I'm looking at Freelander 1's and the propshaft removal seems to be a popular mod to improve fuel economy. I'll be looking to retain the 4x4 capability but is there anything specific that has to be done correctly when removing it? I don't want to but one in 2wd and then find massive complications when trying to reintroduce the 4wd.

check with your insurer first.

why would you want to take it of now winter is upon us
I had my propshaft off all summer and never noticed any improvement in fuel saving

straightforward removal and refit nothing complicated about it undo the prop at both ends and drop the 2 centre bearing carriers

but do check with insurance first because you are altering and modifying the vehicle and some insurances will charge for the mods unless you don't tell them then it gets complicated if you have an accident(god forbid)

Anyone who tells you there's a big saving to be had on fuel economy doesn't know what they're talking abut, and is often just saying there's a big mpg saving in order to draw the interest of potential buyers!

The eBayer who claims a "200 mile extra per tank" is a case in point

I've been running my 3dr in 2wd for the last 2 weeks as the VCU had tightened up and the bearings had failed and it's not something I would be doing again unless the height of summer. The greasy roads made it wheelspin easily from junctions and it definately didn't inspire any confidence driving it, unlike when it's 4wd. Any improvement in fuel economy wasn't noticeable to me either...

Cheers guys, but I'm not looking to remove one lol. I saw a FL1 on eBay with the propshaft already removed. What I wanted to know is if there is anything specific that should have been done to protect the remaining drive train when it was originally removed. I would be looking to reinstate the 4wd but I don't fancy being faced with a massive bill if the original job hadn't been done properly. Sorry for the confusion!

Just realised in my original post the word 'but' should have been 'buy'. I guess as it could have been read 'put', that wouldn't have helped!!

IanPeacock said:

Cheers guys, but I'm not looking to remove one lol. I saw a FL1 on eBay with the propshaft already removed. What I wanted to know is if there is anything specific that should have been done to protect the remaining drive train when it was originally removed. I would be looking to reinstate the 4wd but I don't fancy being faced with a massive bill if the original job hadn't been done properly. Sorry for the confusion!

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ask yourself why it was removed in the first place because they aint just removed for fuel saving that's for sure
there normally taken of by people selling there vehicles on because of ird vcu bearing problems for what other reason would you remove it if it was in working order

IanPeacock said:

Cheers guys, but I'm not looking to remove one lol. I saw a FL1 on eBay with the propshaft already removed. What I wanted to know is if there is anything specific that should have been done to protect the remaining drive train when it was originally removed. I would be looking to reinstate the 4wd but I don't fancy being faced with a massive bill if the original job hadn't been done properly. Sorry for the confusion!

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If you're looking at the grey 53 plate don't waste your time

I will GUARANTEE you that a freelander for sale with no prop has nothing to do with fuel savings and everything to do with hiding serious problems with the drivetrain.

That's definitive enough for me. Cheers

dave21478 said:

I will GUARANTEE you that a freelander for sale with no prop has nothing to do with fuel savings and everything to do with hiding serious problems with the drivetrain.

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This ^^^^
I do run my Freelander as a FWD for 6 months of the year. I also use a fuel consumption app that monitors the fuel consumption. My V6 is better on fuel running as a 2WD with it's props and VCU removed. However it's not much better, 0.15 MPG better to be exact. I suspect this is mostly due to the slight weight loss.
The only reasons I run my Freelander as a 2WD are.
It evens up the tyre wear so I can swap them front to back half way through the year.
It saves the VCU from excessive use when it's not needed. (Me being tight)
I like to test the brakes properly on the rollers, something that can't be done with the VCU in place. I refit the props / VCU as soon as the MOT is done on the 3rd week in November.

+1 on propshaft removal being a dead cert sign the car has transmission troubles.

The VCU will have siezed and this will definitely have trashed the bearings in the IRD and good likelyhood there are teeth missing from gears in the IRD - the crown and/or pinion gears driving the rear shaft. If its quiet in 2WD, then probaby the reamining gears are OK. It may also have done damage to the rear diff, although reading the various tails of woe, this is not quite so likely.

So, if you're buying a 'cheap' 2WD with the intention of just bolting the props back on and enjoying 4WD - it aint going to happen!

Having said this, you could buy a 4WD at a top price that fees and sounds OK, but has had the beginnings of the VCU siezing and its just about ready to go 'bang'. There are tests on described on this forum to test whether the VCU is working OK or not, but I have my doubts about their accuracy and especially if you have nothing to compare against.

So that takes us back to 'cheap' 2WDs. In my mind, the best way to buy a Freelander could be to get one that is in good condition, but is being sold cheap because it has transmission problems. If you factor in the price of reconditioned VCU & IRD to start with, you should get a good reliable car. This does leave a doubt on the rear diff, and its probably worth getting VCU bearings as well, but if you fit it all yourself to keep costs down, it may be the best way of doing it. Make sure the car comes with the original props and buy parts from reputable suppliers - if in doubt research on here or ask Q's.

I've just been through the process of replacing the IRD, and if you've got good access (I've got an inspection pit) its not very difficult. Iin fact you can't get reconditioned units over here, so I had a bearing kit sent over from the UK and got a 'diff shop' to install them in my IRD. The kit was about 130 quid and the shop charged me about 300 quid.

In my case, I'm pretty confident the car is generally in good condition. We travelled about 400 miles over a couple of days with a tyre that had deflated a bit and went unrecognised, and that trashed the IRD. If I'd sold it as a 'cheap 2wd', it would have been very good buying!

To those that say "VCUs don't sieze" - please replace with "not slipping sufficiently" !