So again here we are lol, the 2003 3 door td4, so it drives fine but going round corners on full or near full lock lots of creaking and groaning noises from rear end best way to describe it, and when home and reversing in to my spot as side of house its probably worse in reverse, so whats this likely to be? i am struggling to pin point the noise as it were just the back end, maybe the suspension if i had to guess? but maybe this has came up before and some of you guys know?

Grant

wrxfifer said:

So again here we are lol, the 2003 3 door td4, so it drives fine but going round corners on full or near full lock lots of creaking and groaning noises from rear end best way to describe it, and when home and reversing in to my spot as side of house its probably worse in reverse, so whats this likely to be? i am struggling to pin point the noise as it were just the back end, maybe the suspension if i had to guess? but maybe this has came up before and some of you guys know?

Grant

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Ask my Mrs she suffers with the same problem ! and her rear silencer is sometimes noisey

lol yeah we are both the same

Seized brake linkage, rear subframe, fixed nut breaking loose in bodyshell are two pointers

wrxfifer said:

So again here we are lol, the 2003 3 door td4, so it drives fine but going round corners on full or near full lock lots of creaking and groaning noises from rear end best way to describe it, and when home and reversing in to my spot as side of house its probably worse in reverse, so whats this likely to be? i am struggling to pin point the noise as it were just the back end, maybe the suspension if i had to guess? but maybe this has came up before and some of you guys know?

Grant

Click to expand...

When ever there's "noise" and "turning" in the same sentence - thoughts do turn to the tyres and VCU. First 3 thing's I'd check are...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/

freelance said:

Seized brake linkage, rear subframe, fixed nut breaking loose in bodyshell are two pointers

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Loose subframe due to captive nut coming away is a definite possibility - although wasn't it more on earlier cars than 2003 and haven't heard of a new report in ages. For more info on it you can search on its very not scarey tag of "cracked chassis".

GrumpyGel said:

When ever there's "noise" and "turning" in the same sentence - thoughts do turn to the tyres and VCU. First 3 thing's I'd check are...

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/


Loose subframe due to captive nut coming away is a definite possibility - although wasn't it more on earlier cars than 2003 and haven't heard of a new report in ages. For more info on it you can search on its very not scarey tag of "cracked chassis".

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The chassis rails were strengthened after 2000, so cracking shouldn't happen after that date.

I'd say suspension bushes are a potential creaking source. I'd also be doing the one wheel up test is to eliminate the VCU. An overly stiff VCU can create all sorts of creaks and grones from the suspension and drive train.

Hi and thats a good read grumpy and just from reading that, and the car does feel like the brakes have been applied when cornering slowly, infact when in reverse it comes to a stand still, so i will do the test but even before i do it im pretty sure this vcu is knackered, and seen as i have no money right now to be doing this motor up right now, perhaps the removal of it and these prop shafts would help, until i can get a replacement vcu in the near future, so is there any guides anywhere on doing this?

wrxfifer said:

Hi and thats a good read grumpy and just from reading that, and the car does feel like the brakes have been applied when cornering slowly, infact when in reverse it comes to a stand still, so i will do the test but even before i do it im pretty sure this vcu is knackered, and seen as i have no money right now to be doing this motor up right now, perhaps the removal of it and these prop shafts would help, until i can get a replacement vcu in the near future, so is there any guides anywhere on doing this?

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A Hippo Guide is here https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/freelander-1-vcu-bearing-replacement-how-to-guide.156068/

ok so after you disconnect and remove the front and rear shafts and this vcu unit in the middle, is that it, until i get a replacement? do i need to do anything else? or literally after i drop these 3 parts out thats it, safe to drive still like that until i get another?

wrxfifer said:

ok so after you disconnect and remove the front and rear shafts and this vcu unit in the middle, is that it, until i get a replacement? do i need to do anything else? or literally after i drop these 3 parts out thats it, safe to drive still like that until i get another?

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Well it will drive a bit different. You will think it drives better until the traction control kicks without the prop and your front wheels spin. But don’t worry about it you will get used to it.

ok, thanks for that, another thing above there i read about loose subframe so have checked there threads that say cracked chassis!! and they are all on about bolts or captive nuts missing in the sub frame mounts etc and to check them and take out and re do if possible etc, but is there a guide or pictures stating exactly where to look and where these points/nuts/mounts are etc as none of the posts i have read state where they are or anything just that they have checked them etc and either ok or not? total noob to these motors and tbh looks like i have been givin one with a few issues that i never knew about and the previous owner probably did! never mind though just want to try and get it ok

Yeh, I drive the car onto blocks to give a bit of clearance. Remove the accessible bolts from the prop to rear diff and prop to IRD. Push the car along a bit to rotate the prop. Remove the remaining bolts and lower each end - be careful they are heavey and rest them on something so as not to over extend them. Then put a (trolley) jack under the VCU (its very heavy as well), remove the 4 bolts securing its carrier bearings and lower the VCU on the jack.

That's how most peeps then use their Freelander. But you should notify your insurance company that you have modified it - they may change your premiums!

Advisable to change the oil in the IRD. If it comes out grey, it probably won't be suitable to go back 4WD without a rebuild.

You can then replace the VCU, and maybe carrier bearings and probably a good idea to replace front mount for the rear diff - if you want to go back to 4WD.

I've been driving my Freelander (L Series diesel) 2WD for 4 years now - its a good 2WD vehicle and I don't get wheel spin - the petrols do tend to spin up the wheels. They are low geared in 1st - so will put a lot of torque through the fronts if you put your foot down in 1st - but "a lot" isn't much in my L Series and the TD4 is not much more. Like any 2WD - if you drive it like you stole it, then the wheels will spin up!

I do still venture down the river bed for fishing, tend to go a bit quicker and more careful where I go but I don't get stuck - and that's the only time the TC kicks in, never had it on-road. I won't take it down the beach though.

I got a bit cocky last month and joined the local Landie group on a trip way off the beaten track up the Rangitata/Havelock rivers. Ultimately it wasn't traction that stopped me - it was ground clearance. The underneath was getting hammered by rocks, so I turned it off it and jumped in a mate's P38!

I did get stuck coming back though climbing out of a gully, but the Tratterers loved that cos they could practice their recovery skills



My IRD actually went 'bang'. It was going to cost about £3.5K to get a replacement IRD & VCU over here. So I had an IRD bearing/seal/cooler kit shipped over from the UK and got a diff shop to fit them. The IRD crown/pinion gears and VCU were shagged - so I while it was open I also got them to remove the crown gear to castrate drive to the back axle. I reinstalled it and the props with original VCU. It all looks original underneath and the props still turn - but driven by the back axle. I did that so that I don't get any aggro putting a 'modified' vehicle through its WOF (MOT).

I do now have the bits to put it back 4WD - just need to get off my arse and do it!

i know it is your winter time now GrumpyGel so wait until the spring and stop going down to that beautiful beach to do some fishing and get it done oh wait a min, beautiful beach fishing mmm let me think the car will do another time I guess.LOL