# Half shaft on rear axle



## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

Hello everybody, I just know that you have missed me :wink: :wink: 

I have now been full-timing for 2 months, but still stuck in Blighty.

On Monday 12/2/07 I was 7 miles away from Gold RV in Alton (Hants) where I was going to have the electrics converted to 240v when I lost traction. When I pressed down the accelerator, the engine revved but nothing else happened. It turns out that the nearside half shaft had snapped, so I had no drive!

The cost of repairs? At the moment I am looking at £350 for a new shaft. It also damaged the outer casing and a new one will have to be machined. Total costs, somewhere in the region of £2000. Other wise it will be a complete new rear axle assembly from the US and will have to come by sea because of the weight. I don't even want to think how much that will be!

This is on top of the electrical work - another £2500.

Oh woe, thrice woe!

Ian


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

Ian.....Have you already instructed them to do the work?

We have been down this road with the rear axle on our Chevy.

Ring James tomorrow AM 01608 812438.

Cheers
Linda


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

hi Ian, very sorry to hear that, major problem, do as linda says it might save you a bundle.

We had this on tugmasters sometimes, but always got away with a good clean out and a new half shaft. 

Olley


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Ian
Sorry to hear this mate.... You are not having much luck eh???
I am sure that James will be able to assist you as he is an expert on Chevy axles :lol: 
Good luck mate and do let us know how you get on..... Chin up :lol: 

Keith


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

£2500 for the electrical conversion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus are they using gold wire????

Got mine done with a very clever switching system, step up/down transformer, ring main with 7 sockets and a 5000watt invertor for a lot less than that!!!

PM me if you want details and costs. But you will have to come to Blackpool to get it done!

Dazzer


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## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

Thanx everyone for your support and advice. Linda, I spoke to James this morning and listened to his advice. Dazza, don't know about how your elecs were converted but I have had 3 quotes all in the same bracket. Do you have a Certificate of Conformity and have you informed your insurers as this is a modification. Only asking!!!

Ian


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

Yes fully certified to the newest regulations (Euro regs with radial circuits not ring mains so fully compliant with European regs as well as UK regs) and yes insurance company informed with no problems.

Hope you get it fixed pretty soon.

Dazzer


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## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

I've just been told that as the half shaft failed due to the wheel bearing siezing (dry) it should have been failed at the MOT only 51 miles ago as obviously there was not enough oil in the axle. This would have been obvious at the MOT. I am also told that if the MOT station says that - well you drove it for 50 miles - not our problem then inform them that I am taking it up with the Ministry. They should in fact pay for all of the repair.

Anyone have other ideas?

Ian


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

The following information is for guidance only, you make up your own mind on your coarse of action,
it saddens me when once again the good ole mot tester gets the blame!!!
What about the owner of the vehicle you know, the one,s who drive it for the other 364 days of the year, with noisy dry bearings,I stray from the point of this posting,the main point of which is that even on a small car,the only bearings that can be tested are the fee wheeling ones,
The driven wheels in your case the rear due to the drag from the drive train can not be spun by hand fast enough to detect any noise,
No blame whatsoever lies with the tester for missing or failing to detect roughness /noise in these circumstances, further more any claim you wish to make would be based on what is known as an inverted appeal,i e you are appealing saying an MOT pass should not have been issued, the rules in these cases are very clear, you are not permitted to have any repairs carried out before the vehicle is re inspected by vosa, if you do it could affect the outcome as no evidence will be available to confirm your version of events and the case would be lost before it began. and you could even finish up with a very large fail list, based on what the Vosa tester finds.
As Stated blaming the tester in these circumstances is typical, and is a reason some testers go over the top when testing, Damned if we do, Damned if we don't.
Geo


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## Steptoe (Nov 8, 2005)

camperian said:


> They should in fact pay for all of the repair.
> 
> Anyone have other ideas?
> 
> Ian


I feel desperately sorry for Ian as he has had his fair share of problems with the RV, however I am with Geo on this one.

