Hello all,
Is anyone able to tell me what damage i'm likely looking at?
just got my 109 back after the garage put it on parabolics (lazy me, but it got done fast). It's a much much nicer drive - no banging into potholes.
Now it looks like it's caused damage to rear diff from prop pulling at it - though maybe something quite different, but this seems like an obvuious culprit.
I'd done maybe 100 miles normal highway use, then at low speed and low torqe i heard a slight clunk then lost drive. Turns out rear diff is now free moving, don't think the pinion is even engaging. The bolts holding the diff to axle are now barely finger tight, obviously lots of oil leaking and general freedom of movement.
no nasty noises, no mechanical resistance, so i drove home in "4wd", or front wheel drive as it had become.
Did come back past garage so swung by to ask their thoughts. He seemed keen to not see the problem as caused by them, and to be fair i just asked them to change the springs, not check the prop length etc.
The angle of the prop is not that dramatic, though maybe there is a 2 to 3 inch lift (empty). I'm wondering if the axle might have ended up a touch further back, or if the angle is now just enough to cause damage.
Overall the landy is in good nick, but it's very possible that at some point it's had the "wrong" length prop put on.
ASAP i'll pop half shafts and prop off and take diff off. Anyone feel willing to point at obvious issues?
If i'm looking at overlength prop shafts, assuming I want to avoid Britpart, who would be next cheapy quicky choice?
And if I need new diff, anyone in East Anglia got any knocking about that are good enough to put in?
Thanks all,
Sam

Would expect rear prop to extend from its sleeve before diff bolts pull out, maybe prop needs a spacer

I dont think the garage would have done anything to prop, changing springs could have been done without touching it, as johnlad the sleeve should have extended first, would,nt worry to much there are plenty of second hand spares about

I've got an SIII diff here in Surrey, if you know anybody coming your way?

Do you mean the nuts on the studs holding the diff into the axle are all loose? That sounds more than a bit odd.

X1 on the diff bolts. There are quite a few bolts holding the diff in the axle. If they are all loose that's very odd. The clunky noise and loss of drive also sounds ominous. I'd pull out the diff and see what's happened. It doesn't sound like a drive shaft problem. Something has happened to the prop shaft connection into the diff. The new springs with the lift have actually shortened the length of the propshaft. It should be able to take that adjustment. It's unlikely you have a non std propshaft. The diff is set up with shims to ensure its at the right torque to transfer power so putting spacers in should be treated with caution. Can't think what else to do other than investigate first. Give an update on this mate once you've had a look; a curious problem.

Correction, prop shaft not shortened, lengthened.

Mines got paras on and not had issues with the prop/ diff. Has your diff been rebuilt before and not put back right?

Although paras do sometimes with the increased lift kill the spline shaft in the front prop, the rear one seems fine

Clunk followed by loss of drive sounds like driveshaft failure. Not sure why the nuts are loose, though. Pop the shafts out (easy job) you'll be able to tell!

While waiting for the OP to return I'm getting more and more puzzled. Did you ask them to do any other work at the same time? Is it possible that they put a trainee on the job who thought it might help lighten the axle to take the diff out? If the diff was loose enough I can see that one or both of the inner ends of the halfshafts may have snapped off....

If its a rover type diff I've got two 4.7 ratio diffs you can choose from if your diff is knackered.

If it's a Salisbury diff then I can't help.

I cured my clunking after changing the rear prop and it still happening by tightening up the U bolts holding the springs onto the rear axle. If the garage didn't tighten them up properly that would explain it.

I have to say I'm puzzled by the description of diff bolts - now if they are the U bolts I understand. Probably the person in the garage didn't tighten them properly - you do use a torque wrench on u-bolts don't you?! It's easy to get them wrong - especially if they are not properly on the locator pin when nipping them up.

I can't see how loose u bolts result in oil loss though

No me neither, but I really didn't follow what the OP was getting at...the oil loss may just be the usual oil loss...

reading it again though I think he means the nuts holding the diff to chassis are finger tight. We won't know until he takes it to pieces and gets some photos up here though.