I am not so sure the front wheels where designed to go faster than rears ?
I thought it was designed to send most of the drive to the front, gradually transferring to the rear as required.
VCU Torque test results
- Thread starter The Mad Hat Man
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I am not so sure the front wheels where designed to go faster than rears ?
I thought it was designed to send most of the drive to the front, gradually transferring to the rear as required.
jamesmartin
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front wheels are higher geared,(this seems to shorten the life of the vcu compared to the vcu in the rrc equal front rear drive) according to the lr engineers we worked with in the 90s it was to give the car the front wheel drive feel as most new buyers ie the new market they were trying to attract would be used to front wheel drive
Alibro
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If you send most of the drive to the front the front wheels the front tyres wear quicker therefore their diameter is less and they turn slightly faster.
Bife
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1.2 m bar, 5 kg, from 45 to 90 degrees, td4 2001, 173,000 km / 108,000 miles
7 minutes
Bugger, I guess I better take prop off again before driving it.
I have been quoted €500 Euro (£450) just for VCU here in Portugal, how does that compare to UK these days?
7 minutes
Bugger, I guess I better take prop off again before driving it.
I have been quoted €500 Euro (£450) just for VCU here in Portugal, how does that compare to UK these days?
GrumpyGel
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Yes, buggered, unless you're brakes were binding, but almost certainly buggered.
http://www.bellengineering.co.uk/freelander-1-products/
Bife
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Thanks Gel,
That is much cheaper, will have to look into shipping down here
Brakes are not binding - I put the prop back on for MOT and it went straight through
When I bought the car, 5 yrs ago, I took the prop off since it was resisting ever so slightly on reverse full lock, not much but I was very conservative.
The prop has only been on for a couple of trips to the MOT centre every year since, but now it is really binding enough to stall with no throttle on reverse full lock.
So, the VCU has got much work even without any use.
The only thing I can think of is that we had our house rebuilt/refurbished in the meantime and the prop got left outside in the summer sun here in Portugal for a number of months
Could it have got cooked? But I have read of VCU working temps of 120 C?
A black surface can get to around 230 F (110 C) in the sun, so thats not excessive, or is that working figure of 120 C wrong?
That is much cheaper, will have to look into shipping down here
Brakes are not binding - I put the prop back on for MOT and it went straight through
When I bought the car, 5 yrs ago, I took the prop off since it was resisting ever so slightly on reverse full lock, not much but I was very conservative.
The prop has only been on for a couple of trips to the MOT centre every year since, but now it is really binding enough to stall with no throttle on reverse full lock.
So, the VCU has got much work even without any use.
The only thing I can think of is that we had our house rebuilt/refurbished in the meantime and the prop got left outside in the summer sun here in Portugal for a number of months
Could it have got cooked? But I have read of VCU working temps of 120 C?
A black surface can get to around 230 F (110 C) in the sun, so thats not excessive, or is that working figure of 120 C wrong?
GrumpyGel
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I had the crown gear removed from the IRD rear pinion on mine. So it always carries all the hardware (apart from that gear), but the only thing turning the props is the back axle. Dunno if that would get through a Portuguese test, but its got through 14 NZ WOFs 
Alibro
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In normal use the VCU should be cool. It is full of a fluid that may well degrade (stiffen or solidify) at prolonged higher temps.
Bife
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Well, that was clever of me then.
If the VCU gets damaged by working at around 70 C, then mine must have been truly buggered by months in the Portuguese midsummer heat - I'm sure it got substantially hotter than that, and for long enough per day to easily allow the heat to get right through.
In any case, the evidence is that it came off when not too stiff, got left in the sun and when I put it back on it was extremely stiff - so it cant be a good idea to leave them in the hot sun.
Oh well, time to save up pennies for a new / refurb one - but for now the props are off again - and the car feels much free-er to drive
Thanks for help!
If the VCU gets damaged by working at around 70 C, then mine must have been truly buggered by months in the Portuguese midsummer heat - I'm sure it got substantially hotter than that, and for long enough per day to easily allow the heat to get right through.
In any case, the evidence is that it came off when not too stiff, got left in the sun and when I put it back on it was extremely stiff - so it cant be a good idea to leave them in the hot sun.
Oh well, time to save up pennies for a new / refurb one - but for now the props are off again - and the car feels much free-er to drive
Thanks for help!
kernowsvenski
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I'm due a OWUT fairy soon on my motor and was thinking about it the other day. I'll be doing it as per the standard method, but I was idling away my time and wondering if using a front wheel for the test would work. For no particular reason other than out of interest.
With the vehicle well chocked, handbrake on and and in neutral, would the test be the same as using a rear wheel or would the transmission prevent it from working?
With the vehicle well chocked, handbrake on and and in neutral, would the test be the same as using a rear wheel or would the transmission prevent it from working?
kernowsvenski
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I intend to. I was just wondering, being inquisitive.
Here's a f'r'instance - when I was checking my IRD gear ratio and I had one front and one back wheel jacked up to measure the difference after 20 turns - If I turned the front wheel I could have the back wheel turnng without the VCU slipping at all but if I turned the back wheel there was too much resistance and my VCU slipped so I could not get the measurement I wanted at the front wheel.
Alibro
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If you want a quick and dirty way of checking it then jack up the rear wheel, put the wheel brace on a wheel nut and see if it will move. Once you have done this with a known good VCU you can pretty much tell if it is OK just by feel.
Hippo
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That shouldn't happen if the parts are all moving freely and the vcu filled with the correct fluid and amount.
I just put it down to the extra load of turning the IRD over plus the front halfshafts etc - all correct lubricants in my machine and a VCU with excellent OWUT - it all turned OK but the vcu slipped a little as you would expect - doing it the other way there is less happening at the back so the VCU didn't slip - I had marked it to check.
kernowsvenski
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When I put my recon one on I was able to turn the back wheel by hand. At my last proper test I was at 40+ secs but didn't try moving it but hand. I'll give it a go when I do my next check, out of interest.
kernowsvenski
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This is what I was interested to know. i.e. Learning and understanding more about how the vehicle works.
Hippo
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This can happen for one of two reasons. Yer vcu is weak or yer jarring the vcu as yer move the wheel. A sudden turn of the wheel does that. If yer take up the pressure slowly it wont. There's gearing involved and the force needed to turn the weight of the wheel which opposes you turning the other wheel. Slow take up of applied force stops it happening. Turning a wheel using the tire is easy. Turning it using the drive shaft only when its not connected to anything is difficult, by comparison.
