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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172   
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Yes, it rolled somewhat freely.
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8th Dec 2024 2:53pm |
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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172
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All back together with a rebuilt gearbox from Ashcroft. I also switched from a one-piece LUK adaptor shaft to the latest Ashcroft version. Shifts nicely, quiet, and no second gear crunchies. Switched to a locally modified D2 propshaft instead of another GL. Going to get the local driveshaft shop to pull it apart the GL shaft and see what they think. I'll post if it is anything noteworthy but I suspect it will be a chicken/egg thing.
Last edited by jbcollier on 27th Jan 2025 11:19pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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27th Jan 2025 3:25am |
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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172
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Nope, sadly, it is the locating ball that gave way. You can see the ring of lightly polished material that surrounds the centre grained area. This means it was cracked and flexing until it finally sheared.
 Click image to enlarge The chaps who stripped and examined it speculated that it might have been case hardened incorrectly. That is speculation though as the carnage was extensive and left little that wasn't hammered and beaten into submission. I'm going to approach the seller and ask for a refund. I won't expect them to cover the breakages, that's just life. I won't be buying another. The shaft is easily twice the weight of a stock one and that can't be helping either. The local chaps will build me a custom shaft using bigger joints and a beefier locating ball that I will also be able to lube. It will not have the extreme articulation of the GL shaft but I don't really need that. I went to the GL shaft to help with vibrations. It didn't really help as I already had a modified D2 shaft fitted. What did help was fitting a DC rear shaft. It was quite smooth until that locating ball let go... |
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27th Jan 2025 11:14pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17619  
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Interesting and more than a little disturbing to those of us with the same shaft.
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28th Jan 2025 8:57am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20645
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I think one of the issues might be is the increased weight, and due to that increased weight there is more torsion but also, the slightest imbalance, increases that force.
Just greasing them can cause a mini imbalance that should sort itself out quite fast, but with a heavier weight, that torsional force is magnified a lot more than a standard prop. And purely by nature, the increased weight means most possible destruction and damage, if it is the proper end towards the front on the front prop or rear then it’s more dangerous, that a rear because the rear will drag on the highway, but still damage, the front could dig in and even flip the vehicle. 
I didn’t used to, but these days I try and grease my Props every 3 months approx, because then not only does that keep water put more often but it also give you the chance to check the UJ’s generally at least externally anyway. You never know what can go on underneath and not know for quite a while that’s the thing. But with these HD Props, with the increased weight there is more centrifugal force, and any off balance, that’s magnified, not just in force but potential damage due to weight as well. Is there any possibility that a hard stone, or metal road debris could have flipped up and jammed in there? It is hard to say, many an exhaust has been done in by such issues as well. I do feel for you, as it’s real bad luck and damage is pot luck as to what could be done. Main thing is you are okay, and the vehicle is not written off completely or worse. It could have been even worse, but the cost is a real pain and bad luck.  TheThunder Rolls🇬🇧🇺🇸
⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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28th Jan 2025 2:30pm |
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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172
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No worries, I never take "life" personally. The truck is back up and running. I'm a retired mechanic so it was just a rebuilt gearbox and a few other bits and bobs. The "Bang" broke every gearbox casing so it was not economical to rebuild myself as there are no used Puma parts available on this side of the pond.
Gave me the chance to fix a long-running, minor-but-annoying, rear main leak, so bonus there. We were driving on a well maintained highway at the time so I don't think the rock theory applies. It also doesn't account for the pre-existing crack. I do agree about the weight. I was strapping in an i-beam where a curtain rod would do. The shaft was meant for serious off-roading with a lifted vehicle, not high-speed highway driving. |
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28th Jan 2025 3:05pm |
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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172
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Ok, I have found another potential reason for the failure. The noise-deadening foam around the shifter may not have been properly in position. This, plus vibration, may have caused the centre diff lock to engage. That would put the driveshaft under enormous tension and could be the reason the dual cardan locating ball sheared.
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13th Feb 2025 2:54pm |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1158  
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Plausible indeed, but is there not an indicator light for that? Obviously you need to be looking, but still I would not expect the driveline to fail from just driving straight for a a bunch of km, tires do give a little - and wear accordingly.
Thanks for coming back to us with pictures and all. Good information and learning for sure! Maybe again stating the same, but I have stock prop(drive)shafts and they work just fine. In my experience joints will start to bind/shift and vibrate long before they give up so as long as you are a little bit mechanically sympathetically inclined you should be able to avoid disaster. |
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13th Feb 2025 4:06pm |
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| jbcollier Member Since: 29 Apr 2024 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 172
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New shaft, immaculate u/joints, low miles, no vibration.
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13th Feb 2025 6:12pm |
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