Signs a rear propshaft centre bearing needs replacing

[BushDisco]

Hi distinguished forumites, I've noticed in recent months that when on a freeway and coasting or under very light throttle that i feel a vibration which in my mind may be the rear prop shaft. Or not.

SDV6 4 my12 with 230k and well serviced. Wheels balanced (certainly not front wheel balance issue as I don't feel through the steering wheel).

Was under the disco today starting a fluids service so I took the cover off the rear shaft, grasping next to the centre bearing I could push and pull the shaft up and down, getting maybe 3 to 4 cm Max movement between extremes.

Inspected the rubber bush surrounding the bearing and couldn't see any cracks or gaps. Seemed supple and intact with no obvious issues, and zero latteral movement felt in the bearing.

At $500 for a replacement I'd rather not replace if not ready, so how do I definitively diagnose a failing centre bush, or rule it out?

Cheers.

[veebs]

I’m no expert, but that certainly sounds very worn to me - I’d expect no more than a few mm of play, but wait for others to chime in before taking my word!

[Jpdv]

Just to say that the most exciting moment of my driving career was many years ago, when my MGB GT was thrashing along a road in England, at it's maximum speed of about 80 mph,(!) when the rear propshaft came loose from the front universal joint. That's when I learnt why the MG had a little armoured cowl above this area... The propshaft, now being 'driven' solely by the rear wheels, stared spinning in a circle defined at the top by the transmission tunnel, and at the bottom by the road surface...A colossal bang as the impact drove the ashtray in the transmission tunnel up into the roof, showering a panicking me with ash, immediately followed by a series of pogo-hops as the whole car bounced off the front of the shaft digging into the road... Imagine doing about 100kph and having the rear end bounce repeatedly about a foot into the air.

The thrashing shaft then battered the armoured cowl loose, to the surprise of the puzzled drivers following this maniac, as a piece of metal bounced down the road, trailing sparks... I came to a halt at the roadside with a heart rate of about 300, and a completely dead vehicle...

Whenever I worry about LR reliability, I remember that vehicle... I once drove from France to the UK in Winter, having to reach out and 'jog' the wipers by hand to get them to start, every time...

[Discodicky]

Just to say that the most exciting moment of my driving career was many years ago, when my MGB GT was thrashing along a road in England, at it's maximum speed of about 80 mph,(!) when the rear propshaft came loose from the front universal joint. That's when I learnt why the MG had a little armoured cowl above this area... The propshaft, now being 'driven' solely by the rear wheels, stared spinning in a circle defined at the top by the transmission tunnel, and at the bottom by the road surface...A colossal bang as the impact drove the ashtray in the transmission tunnel up into the roof, showering a panicking me with ash, immediately followed by a series of pogo-hops as the whole car bounced off the front of the shaft digging into the road... Imagine doing about 100kph and having the rear end bounce repeatedly about a foot into the air.

The thrashing shaft then battered the armoured cowl loose, to the surprise of the puzzled drivers following this maniac, as a piece of metal bounced down the road, trailing sparks... I came to a halt at the roadside with a heart rate of about 300, and a completely dead vehicle...

Whenever I worry about LR reliability, I remember that vehicle... I once drove from France to the UK in Winter, having to reach out and 'jog' the wipers by hand to get them to start, every time...

Ah yes, but the wipers were "powered by LUCAS", so what else would you expect??

[Barraman]

Hi distinguished forumites, I've noticed in recent months that when on a freeway and coasting or under very light throttle that i feel a vibration which in my mind may be the rear prop shaft. Or not.
SDV6 4 my12 with 230k and well serviced. Wheels balanced (certainly not front wheel balance issue as I don't feel through the steering wheel).
Was under the disco today starting a fluids service so I took the cover off the rear shaft, grasping next to the centre bearing I could push and pull the shaft up and down, getting maybe 3 to 4 cm Max movement between extremes.
Inspected the rubber bush surrounding the bearing and couldn't see any cracks or gaps. Seemed supple and intact with no obvious issues, and zero latteral movement felt in the bearing.
At $500 for a replacement I'd rather not replace if not ready, so how do I definitively diagnose a failing centre bush, or rule it out?
Cheers.

Recently 'been there - done that'! I first noticed a 'ticking' under acceleration, ie pulling away from the lights. The speed of the 'tick' increased with the speed of the vehicle.

Rear propshaft bearing replaced and wallet lighter by $1,2000 - all good!

2015 D4 TDv6 with 235,000 km on the clock!

[scarry]

Just to say that the most exciting moment of my driving career was many years ago, when my MGB GT was thrashing along a road in England, at it's maximum speed of about 80 mph,(!) when the rear propshaft came loose from the front universal joint. That's when I learnt why the MG had a little armoured cowl above this area... The propshaft, now being 'driven' solely by the rear wheels, stared spinning in a circle defined at the top by the transmission tunnel, and at the bottom by the road surface...A colossal bang as the impact drove the ashtray in the transmission tunnel up into the roof, showering a panicking me with ash, immediately followed by a series of pogo-hops as the whole car bounced off the front of the shaft digging into the road... Imagine doing about 100kph and having the rear end bounce repeatedly about a foot into the air.

The thrashing shaft then battered the armoured cowl loose, to the surprise of the puzzled drivers following this maniac, as a piece of metal bounced down the road, trailing sparks... I came to a halt at the roadside with a heart rate of about 300, and a completely dead vehicle...

Whenever I worry about LR reliability, I remember that vehicle... I once drove from France to the UK in Winter, having to reach out and 'jog' the wipers by hand to get them to start, every time...

Many D2's did the same over the years,it was the double cardon joint on the front driveshaft that let go.
No doubt very few at that sort of speed,but they often caused a huge amount of damage when they failed,and scared the **** out of anyone in the vehicle.

[350RRC]

Many D2's did the same over the years,it was the double cardon joint on the front driveshaft that let go.
No doubt very few at that sort of speed,but they often caused a huge amount of damage when they failed,and scared the **** out of anyone in the vehicle.

Didn't that usually trash the transfer case?

A minor issue in comparison these days, with the 'beloved nuances' of D3's and 4's'.

DL

[scarry]

Didn't that usually trash the transfer case?

DL

Yes they often did.

Another wonderfull piece of LR engineering,being sealed and unserviceable

The aftermarket mobs were onto them pretty quickly with some good options.

[letherm]

Whenever I worry about LR reliability, I remember that vehicle... I once drove from France to the UK in Winter, having to reach out and 'jog' the wipers by hand to get them to start, every time...

Oh, that brings back memories of early childhood.

Dad had a Standard 10 (I think) and his wipers were manual. That is, the passenger had to pull down a wire underneath the passenger side dash to operate them and keep going until the rain stopped. Can't remember what dad did when he was by himself!

Pretty sure it wouldn't pass a rego check these days.

Martin

[Eric SDV6SE]

Rear propshaft bearing replaced and wallet lighter by $1,2000 - all good!

Should be relatively easy DIY and centre bearing cost is minimal. Why would the whole propshaft need to be replaced if only the bearing has failed?

https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/tf...-1151067-p.asp