and they do rattle and wear. In service life for the Aust Army was 17,000km but if greased every 1000km they last forever and rattle less but do still rattle.

I hate the rattle and vibration so 5 years ago I got a new shaft made in Newcastle. It uses larger wide angle yokes, larger UJs with finer needles, the splines are larger in diameter, much longer and have a coating on them. The tube is rubber filled to supposedly reduce vibration.

Well is doesn't vibrate as bad as the original but it still does and requires just as much lubricating. Except for length this shaft owes nothing to the standard shaft but the 101 rumble is still there which indicates the issue is more that just the front shaft.

A while back I enquired about putting in a DC shaft in. The shaft in the Stage 1 and the D2 is a DC and their angles are less than the 101. When I queried why these could not be put in a 101 many people on here said they worked on the Stage 1 and D2 as the front diff on these vehicles are tilted up - but I have looked under many of these and not found that. I contacted Woods in the US and was surprised on their lack of knowledge - they will make what you want but were not able to provide much in the way of advice on the correct way to go - their cost was about $700 delivered.

So I am still no clearer on what front shaft to replace what I have as I am not prepared to spend in the order of $700 on something that many not work. I am thinking of using a left hand engine mount on the right hand side as I understand it will drop the engine enough on that side to take the rumble out but not yet confirmed - I assume a modifcation on that side of the gearbox mount would also be required.

Garry

[Homestar]

Yeah, I don't think there is a magic bullet to stop the rumble apart from engaging the centre diff lock and pulling the front shaft out. I may do this on my next run to see what it is like.

[101RRS]

Yeah, I don't think there is a magic bullet to stop the rumble apart from engaging the centre diff lock and pulling the front shaft out. I may do this on my next run to see what it is like.

I have done that - it is very quiet and smooth - like a new vehicle though the backlash in the rear increases substantially and you need to be gentle on the throttle.

[russ55]

Paid about the $550 for a Woodys about 4 years back. Just had it re-done for $400. Some of the nipples weren't that great. Got it from Jeep Connection. Got a re-built one for $500, no changeover, in Dorset Rd 12 months ago.
You have to really grease them well and make sure all the nipples are clear.

No noise from either. 2" lift.

[Sitec]

Lifting the diff nose, lowering the RH side of the engine and box, or fitting a STD RR gearbox with the longer bell housing all cure it.... When I put the Nissan Donk in my last 101, just shifting the box back that 100/150mm shut it up. With the Cummins Conversion, the front prop is a lot longer, so Im hoping its something I don't even have to think about. On a STD 101, I'd be looking to drop the nose of the V8 by whatever the axle to oil filter housing clearance will allow and see how that goes. 4.7:1 diffs help it as the prop is not spinning as fast for the same given top speed. Ghost, does yours do it? The auto and LT230 should be longer, so Im guessing yours already has 'bespoke' props under it..... and in theory should be rattle free.... :)

[grey_ghost]

Hi Simon,

Oh yes - mine rumbles, especially when you back off on the go fast pedal.

Gav said to me "thats the worst rumble that I have heard in a 101. I think that with the auto, the front prop shaft is on slightly more of an angle."

I am not too experienced with 101s - but when I first experienced it I thought that the prop shaft was trying to explode!!! Lol!

You learn to drive around it but it was interesting.

Its not a complaint about the vehicle more an observation. Gav or Mick might like to add their thoughts...

[Sitec]

Hi Simon,

Oh yes - mine rumbles, especially when you back off on the go fast pedal.

Gav said to me "thats the worst rumble that I have heard in a 101. I think that with the auto, the front prop shaft is on slightly more of an angle."

I am not too experienced with 101s - but when I first experienced it I thought that the prop shaft was trying to explode!!! Lol!

You learn to drive around it but it was interesting.

Its not a complaint about the vehicle more an observation. Gav or Mick might like to add their thoughts...

Mmmmm, interesting. I'll b interested to look under it at Melrose! I'm assuming then that it probably has 1.003:1 transfer ratios and the original diff centers. Assuming the V8 is in its original place, it might be worth trying the front prop one spline out of phase.. Cheers for now. :)

[Homestar]

Sitec, on GG's 101, the BW TC and auto seem to put the prop shafts closer the RHS of the vehicle which I think compounds the problems a bit. The front shaft is custom and much longer than a standard 101 unit. I though this may help, but I think the greater compound angle is the cause. I have still got to have a much closer look at it to see if there is anything obviously wrong with it.

It did the same thing as mine too - the spline boot exploded showering grease every where. That didn't matter too much as that was nothing compared to when the rear main seal on the engine let go...:D. I'm fairly confident nothing much is going to rust under there for a while...

Don't you just love 'em. :)

[101RRS]

Hi Simon,

Oh yes - mine rumbles, especially when you back off on the go fast pedal.



I am surprised that your ambo has the rumble as I understood the extra weight of the ambo took out the 101 rumble. Maybe like Gavs 101 you have worn splines that allow the drive shaft to flex when rotating.

Garry

[Homestar]

I am surprised that your ambo has the rumble as I understood the extra weight of the ambo took out the 101 rumble. Maybe like Gavs 101 you have worn splines that allow the drive shaft to flex when rotating.

Garry

There's no discernible slop in the splines - it is much better that mine, and the shaft is also much longer. I think the issue is that at the TC the shaft is about an inch further to the drivers side than with the LT95. I will be having a closer look at it during the week to see if I have missed something.

GG - if you get a chance, can you remove the front shaft?:)

[buffaroo]

Which company did that one for you?

Used these guy's Propshafts, Universal Joints and Centre Bearings | Dunning & Fairbank (http://www.dandfltd.co.uk/) They originally talked me out of a double cardan shaft, due to me running stand height suspension. On the basis of trying to save me money. I told them i wasnt convinced a normal prop with wide angle yokes would work, but they said if it didnt just send it back and they'd fit the cardan on one end. Guess what it didnt work, but true to they're word two days after sending it back to them i got the shaft with new end back. I pointed a couple of guys on the club forum to them and i think they got a slight reduction in price, due to purchasing two.

[101RRS]

But you haven't said if the DC shaft killed the 101 rumble - did it?

[buffaroo]

I had a double cardon one made by a company in the UK for £250, less than half price of other companies here. Three inch's longer than standard due to engine change. No rumble what so ever.


Yes it did for me, maybe the slightly longer prop helped also.

[101RRS]

Oh - Ok missed that. Hmmm still have not had actually found anyone who has killed the 101 rumble on a standard setup. Lots of stories and "i know someone who it worked for" but both here and on the 101 club forum when I had access to it, I have not found anyone with a GS 101 that have actually fixed it.

Garry

[buffaroo]

Just checked the forum, other guy who fitted a standard length one reported no rumble up to 65 mph.

[Homestar]

Just checked the forum, other guy who fitted a standard length one reported no rumble up to 65 mph.

So, standard length - double carden?

[buffaroo]

Yes standard length with double cardan one end

[DasLandRoverMan]

Autobox and correspondingly longer front prop cured it on my old GS.

Back off the throttle at 80 mph and nice and quiet.