Front Drive Shaft Update

[hon1nbo]

For what it's worth, I believe you are generally safe. I think most of the hazard comes from being broken down on the wrong side of the tracks. There has of course been a fire, but that's seemingly a slow burn (pun intended). You should have plenty of time to react in that case.

The CV style shaft should not penetrate the cabin if it goes nuclear.

The fire was fairly fast.
Initial look from inspections seems the failed shaft drove the fuel like and that was why it accelerated so fast.

I had an extinguisher and that's how I saved the cab and kept it under control. If I had kids to get out I probably would have struggled.

I've asked around a lot and between all convos I've had, what I've seen here, etc the actual fire is not typical of the failure but it's a possibility for others. It's not known currently if there was another factor or if it was just luck of the draw that debris or slag melted the fuel line by sheer chance.

IMO fire extinguishers should be in every car, especially if you have kids who may not be able to quickly leave the vehicle. It's worth the money, and a good mount to remove it helps when you're panicking.

I had jeans so I wasn't burned in my legs when I was struggling to reach that extinguisher over all my travel luggage. I usually recommend mounting on doors/seats. When I put the roof molle rack in my cargo area I thought above the rear seats was better but didn't think of when the cab was fully loaded like this road trip.

 

[Tazzieman]

IMO fire extinguishers should be in every car, especially if you have kids who may not be able to quickly leave the vehicle. It's worth the money, and a good mount to remove it helps when you're panicking.

Yes, within easy reach and practice the drill at home.
Reposting this

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/cEhxT3QdShg?si=bGPLgauh7TUxnK8K

 

[ECrider]

Has anyone installed one of those prop guards yet? Talk of it a couple of weeks ago.

Yes @landmannnn has. I have one from Amazon in the shed (slightly smaller than @DaveB 's but lets not talk about that) waiting for Christmas to nlow thru.

 

[TD5-90]

A sort of anti centrifuge flux capacitor wonder sleeve.

Wasn't that a flux compensator?

 

[Matt P]

@Matt P your Grenadier has been bumped around a lot; how is your propshaft boot looking?

Still holding up at the moment. I check ours all the time. We're going to thoroughly inspect it properly at the next opportunity we have. We may even proactively replace it to reduce the chances of getting stranded in a remote location. I know this is not a long-term solution, but it would make me feel a lot better seeing these stories coming in from around the world.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

I check ours all the time. We're going to thoroughly inspect it properly at the next opportunity

Could you advise the best (boot) inspection procedures?

 

[Dokatd]

Could you advise the best (boot) inspection procedures?

Not that you asked me, but the best is to visually look then use your fingers to feel the boot. Look for dark grease on your fingers. To thoroughly inspect you will want to roll the truck forward an inch or so after initial inspection so you can inspect the portion hidden by the joint angle.

You are not looking for micro cracks. Certainly not looking for cracks in the paraffin coating on the rubber. On a macro level you are looking for grease spread all over the underside of the chassis radially from the boot. It will be a defined line of grease on everything. Then looking closer you are looking for grease localized on the boot itself. Then on the micro level you are looking for obvious bruising or tears from the bottom of the boots bellows up to the clamp ring at the end of the boot.

First visible signs will be bruising or obvious cracking of the boot at the base of the bellows. Or maybe a more descriptive explanation is the portion of the boot that you can stick your finger into. This bruising leads to tears in the boot that extend up to the clamp ring at the end of the boot. Grease starts to leave the boot once the tear starts propagating from the bruise to the clamp ring. You are on borrowed time at this point and grease will be more or less all over. Hopefully you catch it before that point though. Once you identify a true tear in the boot and significant release of the grease you will want to put yourself in limp mode and try to keep to lower road speeds until you can repair/replace the joint.

 

[ECrider]

Could you advise the best (boot) inspection procedures?

In my experience it has to be a feel with bare hands. The rupture on mine was only visible by articulating the CV joint - once shaft was detached. Therefore when in place it would be difficult to spot without feel. That and a visual spot or feel of grease which has left the pinch is prob easier.

