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Propshafts!


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My propshaft has been given the seal of approval for the scrapheap!

The slip joint is not doing what it says on the tin, and a few of the UJ cups have been spinning. (and The UJs are gone)

Also notices some marks on the UJs where it appears to have been binding.

So I am after a new prop! Heavy duty and wide angle.

Recommendations plese? :)

The Gwyn Lewis ones look good...

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I have Gwyn Lewis props front and rear on my 90, as has been said they come with a cartridge of good quaility grease which is handy. They are heavy duty GKN drive line props pretty much with a good coat of blue paint, When I have to replace props on the other landys they will all be getting these, good solid grease nipples making maintenace straight forward.

If you dont have a prop nut tool now is the time to buy one! Faffling with 2 spanners takes to long and if your going to be around landys for a while its worth having.

I have naff all to do with Gwyn Lewis other than being a happy customer.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think I'll be ordering a Gwyn Lewis one then :). Thanks everyone :)

Already have prop tool :D. Still a bit of a faf getting it off but a whole lot easier than just spanners!!

If anyone in the North West has a prop problem I can recommend these guys, fast turnaround and a quality job, they also do a drive in service or they did when I had problems with a transit a couple of years ago, took it off, fixed and balanced it and put it back on in a couple of hours.

http://www.northwestpropshafts.com/

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  • 1 month later...

I'm going to order some new props soon and was thinking of getting the Gwyn Lewis props as everyone who uses them says good things. I'd be interested to know what you think of them so far landroversforever.

Also can anyone tell me if they use ordinary uj's or do you have to order custom replacement uj's from Gwyn Lewis?

Thanks

JB

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I fitted a pair of Gwyn Lewis' props to my 90 a couple of months back, and so far they appear to be great. Very well built, and the wide-angle UJs make fitting them very easy. I believe they are a different size of UJ to standard Land Rover props, they guy at Gwyn Lewis told me that they are available from any motor factor if you know the size, but they do sell them there too.

If they're like normal UJs then just because the fitment is the same it doesn't necessarily mean it's the same quality or stength. A UJ may be made in two or more variations that use the same cup fitment/size, but with different construction of bearings/thrust washers etc. and correspondingly very different strengths.

Oh, don't forget to grease them before fitting, and reguarly afterwards. Especially after wading or hard off-road work :)

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Thanks Retroanaconda, I had a feeling that I had read somewhere about them being a different size. I take it that the UJ's on the Gwyn Lewis props are sturdy and good quality then? I also assume that the props are a like for like replacement (ie. no other parts are necessary to fit them to a standard Defender 90).

I think I'll give them a call tomorrow and see about placing an order.

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They certainly seem to be. If I recall my conversation with him a while back, he said the reason they used a different size UJ was to increase the reliability of them (bigger, stronger bearings in the cups etc. They're greasable too, so with some looking after (crawling underneath and greasing every few thousand miles) they should last well.

They are a direct fit (assuming you order the correct length ones:lol:), but I'd get some new 3/8" UNF nyloc nuts for the bolts though, don't want them coming loose :P

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  • 1 year later...

Hi,

I'm in the market for a set of new propshafts and from reading this post, just wondered how your Gwyn Lewis or other propshafts have faired over the past couple of years.

- Are they still running smoothly?

- Have you greased them regularly?

- Have you not greaded them and they're still running smoothly?

- Have they siezed up and needed repairing/replacing?

What I ideally want is a propshaft that I can grease regularly (once a month?) and feel confident that it's going to last for a long time (10 years?) and wont suddenly sieze up.

Steve

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Hi Steve,

Mine are still going well. They probably haven't been greased as often as they should have been. Certainly no where near as often as once a month! I try and grease them before and after any offroading, although I'm due to to them again after all the water last week.

I'm sure he can elaborate, but James had a problem with his. He will have the details of use/maintenance.

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Indeed. Three out of four of my UJs failed a while back. Nothing broke, and there were no vibrations, but there was play in the joints. Greasing was semi-regular, though obviously not as regular as it should have been, though the vehicle was getting fairly heavy off-road use back then on a daily basis.

I replaced all the joints, which was not cheap. £60 a pair, so £120 in new joints. Since then I have greased more regularly, a couple of times a month at least and always following wet/dirty off-road work.

If in the same position I don't think I would buy them again. Whilst they do have good qualities in terms of strength (torque capacity) and a wider operational angle tolerance, I don't think the joints will last any longer than a normal Land Rover propshaft based on dirt ingress alone. And my vehicle does not require the other two attributes.

To be fair to the Gwyn Lewis shafts, they're not in any way bad. It's just that for a standard vehicle which isn't going to make use of the wide angle and extra strength, they're probably not worth the extra.

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Bit too early to tell on mine, but I have greased it regularly and particulary before/after offroading.

No play at all in it to date and am now going to order a rear one for the 90.

Interesting to hear how yours has failed so early though James. Wouldnt expect that.

Did you mention it to Gwyn?

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