I can see how it might separate the back half of his truck into two pieces.

 

I could see the back part falling down and dragging on the pavement and bouncing like a crazed beast until something else gave out. Bet there were sparks flying!

Like some of the video you see on COPS as the gangsters try to outrun the fuzz....

 

Hi Danny

Yes, I was just as surprised and thought that could not happen. But, the Rotoflex came appart by tearing the 3 bolts holding the drive shaft onto the rubber completely out.
Then the drive shaft slided of the splined Yoke one the front that caused the shaft to drop.
The front U-Joint with splined shaft was still connected to the hand brake drum.

Ja and correct, I should have done better maintenance and paid dearly for the lack of that.

Hercu

 

Hi Danny

That drop was a terrible experiance. It sounded as if my Disco's body is coming of the chassis. I was so surprised and did not see sparks but shurely there was.

Hercu

 

Last night (21h00) I picked up my converted prop shaft in Maputo after the guys worked overtime to complete the shaft.
Really great effort.

Came home at 22h00 and install the new U-Jointed shaft. Completed installation 23h30 and Test Drive

"WHALLA" what a nice, excellent, beautifull, lovely ecxperience.
No vibration, no Grr-Grr-Grr on low speed in 5th gear, no clack sound on pulling away etc, etc.

This conversion was every penny worth and the big hole in the wallet something already forgotten.
Love my disco again and ready now for a good Millibangalala trip.

Hercu

 

You say it tore the rubber, but that rubber is supposed to be fiber reinforced. Perhaps yours was a cheap imitation? When mine tore there was some cotton or fiberglass reinforcement material showing, and as stated that kept the driveshaft operable (though noisy) long enough for me to get the replacement. I have a picture somewhere of how mine looked, can't find it at the moment though.

 

Hi Mountain goat

Yes, I have also seen some Fibres. It might have been a Cheap version.
I think the 2" lift caused the rubber to work under serios tension.
The rubber parted from the steel spacers.
All 3 bolts with the spacers was still in place on the diff flange after the prop shaft dropped. Like the Spacers and bolts pulled out of the rubber
The rubber joint was still connected to the prop shaft that I needed to walk back for.

When I installed the new Rotoflex coupler that costs R1 600-00 (Made in Germany) and Land Rover agency there was a 8 mm gap with one piont of the three hole flange pointing downwards and the rotoflex joint while it was touching on top diagonal 2.

 

Are you sure it was correctly installed. There was a previous thread about it is pssible to install the rotoflex incorrectly which does not allow it to FLEX. That may have been your original problem.

 

Hi Danny

Yes, I also thougt it was the wrong way arround thus the total distruction.

Luckilly no more Rotoflex worries for me. Think the U-Joint conversion will be for life.
Took a few days leave and plan trip to Milli and will let know how it went.

Hercu

 

Did you replace the drive shaft that fell out with a new one or did they modify the one you dropped on the road and walked back after?