Is it safe to drive with one rear half shaft removed?

JimmyOlds · Dec 23, 2019

Hi everyone,

The centre diff in my 96 Discovery V8 auto has broken in such a way that it is now permanently locked. Eventually I will get around to replacing it, but before I can do that there’s some trips I’d like to do in it.

Would it cause any damage if I were to remove the shorter of the rear half shafts and drive it like that? I would make a cover to fit where the half shaft went to prevent oil spilling.

My thinking is that with one of the halfshafts removed, no drive will reach the rear wheels and so no bind up will occur. Once I reach the trail I’d put the halfshaft back in to make it 4wd again. This would be preferable to removing a driveshaft since it would be much quicker with better access (my friends didn’t take too kindly to me reinstalling my driveshaft last trip!)

Is there anything I’m not thinking of here that would make this a bad idea?

Cheers,
James

Shimsteriom · Dec 23, 2019

Welcome

MJI · Dec 23, 2019

I would not risk it.

More likely to break the driving end.

Also I would be worried about the pinion in the diff

Nodge68 · Dec 23, 2019

JimmyOlds said:
Is there anything I’m not thinking of here that would make this a bad idea

What's going to hold the rear hub in place, once the half shaft nut can't screw on to a half shaft to retain it?

neilly · Dec 23, 2019

Nodge68 said:
What's going to hold the rear hub in place, once the half shaft nut can't screw on to a half shaft to retain it?

??

Cheers

Nodge68 · Dec 23, 2019

neilly said:
??

Cheers

What does?? Mean?

neilly · Dec 23, 2019

Nodge68 said:
What does?? Mean?

I would guess the #14's would.

Cheers

Nodge68 · Dec 23, 2019

neilly said:
I would guess the #14's would.

View attachment 196786

Cheers

I'm not that well up on the Disco, but I'm pretty sure the last oil seal I did involved removing a large nut on the end of the half shaft, so the hub can be withdrawn from the hub carrier. I could have got it mixed up with another vehicle, but I thought it was assembled like this.

neilly · Dec 23, 2019

Nodge68 said:
I'm not that well up on the Disco, but I'm pretty sure the last oil seal I did involved removing a large nut on the end of the half shaft, so the hub can be withdrawn from the hub carrier. I could have got it mixed up with another vehicle, but I thought it was assembled like this.View attachment 196787

TD5.

Cheers

Nodge68 · Dec 23, 2019

neilly said:
I would guess the #14's would.

View attachment 196786

Cheers

If it's like this, then theoretically it could be driven without a half shaft. However wouldn't it be safer to remove the rear propshaft, and a half shaft, then lock the centre diff. Then it'll be a FWD and not put any load on the rear diff. Just a thought mind.

neilly · Dec 23, 2019

Nodge68 said:
If it's like this, then theoretically it could be driven without a half shaft. However wouldn't it be safer to remove the rear propshaft, and a half shaft, then lock the centre diff. Then it'll be a FWD and not put any load on the rear diff. Just a thought mind.

Well, if you read the OP, he does not want to reomve the "drive shaft" prop as he calls it.
Why bother removing a halfshaft if he was happy to remove a prop shaft.

Cheers

Nodge68 · Dec 23, 2019

neilly said:
Well, if you read the OP, he does not want to reomve the "drive shaft" prop as he calls it.

That'll teach me to read the post properly, before posting.

Si Click · Dec 23, 2019

Takes about 10 minutes to put a prop (drive) shaft on. Buy one of the propshaft sockets and carry a 14mm spanner and an impact wrench. Jack up one side (CDL locked) so you can rotate the propshaft to get decent access to all nuts. Much easier than pulling a half shaft I would have thought.

Turboman · Dec 23, 2019

Si Click said:
Takes about 10 minutes to put a prop (drive) shaft on. Buy one of the propshaft sockets and carry a 14mm spanner and an impact wrench. Jack up one side (CDL locked) so you can rotate the propshaft to get decent access to all nuts. Much easier than pulling a half shaft I would have thought.

If you read Post 1, he explains why he does not want to remove the propshaft. It appears that he will be in a hurry, and may not be on terrain where it is safe to jack the vehicle up.
Furthermore, he states that he cannot unlock the centre diff at all, due to an unspecified fault.

NPG · Dec 23, 2019

Interesting concept that I never came across before. Wouldn't that cause the power to be transferred to the diff gear with the half shaft removed, given that it will have no load ?

Turboman · Dec 23, 2019

NPG said:
Interesting concept that I never came across before. Wouldn't that cause the power to be transferred to the diff gear with the half shaft removed, given that it will have no load ?

Yes. But I doubt if that will do any harm.

NPG · Dec 23, 2019

Turboman said:
Yes. But I doubt if that will do any harm.

Don't know either but I would think that the connected wheel will be dragged along by the drive from the front wheels.

Turboman · Dec 23, 2019

NPG said:
Don't know either but I would think that the connected wheel will be dragged along by the drive from the front wheels.

That is probably a good thing. Generally better if all the wheels rotate while you are driving!

Si Click · Dec 23, 2019

Turboman said:
If you read Post 1, he explains why he does not want to remove the propshaft. It appears that he will be in a hurry, and may not be on terrain where it is safe to jack the vehicle up.
Furthermore, he states that he cannot unlock the centre diff at all, due to an unspecified fault.

Thank you for your dismissive post. I did read Post 1. Did you read mine? My comment was that IMHO with the right tools a propshaft can be removed faster than a half shaft. How long does it take to remove 8 bolts with an impact wrench? He says that he wishes to save time, but does not state that he would be on terrain where the vehicle cannot be jacked. Are you sure you read Post 1?
Again if you read my post, I make it clear that he would need to jack one side of the vehicle to rotate the propshaft because the CDL is locked.

Andy J · Dec 23, 2019

sorry just read post

Is it safe to drive with one rear half shaft removed?

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