About 6 months ago I brought a 2007 Freelander V6 HSE for my wife. Noticed traction no always good at the front wheels, looked underneath - and found no rear prop shaft ! OK, so I have been ripped off - I can deal with that, but would like to know what safety or other concerns this gives (other than the fact I have the worlds only front-wheel-drive Freelander!

I have now looked up the MOT history, and find that this has been noted as missing for some time on historical MOT's (although not on the one done when I brought the vehicle). So assuming this is not a safety concern.

Am I losing a heap of drive through a free spinning rear drive that is not connected to anything? May partly explain why this thing uses so much petrol to produce so little momentum !!

Appreciate any thoughts.

 

It is not all that uncommon for the rear prop shaft to be removed on an older Freelander as a cheap alternative to repairing the rear driveline. The Freelander is a front wheel drive vehicle with a PTO from the transaxle driving a rear drive unit. If the prop shaft is removed there is just no load on the PTO so you aren't losing any power or wasting any effort other than the friction caused in the gearing to the PTO flange.

Regards,
Mike