Help!!! What's this part from?

[djhampson]

I'm currently camping so posting from my phone... Excuse the spelling :)

I was on Rainbow Beach this morning when a ticking noise came from the front centre of the car.

The speed of the ticking increased as I accellerated. After 100m this bit came out and the noise stopped.


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What is it? Do I need it?

Thanks heaps.

[Psimpson7]

Hi Dave,

Is there any clue underneath of where it could have come from? Its not something like prop shaft bolts and locking tab is it? (ETA my knoweledge of D3 mechanicals is basically zero!)

Good luck!

Rgds
Pete

[miky]

Must admit that I would be spending some time crawling around underneath and looking around the engine to try and find out where it came from!

[gps-au]

What is it? Do I need it?

Maybe, maybe not...

Check along your exhaust lines.....

[stig0000]

cheak your prop shaft from the front to rear, its the 2 blots that hold the shaft to the pinion, and yes you will need it,, 1 to hold it on:wasntme: and 2 cos that will put the shaft out of balence and you could have big vibrations at speed

[Blknight.aus]

thats what I was thinking it looks like a locking tab off of a shaft joint.

check all of your rotating parts that are exposed for a missing bit and DONT drive at any speed or huge torque setting without rectifying it. Spaghettie propshafts are potentially on the menu if you do.

[djhampson]

Thanks for replies guys.

I've had a look at the workshop manual and im sure it is a propshaft bolt. The manual says it should be installed with Loctite but I can't see any on the remaining bolt. Maybe LR didn't install the bolts properly when the front duff was replaced?

I had a look at the rear PS where itjoins to the transmission and all 6 bolts where there. The diff end of the PS looked to have it's bolts as well.

I'm going to find a mechanic at Rainbow and see if they can throw it up on a hoist because I can't see myself removing the bash plates and exhaust sheiding to have a closer inspection with the car on the ground.


Is it safe to drive the car at slow speeds shortish distances?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

it might have to be DJ,,,

with that collar gone there's TWO bolts missing---

slow and steady,,

[Nomad9]

Hi There,
Very rarely to vehicle manufacturers fit bits you don't need in the drive train of a vehicle. You didn't mention until later on in the peice that you had had some work done on the front diff, this is where I would start. Was the noise when you had it only when the vehicle was in motion or was it there when the vehicle was stationary, this will give you some clues, you were lucky to find the bit weren't you. Me I would be minimising driving until I could identify where the bit has come from. Drive train, prop shafts missing bits, all not good.....

[djhampson]

I pulled the bash plate off and found that the front propshaft at the diff had 2 missing bolts, 1 barely hanging in and 3 loose bolts.

Basically nothing was holding it together except for a few threads. So I'm not moving it anywhere under its own power.

My dealer who replaced the front diff at the last service has refused to tow the vehicle to their workshop. :twisted: So instead of spending a grand on a tow truck, I'm hoping to find a mech to fix it up here.

Any suggestions on how propshaft bolts work loose?

[p38arover]

My dealer who replaced the front diff at the last service has refused to tow the vehicle to their workshop. :twisted: So instead of spending a grand on a tow truck, I'm hoping to find a mech to fix it up here.

Any suggestions on how propshaft bolts work loose?

1. I think a complaint to LR is in order.

2. The bolts weren't done up properly.

Fortunately, it's a very easy fix. (Well, it is on most cars. Dunno about the D3.)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

They dont,, if done up properly,,,
and I've had cause to do up lots of half shaft bolts:angel:

[slug_burner]

Make sure you get a bit of photographic evidence.

I would not want to be the mechanic that worked on your car at the last service, he might be about to get a new one torn for him:wasntme:

[Nomad9]

Hi DJ,
Not being torqued up correctly will do it. The problem maybe if the threads that the bolts screw into may have been damaged as the shaft took load in both directions, accel and decell, or the ends of the bolts maye have broken off in the flange. I hope this all works out for you. On high speed critical machinery we drill the bolt heads and wire them after they've been torqued up, this stops them coming undone again. A bit over the top for a Land Rover drive shaft but these are all options. If the threads have been damaged this is an option.
The bolt doesn't take the shear load it's the friction between the flange faces created by the torque of the bolts that give you the drive. If either of the flanges have been damaged creating a high spot this could put excessive load on the bolts causing them to come undone, something else to check.

[gps-au]

My dealer who replaced the front diff at the last service has refused to tow the vehicle to their workshop. :twisted: So instead of spending a grand on a tow truck, I'm hoping to find a mech to fix it up here.

What about LR assist ? might be worth a ring even if out of warranty.

[Blknight.aus]

assuming they're supposed to be loctited in.

1. not cleaning both sides of the thread prior to reassembly
2. not using loctite or using the wrong grade
3. not tightening to the correct torque
4. tightening to the correct torque but not checking to make sure the bolts had seated properly
5. re-using one use only bolts
6. re-using one use only locking tabs and split washers.

[CaverD3]

Definatly speak to LR. It is a dealership who last worked on the part. Take photos and keep evidence incase they try to charge you.

Out of warranty I assume?

[djhampson]

I've had a local mechanic fit new bolts that the dealer sent up. So I should be right now.... Hopefully :)

Thanks for everyones help.

I'll be making sure the dealer is aware of what has happened... Because I'm seriously ****ed off right now.

[CaverD3]

Who is paying the mechanics bill?

[djhampson]

I've covered it.... all $60 of it :) Gotta love good quality mechanics who can do bolts up and not feel the need to charge a fortune for it. Car was back on the road in about 40mins after the tow truck dropped it off.

That still left me with one day of driving to enjoy before I had to come home.

If anyone needs an mechanic in Rainbow Beach speak to Rainbow Beach Rust Proof and Mechanical on Goondi St.

I'm going to ask the dealer to do a full inspection of the front diff, propshaft, flanges etc because it must have done a few km (10-15km) before you guys worked out what that bolt was and I stopped driving it around.

I'm also going to ask the dealer for some form of compensation for the 3 days of lost holiday time and the hassle, stress, phone calls etc.