This is more of a rant than anything, feeling quite low.

So long story short, we are off to the Pyrenees next Friday, the Friday just gone (bank holiday weekend) we were heading out to Wales and the rear axle pretty much seized up on the motorway. Brief inspection and there is a big crack in the back of the pan where something has shot out, catastrophic oil leak and I assume it all just seized up. I removed the half shafts (smoking... literally!) and the prop and continued in two wheel drive.

We have a friend / mechanic who is happy to drop everything and help us out. He is having a look today to assess the damage but I am thinking the crown and pinion wheel might be shot.

If it was the diff centre it wont be too bad, I can get a replacement. But the crown wheel is another story, they are all crazy money (£700-£800+) and most are not stock items. The companies I can find that do have them wont sell them to me as they hold onto them for rebuilds.

This is a bit of a moan / vent but I am not sure what is best to do now with only 7 working days until we leave.

Have you spoken with Ashcroft Transmissions and Winchester Gears?

v8250 said:

Have you spoken with Ashcroft Transmissions and Winchester Gears?

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We are a family owned business and have been supplying quality products and excellent customer service worldwide since 1988. From initially supplying just remanufactured Transmissions we now supply a whole variety of additional products for the Land Rover Drive Train, both for Off Road...

ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk

Winchester Gears

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www.winchestergears.com

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Ashcroft have the differential which is fine. Winchester has a crown wheel but they wont sell it to me unless it part of a whole axle (which will take weeks).

Try here https://www.wearediffs.com/shop-products and where time's short I'd be on the phone to the primary suppliers - someone's going to have one in stock at back of their stores.

Okay so slightly better news. The crown and pinion look okay, that's a huge relief. Its the pinion bearing that has collapsed - just battling getting it out now to check if the pinion shaft is okay. I think I am going to try and upgrade to an Ashcroft LSD while its all out. Fingers crossed!

19_Hue_95 said:

I think I am going to try and upgrade to an Ashcroft LSD while its all out. Fingers crossed!

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Good move.

19_Hue_95 said:

<snip> I think I am going to try and upgrade to an Ashcroft LSD while its all out. Fingers crossed!

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Sorry to hear about the diff.
Good idea on an LSD, I want one too, let us know all about it ...