Strength of standard RR axles & diffs

[86MUD]

Hi all

I am currently running 31" BFG muddies with a 2 inch spring lift, modified shocker mounts, RS flares and an 1" body lift on an 86 efi. I would like to fit 33" BFG muddies. Now, when I go and play in the mud etc, I am not there to break components, so I take things at a slow and steady pace...will the standard RR axles & diffs handle 33" muddies?

Just waiting to win the lotto before upgrading to maxi drives

Cheers

Andrew

[ISUZUROVER]

It all depends on how heavy your right foot is. Since you have no lockers, that will be easier on the axles and CV's. And since mud is pretty slippery that will help too. However if you like to use the right pedal they could go snap pretty quickly.

As a guide Trav (Aquarangie) snapped both rear 10-spline axles on one trip (on 32's or 33's?) but he has a locker and a heavy right foot.

I still have 10 spline (same as RR) axles at the diff end of the front axle on my IIA, and they have held up well to 33's, and some very hard trips, but I have a lot less power and torque than you.

[Aquarangie]

Like Ben stated, I do have a heavy foot and a rear 10 spline ARB air locker, not a good combo. I was running 235/85R16 MT/R's (32 inch) with a 10 spline locker and went through 3 sets of axles in 6 months, breaking one set and twisting the crap out of the other two

It's a matter of how hard you push your Rangie and knowing when to back off. With maxi drive in the rear (which I have now) you have a good sense of security that you will have little chance of breaking gear, unless you are really hard on it and you will incur breakage, probably the R&P

It will last, but expect the big 'bang' to happen eventually if you do push your Rangie hard off-road like I do

Good luck.

Trav

[86MUD]

Thanks Ben & Travis

I think I will just bite the bullet and get maxi's.. I sure done want to hear that noise in the middle of no where.

Cheers

Andrew

[daddylonglegs]

Most Rover offroad enthusiasts acknowlege that diffs and axles are crap but for every person who has problems there is prabably a hundred who never break stuff. It all depends on how adventurous you are in your offroading and how much mechanical empathy you drive with.
Bill.

[Davidh]

I think I will just bite the bullet and get maxi's.. I sure done want to hear that noise in the middle of no where.

Like blowing the rear diff and front inner axle half way up Mt. Stirling in 2ft snow, in a blizzard! I know that sound too well...

Go the Maxi-drive's and you can drive with confidence!

[+dj_hansen+]

A mate of mine has had several land rovers, 2 Rangies (1 running a race spec engine that topped out at around 8,000 RPM, stroked to 4.2l and would get 70km out of an 80 litre tank if he opened the carbie jets right up) and now a 93 disco, and only in the last 2 years blown an axle/diff.

What he used to do was pull the axles out and turn a small groove into the axles to create a shear point so if he ever blew an axle it wouldnt self destruct the diff or cv.

Not bad in about 50 years of driving rovers, and he hasnt treated them with kid gloves!

[adamV8]

Topic for me ! A few days ago I wanted to move bit faster than usually and ...got broken front inner shaft (SIII Stage One V8) .
I will probably by Jack McNamara's shaft for $250.
adam

[BIg StEvE]

Hey guys this might sound like a new thread! Can u guys with maxi's give me some more info on them specs, prices and so on!

By the sounds there the way to go!

thanx

[GRIMACE]

Hey guys this might sound like a new thread! Can u guys with maxi's give me some more info on them specs, prices and so on!

By the sounds there the way to go!

thanx

Maxis = $$$$$
the way to go is the jacmac / custom toy centre conversion

[ISUZUROVER]

Hey guys this might sound like a new thread! Can u guys with maxi's give me some more info on them specs, prices and so on!

By the sounds there the way to go!

thanx

When I bought my locker the prices were about:

Salisbury Locker - $1100 + fitting
Rover Locker - 1800 + fitting

[ISUZUROVER]

Hey guys this might sound like a new thread! Can u guys with maxi's give me some more info on them specs, prices and so on!

By the sounds there the way to go!

thanx

Maxis = $$$$$
the way to go is the jacmac / custom toy centre conversion

That's crap Anthony the toy/jacmac setup would probably cost the same as a maxidrive setup by the time you have bought ARB's - and for most people the strength of the rover ring and pinion is fine.

