Vibrations

Evening all, hoping someone can offer me some advice.

My 95 defender has got a vibration between about 55-65mph.

It feels worse when in 5th gear.

I have taken the front prop off and drove around and it seemed a lot better.

Yesterday I changed the front UJs, it feels a bit better but the vibration is definitely still there.

It sounds like a pulsating kind of noise, quite slow and like I said, really between 55 and 65. Anything above that and it seems fine.

I would have guessed at wheel balancing if it wasn't for the fact it went away when front prop removed.

Any idea guys? I'm really hoping its not going to be the front diff!

Greg.

gregsargent said:

Evening all, hoping someone can offer me some advice.

My 95 defender has got a vibration between about 55-65mph.

It feels worse when in 5th gear.

I have taken the front prop off and drove around and it seemed a lot better.

Yesterday I changed the front UJs, it feels a bit better but the vibration is definitely still there.

It sounds like a pulsating kind of noise, quite slow and like I said, really between 55 and 65. Anything above that and it seems fine.

I would have guessed at wheel balancing if it wasn't for the fact it went away when front prop removed.

Any idea guys? I'm really hoping its not going to be the front diff!

Greg.

Click to expand...

If it int the UJ's it can only be a couple of other things.

CWP or Transfer box really. Could be a bearing.

Put the front axle on stands and check the play by turning the diff input. Check for play in the transfer box as well. I bet; one of those will have play in it.

think id rather it be the CWP though as otherwise your dropping your transfer box on the drive!

How much play is too much play? I'll have to look at the weekend.

I have changed a transfer box on a disco before and that was an absolutely nightmare on the driveway - so I'm hoping to not need to do it again!

Also I have tried it in low range and it is completely smooth throughout all the gears and rev ranges. Does this eliminate anything?

Well, that suggests it's the axles, wheels or props. When my props are getting loose (I've had this both on the front and rear now) the vibration is worst at about 50mph and once you're up to about 70 it's gone smooth again, so I still think it's a propshaft problem. How's the back one? Did you separated the splines? And if so did you put them back in the right orientation? There's some discussion elsewhere on here about the optimum phase for the UJ yokes to be in. Maybe the prop is still running a little eccentrically despite new bearings. Could it be bent? Are the bearings seated centrally in the yokes and the retaining clips fully home in their grooves? I've had a UJ spider that was a little too short in the past and that allowed the prop to run eccentrically, and I've lost the spring clips occasionally, which has allowed the same thing.

Cheers Brown,

Very thorough response. The prop went back on exactly how it came off. That said, there is no saying it was correct in the first place.

The defender has done this since I bought it... I saw the orientation document posted on here a few days ago whilst trawling through 'vibration' based threads. I will check at the weekend.

I assumed it was an issue with the front, as when I took it off, and drove it, all seemed ok. That said, it was a short drive. I bought the UJs for the rear props haft at the same time as the front, so I will fit those ASAP and see if it helps.

Plenty of stuff here to check, I hate the dark evenings or I'd be out there now spannering

Thanks

It's a Land Rover, so it's never going to stop vibrating. Indeed, when a Land Rover is tired of vibrating it's tired of life. That's why a lot of Discoverys had those rubbery joints instead, so that they could pretend to be more like a car. Is there any slack in the splines at all? Something's enabling it to flap about and run eccentrically. Alternatively, as many propshafts come from the factory with bits of metal spot welded to the sides to act as balancing weights, has yours lost a balancer lately?

Update, changed rear UJs at the weekend and is now a lot smoother.

I get the feeling I had two issues. Driving feels a lot smoother and tighter now, but there is a slight vibe around 50mph still, but nowhere near the extent before.

The vibrations before could be felt through the steering wheels etc.

Now it is more of a noise than anything else. Possibly tyres need balancing?