Diff options

Hello,

I've blown up the rear diff on my series III this weekend. I'm contemplating what i should do: whether to replace it with a standard series !!! diff or look at putting a range rover diff in and swapping the half shafts and front diff while I am at it.

I was wondering what the groups thought are on the pros and cons of each option.

Cheers
Joe

wot enjun yu got Joe?

dont furget the rangie axle is longer - so i assume the halfshafts will be longer to.

I'm just running a standard 2.25 diesel

Yeah, I know the halfshafts will be longer but i think you can shortened ones specially done for the job.

fit a sailsbury axle off of a 109 there aboot a bazillion times stronger

Are they a straight swap? Same ratio or will i need to switch the front too? Also i assume you need a full new axle what with the casings being different?

Not a straight swop as the spring mounts on a lwb rear are outside the chassis rails not inline as per a SWB, salisburys can have 4.7 or 3.54 diffs in em, if you ever do break one its not as straighforward to remove the diff, you have to spread the case with a special tool

why not go rangey diffs and your original half shafts, they will be 10 spline same as the rangey...unless you are unlucky enough to pick up a 24 spline later diff that had been fitted???

Cheers Steve

Cheers Steve

Just noticed you have a 2.25 diesel.... may struggle on rangey diffs

Cheers Steve

Are you suggesting the egine will not have enough power to cope with the higher ratio?
It's something i hadn't thought about actually but you could have a point.
Can you think of any other options of fitting a more substantial diff? This is the second rear one I have blown and I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary, just green lanes and the odd play day.

hi Joe
cant help much with diffs, as im a newbie , but interested what knacked yer diffs in as will be doing some greenlaning and off roading in my series 3 diesel, was it hiting rocks or shearing teeth off, did you still manage to get home on other diff
steve

Hi,

I was at an off road event in an old quarry and was tackling a rather steep incline with a slight possiblilty of getting cross axled. To try and prevent this from happening i approached at a slight angle which put my rear off side into a bowl earlier than the nearside. The approach was slow and i probably didn't have enough revs to bounce out of the bowl which caused me to get the rear end in the bowl longer than i hoped. As i applied the revs to pull out the slight cross axeling occurred and i think the jolting motion put too much through the diff:bang!!

I managed get off the course ok and then whipped out the rear half shafts to limit damage. I got home on the front diff but there was a noise quite a kin ti a gremlin holding on to the diff and hitting it with a lump hammer at regular intervals!! Not inspected the damage yet as i'm working away this week.
I would say you will be fine on most green lanes and about 90% of the off road courses you see. The problems come i find, when you have already successfully overcome a route and you feel you can do it again no problem. You think you are approaching it the same as last time but you aren't! The first time i tackled the route i was at slightly less angle which meant i didn't sit in the bowl as much and i was also on slightly more revs which meant the wheels were spinning more to bounce out.
Good luck. If you are green laneing around Derbyshire anytime drop me an email. I'm always out and about!

Joe

Thanks for reply Joe, sounds a testing course, i'll aim for the easy sections when i go, not used to off road speak as not done any yet, when you mention cross axelling is that where diagonal wheels off the ground or is it when the rear wheels were in the bowl on different slopes twisting the axle up and down or backwards and forwards
thanks for invite
cheers
steve

Cross axeled is when the front nearside is in a dip and the off side is raised and the opposite is happening on the back axle so your offside is in a dip and the nearside is raised.
This means that both diffs are spinning due to one wheel being of the ground and the drive being delivered to the wheel with least resistance. THis puts quite a bit of strain on the diff if it happens quickly.

I think there is a piccy of one of the TOSSERS cross axled on one of our trips. Marcus it was, if i remember.

Hee hee, that were fun that were.