Twisted Rear Prop Shaft

[cols110]

G`day all, I had a bad prop day last week and here is the result, I have never seen one twist like this before.

I am not sure how this can happen, I suspect there must have been a small dent or stress raiser in the shaft to let go like this, admitedly I was at 11psi with a rear locker, with a chipped TD5 at about peak torque, landing after hitting a small clump carp in 3rd low, the landing was quite hard, but onto soft sand, so the stress ahould not have been to high going back up the drive line as the rear wheels would have also spun in the sand to some degree and not grabbed perect traction.

Talking to a freind out here who used to race a 4.6lt 110 has never snapped a prop shaft whist racing with a far more powerfull engine and subjecting his race car to more abuse than I could ever do.

I have temporarily fitted an old V8 shaft to keep me on the road, but the V8 shaft is only about 2/3 the thickness of the TD5 one, so am a bit worried about damaging this one as well.

My 1st thought was to just get another TD5 shaft and throw it in, but the question is after doing this once should I go for an up rated shaft or is this just a 1 off incident that wont happen again to a standard shaft.

My other problem is getting an up rated shaft out here in Dubai, I am going to see if I can get a heavier duty tube fitted and balanced locally, but I doubt I am going to be able to get one made locally, so it means getting one shipped in from the UK which is probably going to be quite expensive.

Any thoughts on idea on how it failed like this and if it could happen again would be greatly appreciated.

[Les Henson]

Wow! Never seen a prop do that Cols, they usually just break at the uj yoke. At least it'll make a good workshop ornament

Is the prop an original, or perhaps a cheap aftermarket one?

Les.

[cols110]

Les it should be origional with only about 65 000kms on it, so I doubt that is the problem.

Yep it`ll make a nice garage ornament, some thing to talk about over a beer.

[Guest diesel_jim]

On pirate4x4 there are a couple of firms who advertise custom props, HD ones for the rock crawling brigade, and might be cheaper to get sent to you from the US instead of the UK?

[BogMonster]

hee hee I have referred to "tying a propshaft in a knot" before but I have never actually seen it happen

Very impressive

I would think it was probably a weakened shaft, maybe dented or bent?

[jjojjas]

that's amazing. I have never seen that. As said above surely it was a duff prop or dinted in some way for that to happen? I'd have thought the UJ would have popped first.

Jas

[redben101]

Its abit off the point but are propshafts for 90`s interchangealbe? eg i have a 90 but could i fit a rear propshaft of say a 300Tdi or Td5?

[streaky]

Cols...see my post on me4x4 about Trinity engineering. They would be the locals lads in Dubai to make a special and balance it. Let them have the old UJ's or even supply them with up-rated ones if possible...wider yoke perhaps?

Personally I think the shaft had a weak point to start with (dented perhaps). Your points about Mabsey are well valid and I know Mark hasn't twatted a prop on the Saluki in all the time I've serviced it.

My 130 has a longer proppy than yours (or at least I'm pretty certain it has...I'd have to check and confirm that) and I'm pushing heaps more power through it than a TD5....hence I still think your old one was faulty from the start and you'd be ok in future to stick with a standard one. (that and the fact that you drive like my granny anyway!)

[white90]

Ben they are differing lengths 200TDI-300/td5 variants

[Andy]

cant help with why it broke, but just wanted to say well done. ive never seen anyone manage that sort of damage before.

[FridgeFreezer]

Seen one on a US rock-crawlin' site and there are a couple of guys in one of the Ladoga videos with a similar affair, I think they go when something dings them or bends them, it removes a lot of the strength of the tube and then they just wrap up!

[western]

impressed Col either stick with the standard shaft or go to Streaky's contact for a replacement.

[Happyoldgit]

Impressive! That will take more than a bit of chewing gum to fix

[BoatBuoy]

I've seen one from a South West Water 130 that had torn itself apart. Done a good job there! I'd just fit another, if its lasted 65k, then that ain't too bad, you've had your money's worth.

[headdamage]

I've seen that happen over here in Canada to US trucks with big engines and tires but not a rover.

[cols110]

Thanks all, so with the concensous agreeing to it probably being a one off, I think it was probably due to a manufacturing defect or suffered a bit of damage, it has played on a few rocks since I`ve had it, so the shaft might have taken a bit of an impact somewher along the line.

Streaky, thanks for the info on Trinity mate, I`ll try to get hold of em next week, if that fails, I`ll just bung in a new one.

Thanks again all.

And yes, I must agree, it was a pretty impressive effort.

[Paul]

I am not sure how this can happen

Hmmmm...let me think...rev limiter, airborne, Colin driving....nope, I can't think how it could happen either.

Way to go Col. If I could get a Tdi to do that I'd frame my propshaft and hang it on the wall as a trophy.

[cols110]

Hmmmm...let me think...rev limiter, airborne, Colin driving....nope, I can't think how it could happen either.

What are you trying to say mate, genuine one owner Land Rover, driven to church on Sundays(or the Mosque on Fridays in our case), never been offroad.

[western]

never been offroad.

Hmmm why don't I believe that ------------------

Cols110 ---- admitedly I was at 11psi with a rear locker, with a chipped TD5 at about peak torque, landing after hitting a small clump carp in 3rd low, the landing was quite hard, but onto soft sand,

[cols110]

Sorry mate, don`t see the connection.

[michael calvert]

our FL10 did one just like, obviously a bit bigger thoguh as it was on the tractor unit, only brough tit back from workshop after been stretched, so had done about 50 miles at the most