Front drive shaft broken

[Outlander]

Hi all, so my front drive shaft came off today done nearly 14000 km.

Wasn't doing anything outrageous, just happened to be taking off (slowly while towing) when there was a loud bang and then I couldn't drive forward or reverse without locking the centre diff. The front drive shaft has come away at the rear end of the shaft.

Will let you know what happens with the repairs.

Edit 1. For those who are mechanically-minded (not me) the circlip is still intact, there is some damage to the shroud where the drive shaft meets the transfer case, from what I can see. I will know more in a few days once it gets looked at.

Edit 2. Initial diagnosis looks like the transfer case has seized which caused the drive shaft to brake, this all still needs to be confirmed though! So far the process has been great, the dealer has been in contact with Ineos and now we will see how it goes.

It seams that there has been a recall for transfer cases on some vehicles, I believe that mine was outside this range (built too early) but this has not been confirmed, and I haven't received any recall notice.

Edit 3. After a full inspection the transfer case is fine (not sized), it looks like the circlip failed which caused the jack shaft to come out. A new shaft is being flown to TAS (the only one in the country) I should be back on the road tomorrow or the next day.
I've had very good dealings with Buckley's motors in Launceston, and appreciate them fitting me in. Well done guys!

Edit 4. So the drive shaft has arrived but there is damage to a coolant line that needs to be replaced, this has pushed out the vehicle to be ready next week.

Edit 5. For reference it's been 2 weeks and 2 days since the incident and I just got my Grenadier back. The coolant line took some time as there wasn't a replacement so it needed to be made (as is my understanding) and they needed to fit me in.
While it was a bit longer than expected I'm glad I have it back and grateful it could be seen at short notice. Thanks

Edit 6. I've done about 35k on the replacement drive shaft with no problems so far.

 

[[ Adam ]]

That's no bueno - at least you could lock it into rwd. Interested to hear what Ineos has to say.

 

[anand]

I believe that's the first forum-based failure of a driveshaft, ever... Hopefully your agent can have it handled quickly!

 

[emax]

Question is, was it the drive shaft or a faulty assembly?

We have seen more than one loose bolt ...

Please keep us updated !

 

[Tazzieman]

The remote west coast of Tasmania isn't the best place to have a mechanical breakdown , with a van in tow.
Communications can be problematical unless you are fully prepared.
Recovery is not a given , though in this case at least he wasn't on a beach with an incoming tide.
I'm hoping this is a one-off event and not some inherent weakness.

 

[DenisM]

I wonder if "the flying spanners" could be activated? A call to Ineos Melbourne HQ might be warranted ( if you can find the elusive phone number... )

 

[DrahthHunter]

woah that's not good maybe ineos needs to bring in some german engineers to start doing QC

 

[Mjolnirs]

Thanks for your post and best of luck. It's always good to hear the good and the ugly of things . Sucks that this happened to you. Curious to hear the outcome. Keep us posted.

 

[Stu_Barnes]

Hi all, so my front drive shaft came off today done nearly 14000 km.

Wasn't doing anything outrageous, just happened to be taking off (slowly while towing) when there was a loud bang and then I couldn't drive forward or reverse without locking the centre diff. The front drive shaft has come away at the rear end of the shaft.

Will let you know what happens with the repairs.

That’s rough. If you get a good close up of the failure by the CV joint you sometimes can tell the failure mechanism.

Hope that you get back safely and IA come through with assistance and a super quick repair.

 

[Tazzieman]

Note to everyone : check your roadside assist small print, and insurance small print.
It's a costly exercise if you are stranded remote (easy to be "remote" even after short journeys in places like Tasmania)
And of course , it's an island here - and if you miss the big ferry because of delays, it's going to be awkward to say the least.
As I've said before , imagine the worst case scenario...and double it.
Then you can prepare the trip.

 

[AWo]

Isn't it possible what we do with a Landy if something in the rear or front drivetrain breakes?

Remove the shaft, lock the center and drive on.

AWo

 

[Tazzieman]

Isn't it possible what we do with a Landy if something in the rear or front drivetrain breakes?

Remove the shaft, lock the center and drive on.

I would have thought so. Assuming the correct torx bits are in the kit.

 

[anand]

Isn't it possible what we do with a Landy if something in the rear or front drivetrain breakes?

Remove the shaft, lock the center and drive on.

AWo

There's no reason this shouldn't work the same way in a Grenadier... Important part of that process "remove the shaft"

 

[ECrider]

.....has left the chat

 

[JMP]

Sorry to hear that.
Is your Grenadier equipped with spring + 3 cm (or more?)

 

[ADVAW8S]

.....has left the chat

He is a bad mutha
Shut your mouth

 

[Sela Green]

Pull the shaft. Drive it home…

 

[roadfever]

He is a bad mutha
Shut your mouth

We're just talkin' about Shaft.............

 

[Outlander]

See original post above for updates

 

[Tazzieman]

So given the autopsy findings in the original post , the question is why did the circlip fail , what size is it - and is this a potential roadside fix?