Defender 110 Td5 Vibration Under Acceleration

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RMackie

New Member
Posts
2
Location
Leamington Spa
Dear All,
My first post on this forum!
I am looking for advice on a vibration that I now experience under acceleration on my Td5 2001my Defender 110.
The vibration goes when I reach a steady speed in which ever gear I’m in. There is no vibration when coasting or decelerating.
The only thing that I have changed are all 4 springs plus an isolator on each front spring. I would have fitted isolators to the rear springs but I can’t find any of those on the market (110 rear springs are wider in diameter than 90 rear springs).
Prior to the change I had no such vibration although it wallowed badly around corners which was one of the reasons to change the springs. The front was also lifted by about 2 inches with the new springs as the old ones were so saggy.

Any thoughts on where the vibes may be coming from? Could I have mis fitted the springs or could this be due to the isolators (even though it should be an improvement)?

All serious advice gratefully received!
 
That sort of vibration is often the sign of a UJ starting to seize. Did you renew dampers/shocks as well as springs?
The increased height of the springs and isolator would mean a UJ on the front prop would be working at greater angles and could be the reason for the problem.
 
Yes, I think universal joints too. When I replaced my springs the vehicle sat a good deal higher than it had before, so much so that I got the packaging out of the bin to see whether they'd sent me lift kit springs by accident - no, apparently they were standard. So the universal joints will be doing a lot more work. If by 'isolator' you mean those rubber pads that you sometimes find between the spring and the spring seat, I've not found they make a difference to the ride. But if you're desperate to fit some, you might try just cutting some circles out of rubber matting or similar. We made some for my mother's Morris Oxford out of a piece of discarded conveyor belting, for example. I don't suppose that'll stop your vibration though. It sounds like something running slightly out of true under load.
 
That sort of vibration is often the sign of a UJ starting to seize. Did you renew dampers/shocks as well as springs?
The increased height of the springs and isolator would mean a UJ on the front prop would be working at greater angles and could be the reason for the problem.

I am not convinced that it is the UJ as I replaced them 6 months ago. However your point has reminded me that the spline on the prop shaft was seized when the UJ was changed and it may have seized again which may well be a cause of the vibration.

It will have to wait until the weekend but I will take the prop off and try without as well as assessing it off the vehicle.

Great tips! Thanks guys.
 
Sometimes the universal joints can have disappointingly short lives, even if you grease them. It's easier to feel for slack when they're on the vehicle in my experience, because the ends are being held steady. With the handbrake off in the case of the rear one, so it's not under load. Preferably on a flat surface too, so you don't accidentally run yourself over.
 
I am not convinced that it is the UJ as I replaced them 6 months ago. However your point has reminded me that the spline on the prop shaft was seized when the UJ was changed and it may have seized again which may well be a cause of the vibration.

It will have to wait until the weekend but I will take the prop off and try without as well as assessing it off the vehicle.

Great tips! Thanks guys.
If the splined section of the shaft has seized, you will need a new propshaft.
 
Hello all,

I've just started replacing the UJs on my TD5 and decided to clean all the grunge stuck to the yokes and like a dumbass I cleaned the markings off I put there to make sure they go on the same way they came off for balancing purposes.

Does anyone have a way to tell which way the yokes are meant to go on?
Perhaps a photo of a new propshaft complete with yokes setup in arrangement with the counter weight on the shaft?
If it comes down to a professional balancing act, can anyone do it or does it require specialist tools?

In hindsight and shifting blame, if this is so important why dont Landrover mark it themselves on the propshafts?
 
Hello all,

I've just started replacing the UJs on my TD5 and decided to clean all the grunge stuck to the yokes and like a dumbass I cleaned the markings off I put there to make sure they go on the same way they came off for balancing purposes.

Does anyone have a way to tell which way the yokes are meant to go on?
Perhaps a photo of a new propshaft complete with yokes setup in arrangement with the counter weight on the shaft?
If it comes down to a professional balancing act, can anyone do it or does it require specialist tools?

In hindsight and shifting blame, if this is so important why dont Landrover mark it themselves on the propshafts?
I’ve never worried about which way round the yokes get put back on. As long as you haven’t pulled the sliding halves apart they will still be phased correctly.
Happy to be corrected! 😀
 
Was gonna do both but front looks and feels fine so havent touched.
I’ve never worried about which way round the yokes get put back on. As long as you haven’t pulled the sliding halves apart they will still be phased correctly.
Happy to be corrected! 😀
No its the splined shaft I took off... I suppose the optimistic way of looking at it theres only 15 ways of doing it wrong if its a 16 spline shaft...
 
Find a pic of a new shaft and orientate journals as per pic. You will have a 50/50 chance of getting it right or be 180 degrees out. Frankly as most of the weight is in the main section it may well be good either way.
 
Was gonna do both but front looks and feels fine so havent touched.
Well the rear the easiest one to get right. The yokes of the prop should be on the same plane ( in line with each other ). If you still get a vibration they could be 180° out of sync. The front are a bit trickier so make sure to mark them before disassembly, use a punch to leave a dot on matching parts.....


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