range rover gear change

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Mon 24 Sep 2001 20:09
range rover gear change - Spencer the artist
has anyone got a petrol manual range rover, and finds it hard to master the gear change? I thought I had a dodgy box or clutch but my mechanic friend says it's fine, and I must be a clumsy sod with the pedals.
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Mon 24 Sep 2001 22:41
Re: range rover gear change - Richard Hall
Is it a 4 or 5 speed box? The old 4 speed box was designed for military use and is very truck like - slow deliberate changes, and then feed the power in very gently to take up all the slack in the transmission.

The other possibility is the ball joint on top of the rear axle. These wear very badly and give horrendous transmission shunt which makes the vehicle impossible to drive smoothly.
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Tue 25 Sep 2001 08:03
Re: range rover gear change - David Woollard
Spencer,

Wonder if you're normally using a car or have just come to the RR? Richard is spot on, the gearboxes are slow and deliberate on the whole Defender/Discovery/RR range. Just give it time when changing, with almost a split second hesitation in the neutral position between gears, and it'll be fine.

If it has become worse recently it could be a simple clutch fault.

David
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Mon 24 Sep 2001 23:53
range rover gear change - David Lacey
Well said Richard. The rear axle ball joint looks horrendously overloaded - I guess it is - and it fails quickly.

David
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Tue 25 Sep 2001 08:44
Re: range rover gear change - Dwight Van-Driver


Try the old double declutching method of gear changing.
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Tue 25 Sep 2001 09:53
Re: range rover gear change - Spencer the artist
thank you to all who advised me, I will be investigating that rear axle business - or a mechanic friend will anyway THANKS
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Tue 25 Sep 2001 10:12
Re: range rover gear change - John Slaughter
Spencer

Have you a R-R with the older 'long' gear lever, or the more recent short lever?

There's quite a difference between the action of the two cars. My old R-R had the long lever, and it took a while to get used to - you can't, as others have indicated, rush the change as it's a big, heavy gearbox. Oddly too, I always thought the 1/2 and 3/4 gear planes were quite close for a long levered box.

However, if the problem is that the transmission clunks or bangs when you take up the drive, then there may well be a problem elsewhere in the transmission. There are plenty of joints and suspension arms in the underpinnings of a R-R so plenty of opportunity for wear to build up. I've driven a few horrible examples looking for a good one. Try driving along in 3rd or 4th and get on and off the throttle, which quickly shows up problems in the transmission. Certainly worth getting your mechanic friend to check it out.

Regards

john
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