The MOT determines whether or not the vehicle is roadworthy at the time of the test, speaking for myself I am very pleased to get the ticket and consider that the servicing of the vehicle is down to myself rather than for the tester to advise.

Ian, did the RV come from the vendor with a fresh service included, if so perhaps, with an engineers report re. the lack of oil in the axle, you could get a contribution to the repair cost from them


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

It amazes me what people believe an MOT covers 8O. The way some people talk the tester should have done a complete strip down and reassembly of the whole vehicle, all in the space of 45mins and for £50 quid.

Olley


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Geo,

Your points are extremely fair.

Dougie.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

olley said:


> It amazes me what people believe an MOT covers 8O. The way some people talk the tester should have done a complete strip down and reassembly of the whole vehicle, all in the space of 45mins and for £50 quid.


lol. Someone recently had two blokes for two hours for £50. That means they're four times as culpable then, taking the argument to its logical conclusion. 

Dougie.


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

Its a sad fact that a great many RVs come into the country having been poorly maintained on the other side of the pond.

Its almost as if the Yanks don't know how or where to use a grease gun. They put fuel in, oil and water under the bonnet (most of the time) and that's as far as it goes.

Suffice to say, our RVs go out FULLY serviced having had a thorough going through, fully greased up and oiled up in all areas to include axle, bearings, balljoints etc.

Despite doing all of this on our Chevy, we still suffered with a collapsed wheel bearing due to a seal failing which resulted in oil from the axle seeping into the bearings and washing the grease away ( well something like that anyway, wheels aren't my department, unless I'm chasing them down the road :roll: ) ....s*it happens!

This is down to sheer bad luck and/or poor servicing at the end of the day
not the MOT man....who gave you this info anyway Ian?

Regards
Linda


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## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

Guys, as usual you are all correct!

It is not the Mot station's fault. Who could prove that it wasn't an immediate oil seal failure or if it was an on-going problem? There are so many grease nipples on the axle ( I know that now, thanx Linda) that I will have a major check over when I get my less than mobile home back!

Ian (biting the bullet)


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

camperian said:


> There are so many grease nipples on the axle ( I know that now, thanx Linda) that I will have a major check over when I get my less than mobile home back!
> 
> Ian (biting the bullet)


Not on the axle Ian but on the ball joints, tie rods (steering components) and on earlier vehicles, on the propshaft......loads of them on a Chevy :wink:

Don't bite that bullet too hard....you'll damage your teeth and dentists are hellishly expensive these days :roll: :lol:


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Ian, Thank you for your last comments 
Geo


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

LC1962 said:


> Not on the axle Ian but on the ball joints, tie rods (steering components) and on earlier vehicles, on the propshaft......loads of them on a Chevy :wink:
> 
> Don't bite that bullet too hard....you'll damage your teeth and dentists are hellishly expensive these days :roll: :lol:


Mines an 04 Linda, and I have grease nipples on the propshaft UJ's and splines. Unless I have been sold a 94 as an 04 8O 8O

Olley


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

OK...I mis-heard him as he was running past and missed that bit. Its been a verrrrry long week and its only Tuesday!


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

> *I have* grease nipples on the propshaft UJ's and splines


and do'es your RV have any Olley :lol: 
Sorry should'nt take the proverble out of fellow RVers


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## Steptoe (Nov 8, 2005)

I love grease nipples :lover: 

they are the reason my 1959 Rover is still trundling around on the original running gear, also the excess grease flung out of the propshaft UJ's has stopped the chassis rusting 

.....not that I'm implying that RV's are using 50's technology :wink:


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Steptoe said:


> I love grease nipples :lover:
> .....not that I'm implying that RV's are using 50's technology :wink:


No your wrong, with cart horse springs, a beam front axle and an engine first developed in the 40's I think your at least a decade out.


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