Thread: Propshaft - repair or replace?

Which way round the shaft is is not critical, but the splines do wear.

I see no particular advantage in any of the options - I would work out which is cheaper. A couple of points though - it is, in NSW at least, illegal to do any welding on a prop shaft unless in an approved workshop. My experience is that when I got repairs to a 110 prop shaft quoted, the quote was around double the cost of a new genuine part (although not from an official dealer), and the freight quoted for the spline joint and two U-joints from Sydney to Dubbo was a lot more than the freight from Melbourne to Dubbo for a complete rear prop shaft. motto - check prices for multiple options before deciding what to do!

John

Buy from UK.
IMHO and experience it is only worth having repairs done on a shaft that is unobtainable otherwise . You get new Ujs also.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by Warb

Having started the major survey of my 1959 88", I've discovered a few (no doubt not the last) problems that I need to rectify.

The front propshaft had been fitted (according to my workshop manuals) the wrong way around. Both the LR manual and Haynes agree that the splined joint should be at the axle end, but on this vehicle it's been reversed.

Whether as a result of this, or for other reasons, the spined joint is now stuffed - still attached at both ends there is >10mm up and down (or side to side!) movement on the joint.

I can ship a complete new Hardy Spicer shaft from the UK (UKP47 + shipping), source a secondhand one here, use the repair parts from FWD or take it to a propshaft repair company.

What are the recommendations?

r
hi don't forget front prop is 2 inches longer on the 88 jim

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Buy from UK.
IMHO and experience it is only worth having repairs done on a shaft that is unobtainable otherwise . You get new Ujs also.
Regards Philip A

Yep, that's what I did. See Sorting out the rear suspension, which ended up with me buying new a drive shaft from the UK. Much cheaper than repair or getting a new one built locally.

If you want to go the rebuild route, I recommend Metropolitan Drive Shafts, (02 9637 7933).

Peter

One of the reasons front splines wear badly is because more extreme shock loadings of the front suspension movements and secondly as a consequence of vehicles with free-wheeling hubs producing uneven wear in the prop-shafts natural resting planes.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Which way round the shaft is is not critical, but the splines do wear.

A couple of points though - it is, in NSW at least, illegal to do any welding on a prop shaft unless in an approved workshop.

I couldn't see any particular reason for the propshafts being in a given orientation, but my "official" 1963 Land Rover manual is very insistent that the splined sleeves are at the transfer box end of both shafts. Perhaps if the sleeve is on the axle side it allows water ingression because it would be angled up?

I too have been told that propshaft work needs to be done at an approved workshop, but I've never managed to find any written documentation to confirm this, or to establish exactly what "approval" is required. Whilst I have no doubt (this being Australia) that it is true, I'd like to find the actual legislation, just out of curiosity, and discover exactly what is required!

In this case I've just ordered two new shafts, as the rear one had a fair amount of play in the splines as well - I don't think either had ever been lubricated!

My manual shows only the front shaft having a protective boot on the splined joint. Is there a reason why the rear shaft doesn't have one?

There was a great article in LRO (nov. 2010) regarding propshafts their components and how they are constructed from scatch.A field that requiries specialized knowledge and equipment to cut, turn, press, weld and balance to make this humble part .They do come up on ebay from time to time for around $200 new.

$175.00 AUD for rear prop shaft from Paddocks UK , thats delivered. Id say a front prop shaft would be much the same. Its worth getting a quote from Paddocks and asking the local players if they will match it. They sometimes do.