Can I remove front drive shaft and still use vehicle?

[jimbo78aus]

G'day all,
Probably a stupid Q, but thought worth while clearing before i go ahead and do anything.

I need to remove my front drive shaft and have it repaired, am I able to still use my vehicle and drive it without the shaft fitted?

I have a 1985 FJ73 MWB Landcruiser, Bundera style Fibre glass top.

5 speed manual, with the elctric 4x4 dash switch and high/low range shifter. Free wheeling hubs.

Cheers
james

 

[lshobie]

No problem at all - just wont be able to use 4wd

 

[Entaran]

No problems at all. I removed both of mine to have the front diff serviced, left the axle in, diff was empty, tailshaft was off and the driveshafts were out.

Still drove it around in 2WD

They love it

 

[jimbo78aus]

Cheers fella's

James

 

[Lantec]

Anyone tried removing the drive shaft to the rear and have it down on 4WD so the power goes onto the front and making it FWD for s***s and giggles? Lol

 

[Entaran]

You'll burn out the transfer.

It can be done.

 

[clintnz]

Anyone tried removing the drive shaft to the rear and have it down on 4WD so the power goes onto the front and making it FWD for ****s and giggles? Lol

I drove for 100km in FWD after we blew a diff once, we just took the shagged R&P out & put it in 4WD. No problems.

Cheers
Clint

 

[Sniperx]

Why would you burn out the transfer case? Its not really doing anything it doesn't do already. I wouldn't do it long term, but if you have a busted axle or blew a hole in your rear diff....its either camp out in the desert or limp it home.

 

[Entaran]

If you bust an axle on the FF rear, all yoru diff oil will leak out on the road and you'll be driving home with ZERO lubrication in your rear end regardless of how much "load" it's under.

You will destroy the rear end. When it seizes, you will ALSO destroy your tcase.

If you manage to blow the diff and not an axle then the oil will probably still be in there so you'll be ok to drive in FWD for a little while as the tcase can still "slip".

 

[eleblanc]

i've been using mine with no REAR driving shaft, kinda feel weird but it brings me everywere i want to go..

 

[Entaran]

You've got an SF rear end with a H42 gearbox and a different engine/setup/etc.

So who knows if it matches up... if it'll react in the same way...?

When you blow an axle in the FF rear end, the seal generally pops out the end taking the hub assembly with it. You lose all the oil in your rear end within a few minutes.

 

[Sniperx]

I think you have that backwards...full floaters do exactly the opposite.

 

[Entaran]

Really?

Really and truly?

Are you ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN about that?

Because i've snapped THREE hubs now, THREE axles, blown THREE seals and had the entire contents of oil from the rear end leak out THREE times.

And I guarantee you i'm carrying a FF rear end in my HZJ75.

 

[Sniperx]

No need to be an a$$hole. The way I understood it, if a full floater axle breaks, you can pull out the axle bar and continue driving to get to your next point.