Land Rover Repair: Discovery front drive shaft, gravel roads, cv joint

Question
hi I have a 1996 Disco TDI manual. today crossing a road there was a slight bang and i lost drive. looking under it when i put it into gear the front drive shaft is turning fine but nothing happens i put it into Diff lock and that put drive to the rear axle and i got it home. is it a big job to fix ?

Answer
Hi Eamonn Rea,

this sounds like it could be a CV joint.  Yes, it is a difficult job to do BUT if you are mechanically inclined, I think you could do it.

If you cannot engage the gears without locking your differential, its usually the CV joint or an axle.  You would have to inspect each side to determine where the problem is.  Removing the axle is not an easy job and should best be left to the experts.

I had this happen to my '95 Disco and it cost me about $1500 (including labour) to repair.

You can continue to drive your Disco with the Diff locked but you'll have to keep the speed below 50km/h.  Its usually resevered for off-roading, gravel roads, mud etc.  Driving on paved roads can cause the gearbox to overheat and this can be even more expensive...so be careful.

Best of luck,

JohnMc