My query relates to the two front driveshafts (half shafts) on the 3.0 AWD X-Type.


According to the Jaguar spares software the part numbers are as follows: LH = C2S4864 (superseded by C2S29731) and the RH = C2S4862 (superseded by C2S29729).


The LH shaft (driver side USA, passenger side UK) runs between wheel hub and transmission unit.


The RH shaft runs from RH wheel hub and slots into an intermediate shaft. This latter item runs inside the transfer box and ends in a spline which slots into the RH side of the diff gear inside the transmission unit. As we all know, this intermediate shaft cannot be removed from the transfer box unless the circlip at the very tip of the spline is removed. Otherwise the clip is likely to damage the inner seal and allow oil to cross contaminate between gearbox and transfer box. This would not be quite so disastrous on a manual car as the oil is the same type and viscosity, but on an auto it would be a different story.


What I would like to know is whether the two driveshaft assemblies (RH and LH) are essentially the same component up to the inner CV joint.


Why do I want to know this? Because a replacement Jaguar RH shaft is over $700 whereas an aftermarket part is a fraction of the cost - yet most aftermarket shafts are manufactured as one piece inboard from the inner CV housing, to avoid copyright and patent infringement. Fitting one of these would mean removing the transfer box to get at the circlip. I would rather not do this...


Instinct tells me that they cannot be the same if they have different part numbers, but they look identical. The same applies to the rear axle halfshafts - identical in appearance but differing part numbers.

 

I answered my own question after I had pulled both shafts from the car. The LH side (driver USA, passenger UK) has a longer shaft input on the inner CV joint.

The RH side shaft simply slots into the link shaft which runs through the transfer case and has a shorter splined stub. The remainder of the assembly looks identical.

You obviously do not want disturb the transfer case link shaft unless you are taking the transfer box off!!!

A propos of all this I notice that there are a number of good aftermarket replacement shafts out there which are solid from the inner cv housing to the end of the linkshaft spline. Worryingly when I spoke to the vendor he had no idea that the box would have to come off to fit this type. The pic below shows the solid shaft style above the original split shaft (everything from the old inner CV housing to the wheel hub is not shown).

On the new shaft (above) the item is solid metal from the inner cv housing inwards. Fitting this shaft would be at least £100 ($150) cheaper but would necessitate the transfer case being removed both to fit it in the first place and to carry out any future work to the inner CV joint. As a result I will not be fitting it!

 

Here are the two shafts. You can clearly see the difference in the input shaft design. RH above, LH below