Grayo

Grayo

Active Member
Hi All,

Has anybody purchased a brand new GKN VCU + GKN Bearings from Land-Rover Transmitions, from Clacton-on-Sea and if so are they any good or ones to avoid. My 06 TD4 has now done 84000 plus miles and showing no signs of having a VCU problem but considering the mileage I'm thinking of changing the VCU. Also I don't go off road.
 
If its a new GKN VCU it shouldn't matter where it comes from. As for the bearings, I think various companies rebadge the OEM product - including GKN.
The 1 wheel up test will tell you if the VCU needs replacing - you might just find if your current one's OK that it lasts longer than a new one!
 
Hi, good point about the GKN VCU didn't think of that lol. The bearings are GKN ones as well so I know they are good having changed my bearings a few years ago. I had a garage change the bearings before this and they must has put cheap bearings on as they didn't last 12 months so I changed these for the present GKN ones which have been on now for about 4 years with no problems.
 
iv had trouble with then.
brought vcu and bearings. bearing arrived from another firm but OK tho.
vcu lasted 6 months sent it back re-conned it and it was tighter then when i sent it off
so sent it back and 3 weeks later they said it was fine and i must be my free-lander running gear,
got it back put it in a vice and with a long tee bar i could move it so put it back on and so far its good.(so from being tight
to being fine was just down to the postman apparently).
so i would steer clear but that's just my experiences with then
j
 
Thanks for the reply Terr, did you buy the new VCU or was it a reconneditioned one from them ???
 
why does everybody think that when there freelander reaches 70,000 plus think that they have to have a new VCU on my old car it had reached about 173000 before any trouble occurred. stop thinking negative .
 
Thanks for the reply Teddywood1, I'm thinking on the same line as you, it's done over 84000 miles now but reading the recommendations it's suggested the VCU is changed at 70000 miles. I don't want to change it if I don't have to but what worries me is damage to the IRD or Diff should anything happen to the VCU.
 
teddywood1 said:
why does everybody think that when there freelander reaches 70,000 plus think that they have to have a new VCU on my old car it had reached about 173000 before any trouble occurred. stop thinking negative .
Click to expand...
Because there's several on ere, and many re-conners. and several independent so called Freelander eggspurts who state 70k miles is a rule. It's not, but handy if you want peeps to buy a recon vcu oft you. Some change at 70k as they're worried and not sure which way to go. Mine started to fail around 35k miles so if I'd have listened to the re-conners then I would have put ma hippo's transmission at risk. If only there was some way of testing a vcu...
 
well I few years ago I noticed there were certain questions about items going wrong and then on ebay the items came up for sale I know the last few years have been a hard slog with finances but scaring people into buying things they do not need is a defiantly a NO NO
 
Got new GKN vcu and bearings, top job.
I think this whole vcu life span is no different to cam belt life span.
No one debates the life span of a cam belt, they usually just go on the manafacturers advice.
At least with the vcu you can test it somewhat. I went on the reversing test and that was good enough for me to change it.
 
Thanks for the reply Hippo, very helpful. Yes I'm one of the worriers who listen to the advice from all those re-conners. My hippo is now nine years old with over 84000 on the clock so yes I am a bit concerned whether I should change it or not. As I said I don't go off road so no excessive strain on the drive train but I don't want anything to go wrong and cost an arm and a leg to put right should this happen.
 
clarkkent said:
Got new GKN vcu and bearings, top job.
I think this whole vcu life span is no different to cam belt life span.
No one debates the life span of a cam belt, they usually just go on the manafacturers advice.
At least with the vcu you can test it somewhat. I went on the reversing test and that was good enough for me to change it.
Click to expand...

Hi ClarkKent, where did you get your new GKN VCU and Bearings from if you don't mind me asking and at what price ???
 
My father inlaws 2003 had 173000 on clock before VCU change never went of road, now has 248000 on clock. my wifes 2002 had 138000 before VCU began to tighten another one never of road.
 
I looked a while back at VCU's being sold on Ebay, and it seemed Clacton was a positive cottage industry in it judging by the different names of companies there selling them.
 
clarkkent said:
Got new GKN vcu and bearings, top job.
I think this whole vcu life span is no different to cam belt life span.
No one debates the life span of a cam belt, they usually just go on the manafacturers advice.
At least with the vcu you can test it somewhat. I went on the reversing test and that was good enough for me to change it.
Click to expand...

If a cam belt fails, it for sure sudden;y happens. stops the car dead and usually breaks something else along the way.

failing VCUS get progressively stiffer and do almost nothing to a car on a road in a straight line. At the worst you my get a hop skip on a tight corner as the suspension winds up and then jumps.

You have to run them for months to destroy the rest of the transmission...
 
Loads of peeps run cam belts longer than suggested by the service guide. Some don't bother changing them as they say the car is old anyway.
 
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