Santiago Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Hi, Another issue regarding safety in a LR Defender that I hear a lot about but can´t make up my mind whether it is correct or not: Is it a wise idea to fit chains or rubbers straps under the fron and rear propshafts in order to prevent the front of the shaft falling to the floor (with the risk that the shaft falls into a pothole or fissure in the road and sends the vehicle out of control)? Some people here say it is safer to fit this kind of strap or chain so that if a universal joint fails then the porpshaft will not fall to the floor. Is fitting these straps a good idea? Is it popular in the UK as a safety measure? I am referring to something like this: Thanks for your opinions Regards SG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Personally I think it is better to grease the UJ's so they don't fall off Anybody who lets a UJ get to a state where is actually separates must be bluddy deaf or asleep. They usually wake up when the prop starts beating dents into the bottom of the floor though I've never seen anything like that before, though I suppose it might help. A rear 110 prop separating from the transfer box and digging into the road certainly makes a bang, seen it happen right in front of me once and the back end did a lovely pole vault just before it tied the prop round the back axle and wiped out the exhaust and brake lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Got one of those on my tractor for the PTO, never seen one on a Land Rover John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 When the prop lets go, it doesn't matter so much that it drops down, but it flails about like a mad thing and wrecks the floor/chassis rail, etc. The strap may limit the amount of damage caused, but as Bogmonster says - look after the prop and you won't need one. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Mythbusters tried dropping a prop shaft onto the road at speed and proved that there is little if any danger. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litch Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Agree, never heard of them being fitted to a LR and as long as you maintain & inspect the prop regularly I can't see the need for them. Surely the strap is likely to catch on anything sticking up in the middle of the track and then cause more damage by being ripped off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WALFY Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Mythbusters tried dropping a prop shaft onto the road at speed and proved that there is little if any danger.Chris Chris I saw that episode. They also dispelled the myth about tying a winch rope around a post and the back axle and it being ripped off when the car drove away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZ5UL Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Oh, it happened to me once! The front prop fall down from transfer box, but not because I am deaf or asleep. It was circlip that holds UJ's cup, poped out followed by the cup and then the prop. It happened so quickly Very, very unpleasant feeling... The UJ has been changed 1 day ago in a workshop. Now, I'm not sure if it was workshop fault or rubbish circlip and probably I will never find out. So, I think some kind of strap under the prop is very good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101sean Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 That sort of thing is for tractor pullers and drag racers etc where exploding gearboxes and flailing props may need armour, hardly needed in even the most tuned up of Land Rovers which are totally puny in comparison. That strap would be ripped straight out anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 You obviously didn't see Cols110s photo of what his puny Td5 did to its rear prop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santiago Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Well.....it seems it is not popular in the UK and aparrently proshafts comming loose is not common. The school of thought that opposes putting these straps down here claims it will be risky when using the vehicle off road beacuse the strap can get caught by a rock, etc while the people who agree it is something worth doing say you loose nothing by installing it....... My thinking has alway been: if these things are not installed by factory (and they would certainly no be expensive to fit) there must be a reason... Thanks Santiago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Got one of those on my tractor for the PTO, never seen one on a Land RoverJohn if a P38a RR counts as a Land Rover it has two fitted from the factory. A bit more robust though, as it's a U shaped metal bracket. Maybe, their thought process was that a RR owner is unlikely to be found under their vehicle with a grease gun! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Very useful - you could rest your arm in the loop like a sling to stop getting arm ache when removing the prop, gives you something to hold to drag yourself under and also something to rest your fag on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Since I'm deaf I had a rear prop UJ let go at the axle end while I was climbing a hill. I hadn't realised I was so close to pole-vaulting death! Since the centre diff was unlocked the car stopped pretty quickly, the prop bounced and rattled a bit but no harm done. I took the remains of the prop off (leaving the broken spider in the axle end since it wasn't far to get home). 100yds later the handbrake drum left the car in a shower of sparks, bounced twice and then shot into the hedge. It seems the PO of my gearbox didn't include the countersunk screw which should hold the drum on. I stopped the car (in gear), fretted about in the hedge to find the drum and threw it in the back with the prop, and then took the whole thing home again. If you've ever driven a LR with the front floor missing, it makes you appreciate how close the front prop is to your feet although I can't say it's driven me to think about prop-catchers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Mark Jenkins front prop let go at the transfer case end and beat the living hell out of the floor - raised it a good inch. It also put a whopping-great dent in the chassis rail. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 IIRC and I'm sure GBMUD will correct me if I am, jonny boy had a prop part company on his Disco which ended up making a large hole in his gearbox bell housing ! Blue disco on here also had a similar thing happen which resulted in, luckily for him, a smaller ignorable hole in his bell housing. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 IIRC and I'm sure GBMUD will correct me if I am, jonny boy had a prop part company on his Disco which ended up making a large hole in his gearbox bell housing ! Wrong, wrong, you are quite wrong! It made a big hole in the side of the autobox itself, let all the oil out and needed a new box. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZ5UL Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 ...beat the living hell out of the floor - raised it a good inch. It also put a whopping-great dent in the chassis rail.Les. Same damages on my disco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I'm sure GBMUD will correct me if I am Which he did and I was Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ101 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Which he did and I was Mo Must be old age Mo Comes to all of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Don't seem to be able to catch you though, Tim Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Don't seem to be able to catch you though, Tim Mo That's odd Mo - one would have thought with your streamlined physique and aerodynamic crown that you would be racing ahead!! Coat, hat door...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 We had a 130 in the other day with a completely destroyed front prop which somehow didn't fall off or bash things to bits, but there was no drive. It must have sounded awful. I'll post a photo next week to show you all what it looked like. So chummy puts in the diff lock and drives on, for a week or two it seems like. Eventually one drive member stripped and that was the end of motion. If he had stopped a bit earlier he could have got by with a recon prop shaft, but it was FUBAR so he got a big bill. New prop shaft, half shafts, drive members, 2 wheel bearings at the back, etc etc. And when we took it for a test drive it needed 3l of oil to the full mark and oil was dripping out of the exhaust, so that means a new turbo as well. Not that the two happenings are possibly connected. Landys have to be looked after, not driven until they can go no further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GL88 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 There is lying in the hedge of a house on my daily walk the the station the spider from a lorry UJ. It is clear why it has parted company from the lorry - the ends of two of the fingers have worn off at an angle of 45 degrees in one plane. Clearly a victim of heroic neglect - the needle bearings must have long gone and leaving those two fingers to run in the bearing cups until they wore so far they popped out. I've been meaning to pick it up for months and if I do I'll post a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 That's odd Mo - one would have thought with your streamlined physique and aerodynamic crown that you would be racing ahead!! Coat, hat door...... Don't forget to run, Bish Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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