Reco-Prop seems now to be these guys http://www.baileymorris.co.uk/

And these people http://www.propshaftrepairs.com/ are selling complete Panda 4x4 propshafts on ebay at £378 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232201993515?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

rogerdean said:

Reco-Prop seems now to be these guys http://www.baileymorris.co.uk/

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Could be them... last time I had a prop modified Google was a badly spelled cricket term, and I can't even remember what county they were in.

I'm pretty sure there are still people about who can refurb a Panda propshaft, just don't have any idea who is good at it, as I don't have a Panda 4x4 at the moment.
You could check out some custom/kit car sites or places that do props for Land Rovers etc. for reviews and opinions. They are always talking about engine/gearbox transplants, so likely to need custom props.

rogerdean said:

That doesn't sound so good pricewise... thanks for the warning

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My local dealer quoted me 1250£, so O was way happy... Mind you theres only 15-16 4x4 pandas in my country...

There was a thread recently about a similar problem. You may need to check back a couple of months.

Back when I was daft enough to do such things, I built a special kit car which needed a short prop shaft. I simply cut the shaft and welded it. It lasted at least 15000 miles (29Ks) with no problems.

I would imagine that replacing the bearing means cutting the shaft and being able to properly align the cut ends of the shaft before rewelding. Any good shaft repair specialist should be able to do it in their sleep.

You could also consider a split roller bearing. They do exist though are not low cost and you would need to know the sizes. The old bearing would have to be cut out and the new one fitted around the newly bare shaft.

rogerdean said:

Reco-Prop seems now to be these guys http://www.baileymorris.co.uk/

And these people http://www.propshaftrepairs.com/ are selling complete Panda 4x4 propshafts on ebay at £378 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232201993515?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

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I purchased one of these at the beginning of the week, planning on seeing if its any good at the weekend.

Hi all, many thanks again for all the advice. Saved me a lot of pain and money

So all is fixed! The garage described in the receipt as follows -

'removed prop shaft and tested power steering bearing. Found to be rough so sent for specialist repair'

I guess this is not the same problem as the 'impossible to disassemble' centre bearing issue, right? Thank goodness.

I am a very happy Panda driver again this morning. Which is just as well because the Ford suddenly needs a new tyre...

Cheers
Roger

rogerdean said:

Hi all, many thanks again for all the advice. Saved me a lot of pain and money

So all is fixed! The garage described in the receipt as follows -

'removed prop shaft and tested power steering bearing. Found to be rough so sent for specialist repair'

I guess this is not the same problem as the 'impossible to disassemble' centre bearing issue, right? Thank goodness.

I am a very happy Panda driver again this morning. Which is just as well because the Ford suddenly needs a new tyre...

Cheers
Roger

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Often after working on the panda for a while the lights/radio/bootlight etc will have drained the battery a bit, which at least in my 4x4 2005 panda means the powersteering feels rough for a few days.. until the battery is fully charged...

Thanks Tobias, no not in this case, helluva noise...

OK, just thought I would say I even get the red steeringwheel on the dashboard if I have low power in the battery

Most Easterly Pandas said:

I purchased one of these at the beginning of the week, planning on seeing if its any good at the weekend.

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Hey, how did it go?

rogerdean said:

Hey, how did it go?

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Still in the garage wrapped in its delivery packaging. Will let you know when I get some play time and a chance to fit it