If you compare the prices...
Toy/Jacmac - Rear:
Jacmac axles - $600
ARB - $1000-1400 depending on if you need compressor
Toy centre - $300ish second hand.

So about $1900-2300 - depending on if you have a compressor - about the same or more than a MD rear (Bear in mind I am comparing RRP's to RRP's - of course you can get some bits cheaper). Also for the toy setup, the ratios don't match the factory one - so you have to do both the front and rear at the same time. So that adds...

Toy/Jacmac - Rear:
Jacmac axles - $550
ARB - $1000-1400 depending on if you need compressor
Toy centre - $300ish second hand.

Let's say for the moment we are keeping the ctd CV's so as not to confuse things (there are a lot of options). The Toy/jacmac front is more expensive again!!! And sure if you buy both ARB's at once you will get a discount, but the same applies if you buy 2 MD diff locks at once.

[daddylonglegs]

Ben, as you know, I have my own opinions about JacMac lockers, but I was wondering why you didn't include them in your cost equation?
regards Bill.

[ISUZUROVER]

Just because everyone I know who has done this conversion before has fitted ARBs or Haultec traction control - I don't personally know anyone running them, and I have never seen a price for the Jacmac lockers.

Though from everything I have read, from a design and construction point of view they sound superior and are roughly equivalent in price.

Any more info Bill, I know you have dealt with the man himself.

[daddylonglegs]

No more info Ben. I am concerned about the thickness of the crownwheel mounting flange, as i am on ARB's too. The bolt on top hat adds nothing to the strengyh of this area and I know that some have failed of both brands.
Bill.

[ISUZUROVER]

I have not heard of this happening before - the only problems with these lockers I have heard are the usual ARB seal failures.

Why is the flange not made thicker???

While the Maxi Drive may be an old design, I have never had a single problem with mine, and of the 30 or so people I know personally who have one fitted, none have had problems - except for one case where the plastic lines were melted because the owner routed them too close to the exhaust when fitting.

I think the only disadvantage with the MD design is that you cannot really run axles larger than 24 spline in the salisbury (maybe the rover diff can be made to run larger axles).

Looks like I will have to go back to the idea of portals or planetary hubs and keep my MD locker.

[p76rangie]

Going back to the original posting, I ran standard 10 spline axles with a ARB rear diff lock for years without breaking a thing. But I do have an auto, which tends to be a bit kinder on the drive train. However, when I changed to 4.1 diffs, I broke an axle on the first outing. I still run the standard axles in the front with an ARB diff lock, but switched to 24 spline MD axles in the back and a new ARB diff lock. Been runing this now for a couple of years and have not broken a thing.

Ian

[Rainbow Warrior]

My ARB was fine with 265/75x16 and the 3.5V8 even with my heavy right foot but once I added the 255/85x16 and 3.9V8, the axles would snap like twigs. The I was faced with the prospect of spending $3k on a $2.5K vehicle.

[daddylonglegs]

Ben, because of the way both Jacmac and ARb's are designed, they both have removable top hats. This halves the original thickness of the crownwheel mounting flange. I think the ARB's locking dog ring is splined to the top hat which means that when the diff is in locked mode some of the load is releived from the carrier flange. the flange on the lMcnamara carrier is slightly thicker but the locking dog ring is splined to the main carrier so this flange must transmit all the torque in both lock and unlock mode. the incidence of breakage is probably not that high considering the numbers sold, but it has happened and that concerns me.
The only changes I would like to see Mal story make to his Rover type difflock is to simplify installation by fitting an internal pneumatic actuator concentric with the half shaft, similar to some Unimogs, and to make the third spline for the locking dog the same diameter as standard so that you dont have to remove the hub and spindle in order to remove and refit the halfshaft. A bigger spline in this section alone does not make the whole axle any stronger.
Bill.

[Bush65]

Bill,

I don't think the thinner flange would have any problem transmitting the torque.

If you were concerned about decreased support for the crown wheel, I would think that would be valid. Any distortion affects the gear tooth alignment.