 

[C-Mack]

You can also use a paint pen to put a small mark on the metal edge of the dustcover where the boot is bonded to it as a reference point for when you move the vehicle forward so you know what part of the boot you’ve inspected.

 

[Zimm]

Still holding up at the moment. I check ours all the time. We're going to thoroughly inspect it properly at the next opportunity we have. We may even proactively replace it to reduce the chances of getting stranded in a remote location. I know this is not a long-term solution, but it would make me feel a lot better seeing these stories coming in from around the world.

The variety of failures as far as age and use, combined with replaced units failing, makes me wonder if you can actually prophylactically change the unit with any degree of surety you achieved anything. The actual failures are 2000miles to people racking high miles with nothing wrong. You may have a fine unit good for another 30k and swap in one that will spraying grease in 5000 miles. It doesn’t seem to be as consistent as say, timing belt wear. Something that does make some sense, is changing it now so it’s an easier field swap later, as there will be less work but personally, I’d make sure I carried a couple spares, and the tools needed for a field swap, and just run the OEM unit.

I’m wondering if the boot supplier is consistent, or maybe some of the boots have an occlusion (small bubble, inconsistent material) that becomes a stress and wear point, where the tear originates, and its not an issue unless the cv is run high speed for a prolonged time at an excessive angle, such as what Ineos is doing.

Not that you asked…

 

[Logsplitter]

One thing I often think about is, whether any of the failed props are props that have been disconnected at some point for maintenance and repairs and never supported properly when the works were done. This may contribute to rubber boot damage ?

 

[Ovrland Bill]

Not that you asked me, but the best is to visually look then use your fingers to feel the boot. Look for dark grease on your fingers. To thoroughly inspect you will want to roll the truck forward an inch or so after initial inspection so you can inspect the portion hidden by the joint angle.

You are not looking for micro cracks. Certainly not looking for cracks in the paraffin coating on the rubber. On a macro level you are looking for grease spread all over the underside of the chassis radially from the boot. It will be a defined line of grease on everything. Then looking closer you are looking for grease localized on the boot itself. Then on the micro level you are looking for obvious bruising or tears from the bottom of the boots bellows up to the clamp ring at the end of the boot.

First visible signs will be bruising or obvious cracking of the boot at the base of the bellows. Or maybe a more descriptive explanation is the portion of the boot that you can stick your finger into. This bruising leads to tears in the boot that extend up to the clamp ring at the end of the boot. Grease starts to leave the boot once the tear starts propagating from the bruise to the clamp ring. You are on borrowed time at this point and grease will be more or less all over. Hopefully you catch it before that point though. Once you identify a true tear in the boot and significant release of the grease you will want to put yourself in limp mode and try to keep to lower road speeds until you can repair/replace the joint.

I did not know about the “paraffin coating” on the surface of the rubber either. Thank You

 

[Dokatd]

I did not know about the “paraffin coating” on the surface of the rubber either. Thank You

Only on the stock joint. When they are new they appear to have what I can only describe as a paraffin coating which tracks with OEM stuff. The Terra joints have no coating. I have found people conflating cracks in the coating with failing boots. That's just not the case.

One thing I often think about is, whether any of the failed props are props that have been disconnected at some point for maintenance and repairs and never supported properly when the works were done. This may contribute to rubber boot damage ?

Doesn't explain stock truck failures or terra failures. But certainly excess force on the shaft in the downward direction is pinching the boot. That said, I don't believe the initial guidance on this was as critical as everyone thought. The failure will happen anyways. It's just a matter of time and circumstances.

I’m wondering if the boot supplier is consistent, or maybe some of the boots have an occlusion (small bubble, inconsistent material) that becomes a stress and wear point, where the tear originates, and its not an issue unless the cv is run high speed for a prolonged time at an excessive angle, such as what Ineos is doing.

Not that you asked…

Keep in mind the boots are being extruded by pinching force. This thins out the boot until it finally fails. If you dissect a failed boot you will see the extrusion line in the boot. It looks factory until you realize it's not.