Propshaft and vibration - solution

[mike@thenook]

For anyone that saw my recent post on propshafts and vibration I've just sent this to Peter at LD Parts:

"Hi Peter,

I’d just like to say thank you for your usual excellent service and even more importantly the fact that now fitted the solid propshaft has completely eliminated all vibration my car has been plagued with for years and years.
I’ve had several CV props to cure the problem all sent back to the various suppliers as quite simply they were even worse and not fit for the job.
2018 I had a one made new by Propshaft Services and this was no better so I started to believe there was another problem somewhere else.
Thousands later after replacing diff, driveshafts, strengthened nose and bearing the vibration was still there.
I then looked at the prop made by Propshaft Services and was staggered at the amount of weight on the diff end of the prop so tried running it back to front, this almost cured the problem so I guessed it was the prop after all.

Now fitted yours I have my lovely Stag back that cruises at 70 + without the terrible vibration

Thank you again!"

So take my advice - if anyone has any problems with their propshaft and you think a new one will cure it, go to LD and get a new solid one made - it has to be the only way to go!

Cheers!

[Tdafforn]

No financial interest but I also recently fitted a prop with ujs from LD. Reduced 70mph vibration nicely.
tim

[jbuckl]

For anyone that saw my recent post on propshafts and vibration I've just sent this to Peter at LD Parts:

"Hi Peter,

I’d just like to say thank you for your usual excellent service and even more importantly the fact that now fitted the solid propshaft has completely eliminated all vibration my car has been plagued with for years and years.
I’ve had several CV props to cure the problem all sent back to the various suppliers as quite simply they were even worse and not fit for the job.
2018 I had a one made new by Propshaft Services and this was no better so I started to believe there was another problem somewhere else.
Thousands later after replacing diff, driveshafts, strengthened nose and bearing the vibration was still there.
I then looked at the prop made by Propshaft Services and was staggered at the amount of weight on the diff end of the prop so tried running it back to front, this almost cured the problem so I guessed it was the prop after all.

Now fitted yours I have my lovely Stag back that cruises at 70 + without the terrible vibration

Thank you again!"

So take my advice - if anyone has any problems with their propshaft and you think a new one will cure it, go to LD and get a new solid one made - it has to be the only way to go!

Cheers!

Wow, that goes back quite a while… glad it’s finally fixed

[mike@thenook]

Wow, that goes back quite a while… glad it’s finally fixed

You cannot believe what a relief it is, it’s transformed the car!

[mike@thenook]

I should also add I have no financial interest in LD Parts either.

[jbuckl]

I should also add I have no financial interest in LD Parts either.

Peter is a 1st class chap!

[flying farmer]

Great news that the irritating problem has finally been fixed!

[mike@thenook]

Great news that the irritating problem has finally been fixed!

Cheers Neil

[NickBristol]

Just out of interest, was the vibration only coming in at 70mph? Mine does that… it seems to be speed, not gear or O/D related.

[Phil S]

Try adding a couple of jubilee clips to the prop shaft move them round if the problem is worse, works sometimes

[mike@thenook]

Just out of interest, was the vibration only coming in at 70mph? Mine does that⦠it seems to be speed, not gear or O/D related.

Yes pretty much Nick, 65 70 then on a ‘race track’ it would gradually disappear at 85’ish…

Andrew Smith came up with an idea too in that as the original Stag prop is made out of a rubber lined shaft (which after 50 years so so would be very hard and out of balance) the heat from the exhausts may well contribute to the problem where it will heat up the rubber and allow the inner to move against the outer thus creating a potential in-balance.I don’t know if this is possible or not but clearly the solid shaft once balanced should stay in balance so is a much better bet.
The last one I had made was made out of the same rubber damped twin tube - never again!

[NickBristol]

Thanks. I checked out that solid one on LD Parts and it’s pretty good value. If the vibration starts to annoy me (it’s not that frequent that I go above 70…!) then I think a swap out would be worthwhile.

[flying farmer]

I used to have major propshaft vibration problems with my V8 Toledo conversions which coincidentally use a Stag length propshaft (in fact the ones I use on my Stags are Rover SD1 units originally bought for the Toledo)
The only way I could fix it was to go back to a two piece propshaft as originally fitted to the Dolomite range.

The balance problem was always a harmonic problem. It came in at 60mph and went out at 65mph. There was a secondary harmonic vibration that came at 120mph and went out again at 130mph then it was ok up to the redline at 140mph. Not many speed cameras back in the 90s

The bigger tyre diameter on the Stag probably accounts for the speed difference

[MikeParker]

Mike,
Really glad you got your car sorted and that you can enjoy it to the full now. I too had bad prop-shaft vibration problems for many years. I got a recon standard splined shaft but that was very similar. It was play in the spline that seemed to be the problem as it was worse on over-run rather than under load. That was around 65-70 mph also. My problem was fixed by fitting an SD1 CV type prop shaft, but perhaps I was lucky as it seems many, like you, have had problems with these lately. Has the supply source changed? So it is great news that we have a new solution with the elastomer-free shafts from LD Parts.
Mike

[mike@thenook]

Mike,
I think the CV prop I had recently would have been ok but for the fact one hole in the rear flange had been drilled off centre so the two flanges wouldn’t sit flush which in itself created a problem as I posted earlier.
Its a pity as the CV jointed prop should be perfect if you could get one made and balanced properly as a CV joint can work in a greater differentiation of angles than UJ.
I reckon Neil must have been lucky getting hold of some early SD1 versions that were still “in date” and he had drilled properly.

It just reinforces that no matter what you buy or where there’s a lot of very second rate badly machined/made parts around

Cheers