Hi all
I have a 110, td5 year 2000 defender, a few months ago i had a leak from the back of the front wheel (axle shaft maybe) anyway I stupidly didnt get it fixed, suddenly I lost all drive. I thought I had to get it towed away to the garage then realised that by engaging the diff lock I could move the vehicle, presumably by using the rear drive. I drove 25km to the garage (I know I shudnt have done this) anyway, they took it apart then told me that the front right half shaft had snapped plus various bearings had gone in the transfer box...I didnt know whether originally only the half shaft had snapped and by driving it in diff lock for half an hour I had damaged it more. Anyway they did the work, cost me a fortune because they had to take the transfer box apart and re-do the damaged bearing, the parts were actually really cheap but all the hours were expensive.
So landy was back on the road, ive only driven about 300km since they fixed it. I live very high up in the mountains in France and at the minute, conditions are very bad, lots of snow and ice. I was using the Landy as I think I should ie low ratio when going down very steep frozen roads, high ratio for normal use, I put diff lock on when I am at risk of slipping. The other day I changed down to low ratio (whilst stationary), engaged diff lock whilst moving but with low revs and using clutch, next thing i know is that something doesnt sound right, then CLUNK, bad sounding noise and hey presto no drive....I can still move the vehicle using diff lock but Im scared that i may do more damage. It appears to me that a halfshaft is broken again...My question is this (1) what would cause the halfshaft to break again? (2) Is the garage liable if its the same halfshaft? (3) will I further damage the vehicle by driving it in diff lock to the garage. It has turned out to be a nightmare for me as i was slowly doing her up to sell as Ive bought a tdi flat bed now....
Any help or advice appreciated
thanks

I'm no expert so don't take this as gospel but if your driving on snow and ice then driving in diff lock should not present too much of a problem. I think its when your driving on a good grip type of road when the transmission can wind up tight that you can get into problems. Only the other day I drove about 30 KLM with the diff lock on whilst driving on a tarmac road. My diff lock warning light doesn't work. Must get it connected. I had a similar problem on mine about a year ago. I lost drive except if it was in diff lock. The half shaft had worn and was not engaging. Replaced the shaft and its fine. Which part of France do you live in. I have a very good guy around here who does my repairs and he is not very expensive at all. I provided the shaft, he charged me 20£. I'm in department 42.

I live in Ariege in the high Pyrenees. So do you think that the wind up might have snapped the half shaft? Is it ok to switch quite often between diff lock and normal?

I'm told one should use the diff lock at least once a month or so just to keep it functioning properly.
I use mine when necessary. Like you when going down slippery muddy slopes or on ice. I must confess I have forgotten to disengage diff lock on several occasions when I have returned onto normal roads. The other day I did a 360° turn in the car park and the landy was like a bucking horse. I had forgotten to disengage the diff lock after going down a steep muddy/icy track earlier in the day. I haven't had one snap in half though.
Probably not the thing you want to do in this weather but if you jack up the wheel you think the half shaft has gone on and try turning the wheel. If it turns that is the one that has gone. ( Disengage diff lock) I wouldn't want to advise you on if it would do more damage to drive it. All depends what has gone. I have always driven mine home and onto the garage.
Just been reading you first thread again. If you have lost all your oil in the front axle then yes you would do some damage as nothing is being lubricated. But I don't see the connection with the transfer box as that is separate. Unless the wind up if you were driving on normal roads with diff lock engaged took its toll on the transfer box. Were the oil levels correct in the transfer box before? When some of the other guys get on here they will be able to advise you better. I had an English friend who lived down your way. he went back to the UK a couple of years back.