Disco axles.

I'll have to let you have a spin in mine when it's back on the road( blown headgaskets ) you can't be too far from me?

top drawer! cheers.
We're about halfway between H'west & Fishguard, just off the A40.

My disco axles have drums on the rear.
Main reason for mine was the axle ratio, and wider track.
The front swivels are gonna be fun clamping up on the bed, probably have to make a fixture for them, unless I bash them black and decker style, how did you do yours smithy?

I didn't have any realignment issues, as when I flipped the axle case one of the swivel flange bolt holes lined up perfectly for the clocking of the axle/swivels. I just had to re-drill and tap the remaining 6 holes each side, thus alignment kept both sides.

wouldn't fancy doing it from scratch both sides.

if I remember right, the bolting pattern on the swivel flange is symmetrical about the swivel steering axis (allowing L/R to be interchangeable), so if you could get/wedge a bolt/rod in one hole on each side of the swivel flange you could put your digital angle gizmo across the two bolts and pick the castor alignment up that way. I set mine at 3 degrees.

the swivel flanges have either a recess or a lump (can't remember!) that makes them sit quite snugly on the axle case - I wager if you took the halfshafts and diff out you could put a small ratchet strap inside the axle case between the two swivels pulling the swivels together, allowing you to clock them on the flange at will. it's all awkwardly heavy stuff though.

TheSmiths88 said:

top drawer! cheers.
We're about halfway between H'west & Fishguard, just off the A40.

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That's mad me too!!! I'm suprised you haven't seen me out n about,you can't miss me!

Thats interesting.
Making up a dummy shaft through the steering axis is a good idea even if I mill the swivels, it'd be a good check with the angle gizmo, was ok for 30 quid.
You were lucky one of the bolt holes lined up.
As you can tell I was planning on drilling the swivels out, not the threaded axle portion, I'd have a bit of a job getting the axle on a bridgeport mill.

fair play. hadn't even considered drilling the swivels, I redrilled & tapped the axle case.

I got hold of a spare old swivel and cut the flange off, then used the flange as a drilling template in a pillar drill swung sideways, after making sure everything was perpendicular/vertical etc.

that also means it's easy to replace swivels when necessary.

the disco axle flange bolts are a nice in-every-metric-tap-and-die-set thread, although I can't remember what it was exactly, maybe M8x1.25.

M8 x 1.25 is a standard size, sounds about right.
The pillar drill trick sounds cool, I'll have a go at that if I cant get the mill, I have a fobco in the garage.
The trick with the swivel is also a good idea, I drive past a landy specialist on the way to work, I wonder if they'll let me have a screwed swivel.
Not sure whether to start the axle or the rusted out rear xmember, probably the latter would be wiser.

Well started on the front.
Measured up the original mounts, with the diff nose at 90 degress, the spring mounts are at 12 degrees, nothing new there, and the bump stop mounts are horizontal.
I had to strip the 'hole lot down to get the swivels out, I'm gonna make a drill jig, sort of a big thick washer that fits over the swivel or the axle, with 5mm piloted drill holes in it, and a couple of bolt holes for the original mounting bolts, this way it can be used over and over, and either on the swivel flange or the axle flange.
I have ground off all the uneccessary disco crap, except the bump stops they can stay, peeps are right about that being pants, first time I had a shower before comming to work for a while.
Anyways heres a few shots of stuff done on the front axle to date:

who's the headless bird in the background of first pic

guess the front took presidence over the x member too!

will be watching progress, an ta for the space between pics!

The bird is called trident and she was made in the 30's.

dr pepper said:

The bird is called trident and she was made in the 30's.

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ah, that why its covered up!

werent they a bit dodgy at the time?

Nope, waz the best around for the money at the time, and when I got her the previous owner said to get one that stands up by itself is rare.

would have thought any were rare now.
where do you buy the fizzy rocks from?

There are some still about they last a long time you know, they just chatter more when they are older and rattle on a bit.
Fizzy rocks, hmmm I dont remember buying such things, are you sure its not something growing somewhere I havent seen?
Theres a few things from the 30's in there, have you seen mi stereo opposite the headless old girl, state of the art you know, when bach was composing.

thought that was an oil pump or bandit!

Its a radio, so old it doesnt work when its windy it blows the signal away.

does it have the green magic eye?
have one in me old mans cellar with the eye on.

I have a collection of them, the ones in the 'shop are banished there because they are crap.
I've a couple with magic eyes, theres a few diffo types, the ones with 4 spokes of green light are popular.
Some are £££££'s are some are worth nowt like most of mine.

think ours has the four segments and one in the middle.
used to stink when it were on with all the dust an crap on the valves.
(but it was used without any covers on!)