Driveshaft end-float - is this normal?

How much end-float would you expect on the rear axle half shafts? mine come out quite a long way and I'm beginning to feel like James Bond in Goldfinger, where his hubs extend and damage the car of his romantic-interest co-star. There's no loss of drive, so the splines must still be engaged (just) at the diff end, but I wonder what would be considered excessive? I have a 2006 Defender 90, with (I assume) the 24 spline axle.

Quite a lot, they are not 'fixed' into the axle but float instead, they are fixed on the hub end, im not 100% sure on a 2006 model but on the earlier (up to 200TDi/1994) they were circliped into the huib and on the 300TDi the shaft and hub were one piece. Im guessing by the way you have end float that its a free floating halfshaft in the hub end, as long as its secure dont worry...

Yes, they're certainly "fully floating" driveshafts! The circlip stops them disappearing down inside the drive flanges but doesn't stop them coming out. As they tend to push the plastic caps off, I might fit some of those uprated drive flanges with a screw-on cap.They don't come out far enough to disengage from the diff, but prolonged driving with only a small amount of spline engaged in the diff might make them wear out faster. I think I'd better try to keep them in.

A small update on the end float story. I was having a trundle around Wales this weekend, and somewhere between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron I suffered an embarrassing loss of forward motion. There was clearly some energy getting through the drivetrain, and blipping the accelerator yielded a gratifying 110 mph, but we weren't going anywhere. The passsenger side driveshaft had end-floated itself so far out its splines weren't engaging. By rocking the car and kicking it I got it in again and we proceeded gingerly to Aberaeron whilst I considered how to wedge it in place. I went in a hardware shop and bought a saw with which I cut a piece of driftwood to size and wedged it between the end of the halfshaft and the wheel. We were able to complete our trip and returned via the lovely Llyn Brianne reservoir. On heading back to the midlands today in the rain, I noticed that my piece of driftwood had disappeared. There's nothing for it, I thought. I'm going to have to splash out on a decent piece of hardwood for this. Accordingly I sacrificed the handle of a wire brush that was in the back of the car, and felt it squeeze down deliciously tight as I stamped on the wheel nut spanner. Even that got loose by the time I was at Telford, so whilst having a pee in a hedge I loosened a bit of fence and hammered that in as well. We got back to Leicester with no further mishap. It's pay day this week so I shall get some flanges with screw-on caps, rather than drive around forever with bits of wood sticking out of my wheel centre.

new drive flanges and shafts should cure it

Yes, I know! I dont really expect to be able to use bits of wood in my drivetrain. It's just a slightly tongue in cheek story about wedging stuff in to get me home.

what about your screw cap flanges

James, do the 300tdi 24 spline shafts fit the TD5? Reason I say is its a 1 piece cap/shaft and would eliminate this problem all together, no float in the shaft means no problems, dont know if the hub may have a different bolt pattern or anything tho??

Yes, the screw cap flanges arrived and are now fitted. The splines themselves were not too bad - not much wear and they don't have that 'circular saw' profile yet - and with a bit of lube inside the caps the halfshafts will do me for a while yet. My little job for today is to stop the leak where the fuel pump fits the tank. I have a new sealing ring and lock ring kit to fit and I hope this cures it. Always something to do.