Thread: IRD for 99 diesel freelander

New IRDs come up on ebay regularly for $1500.

However IRDs are pretty robust and generally only fail if the Viscous Coupling Unit has failed so you most likely need to replace that as well ($950) on ebay. Both cheaper from the UK though.

If you replace your IRD and the VCU has failed then your new IRD will fail very quickly.

Garry

You can buy bearing kits for the IRD, which will be a lot cheaper than a new IRD. You may need to buy a cooler with it also. I have got them out with out damaging them but they are easily damaged and manuals say they can be removed without damage.
Early freelanders had the ratio between the front and rear wheel to large which causes the VCU to seize and that damages the IRD or rear diff.
You can keep the tail shaft removed and drive it, This causes no problems with the car.
There would be 3 to 4 hours labour to remove and refit a IRD

Originally Posted by woko

There would be 3 to 4 hours labour to remove and refit a IRD

Maybe for you - but I could only manage it in my dreams

But yes - search Freelander IRD on Ebay and you will find kits.

If you do not use your vehicle offroad then just take out the two tailshafts and VCU and use it as a 2wd - there are no issues.

Garry

cheers i won't be using it off road so i,ll take it out and leave it out until i really need it thanks again

If you've just bought the car - you *might* need to have the tailshaft in place for a RWC - depends on who does it - whether it's a RWC item is open to interpretation apparently.

I only mention it because I've just sorted a roadworthy for our Diesel this week (I pulled the shaft out earlier because a support bearing was stuffed (noisy groaning noise underneath) and the CV joint at the front of the shaft was sloppy in one direction - caused nasty vibrations)

- surprisingly the VCU and IRD are healthy in the car - must have been replaced not that long ago...

If you decide to repair / replace the IRD - check if it is the later or earlier model - Garry mentioned a quick way to do this - at 100kmh in 5th gear - if you're on 3000 rpm, you have the older wear-out-the-vcu-quickly unit, 2600rpm and you have the newer unit.

Personally - If I had the newer unit and it was noisy but still worked with the tailshaft out - I'd grab a repair kit and have-at-it. If it was completely stuffed, or I had the older unit - I'd replace with a newer unit.

We've run our other 1.8 petrol freelander without the tailshaft for the best part of 12 months with no ill effects (except it's a bit eager to wheelspin on slippery surfaces) - which the Traction Control can only do so much to alleviate.

Hope that helps.

Scott.

my mechanic says he cant take it off because it will leave a big gaping hole is this so or does he not know what he's on about

Originally Posted by ecnal

my mechanic says he cant take it off because it will leave a big gaping hole is this so or does he not know what he's on about

It will leave the tunnel running up the middle of the car empty. but will have no ill effect on the car. He may be worried about oil leaks as some cars use the transmission out put shaft as a slip joint, Freelanders don't do this. They have yokes on the IRD and rear diff.