Why would you drive about without the front prop (kardanaxel?)

[Stor Apa]

Hi All,

 

I was looking at a TGB11 for sale.  It's far far away, so I only have photos. 

 

In one of the photos I noticed that the front propshaft (kardenaxel?) was missing.  The sellers explanation, was that it was to save fuel.  Does that sound sensible?

[H.Hansen]

Some has done that. When they only drive on road. But he should have it. It's not something that you throw away.

[Tamaz]

So he got a TGB that has the aerodynamics of a shoe-box but honestly thought the friction losses in an unloaded spinning prop shaft would do any real difference on fuel economy?

 

Either he was really desperate to save on fuel and actually thought it would help, or the car got some problems disengaging the FWD. What is the point of a TGB with no 4x4?

Anyway, just make sure the FWD-stuff all works before buying.

[Johannes]

På 2020-03-03 på 19:22, Stor Apa säger:

Hi All,

 

I was looking at a TGB11 for sale.  It's far far away, so I only have photos. 

 

In one of the photos I noticed that the front propshaft (kardenaxel?) was missing.  The sellers explanation, was that it was to save fuel.  Does that sound sensible?

 

Sounds very strange..... I would no buy it.

[Tamaz]

Johannes

Yes its strange, but there's not a lot of serious issues i can think of that would be "hidden" from a buyer solely by removing the prop shaft. What comes to mind is:

• Problems disengaging FWD - A common problem. It's usually vacuum related as the diaphragm or other rubber parts fail and cause leaks with age, usually an easy fix when located. Less common and a bit more expensive are a worn out engagement coupling.
• Vibrations at higher speeds from an unbalanced prop shaft - Could be as easy as an improper assembly of the driveshaft, worst case needing a total prop shaft replacement.
• Problems with the front diff - Most common would be worn gears that only show signs of problems when under load, could be a bit more expensive to fix. Less common would be a larger diff or portal drive line failure, but then driveshafts or diff gears would also need to be disassembled to hide the problem. Easy enough to spot, just check for the diff input flange spinning/not spinning when expected.

If you have any knowledge about the cars and some mechanical skills you would be able to test/check all the important stuff on site, especially if the prop shaft is re attached at that point. If you want to be a bit more safe lower your price by €500 or there about and most of the common problems would be covered (as in cost for new parts).

[Stor Apa]

Hi Gents,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.  

 

The car is for sale in Gothenurg.  I was going to have a look, but at the moment with all of this Corona virus situation, I'll have to wait.  

 

I think you are right in that it shouldn't be massively expensive to fix whatever it is as long as the front diff flange spins when it's driven.  .