rear donut

Is it possible to replace the donut fitted prop with a standard metal prop!

yup - i believe yu fit a 200TDi prop and diff flange.

I'm curious to know what advantage is gained from replacing the donut with a steel prop.

it stops the donut from screwing itself in knots.

DV is yo man on that one.

Is there any reason you can't get a local engineering firm to make a steel donut for you? just out of curiosity.....

Expense?
tiz cheaper to swap props

Thin_trucker said:

Is there any reason you can't get a local engineering firm to make a steel donut for you? just out of curiosity.....

Click to expand...

Is the reason that steel doesn't flex like rubber a good enough one?

neither would a prop without a donut though?

The doughnut acts like a u/j, so if you didn't have a doughnut you'd have to have a u/j and to do that you have to change the diff flange to suit a prop with an u/j

fair enough, I assume the 200 prop has one each end then wheras the 300 only has one at the gearbox end (having never seen one off a 200tdi).

Thin_trucker said:

fair enough, I assume the 200 prop has one each end then wheras the 300 only has one at the gearbox end (having never seen one off a 200tdi).

Click to expand...

200 Tdi's don't have them. They have universal spider joints both ends. I assume they were used in the 300's to reduce vibration.

Thin_trucker said:

fair enough, I assume the 200 prop has one each end then wheras the 300 only has one at the gearbox end (having never seen one off a 200tdi).

Click to expand...

Yeah ur right, its a straight enough swop but as Gratch AND MHM said you have to swop the diff flange too, if you want UJ's

Taxed said:

Yeah, its a straight enough swop but as Gratch said you have to swop the diff flange too, if you want UJ's

Click to expand...

"COUGH" - see post #2

The Mad Hat Man said:

"COUGH" - see post #2

Click to expand...

Dunno what ur on about

Would a 200tdi flange fit my late (98) 300tdi then? I know there's 10 and 24 (iirc) spline diff's but I don't know if this flange is different or if it's the half shafts?

If not, what would I need?

Thin_trucker said:

Would a 200tdi flange fit my late (98) 300tdi then? I know there's 10 and 24 (iirc) spline diff's but I don't know if this flange is different or if it's the half shafts?

If not, what would I need?

Click to expand...

My be not, I don't have a donut and my flange is held on by a small M12 bolt instead of the more usual M14 nyloc/castle nut as I found out when I replaced an oil seal.

Hi, The reason people get rid of the donuts is to allow the rear axle to articulate properly when you lift it. The rubber donut was fitted for a quieter ride on the road and very light off road use. If you fit a lift kit, you do away with the anti-roll bars first of all, then fit bigger springs and shocks, but this damages 3 things. The rear diff, the donut, the bushes on the rear trailing arm. The 200 prop has the UJs both ends, allowing the rear axle to work far better in keeping both rear wheels on the ground when articulating

1. To get rid of the donut, you need to either change the inards of the axle from a 300 tdi to a 200 tdi. That's the diff and half shafts, fairly easy if you can remove the half shafts without taking the wheels off (steely wheelys, 5 bolts each side). You get the better/stronger half shafts (in my opinion, 10 spline seem to be stronger) Take the diff off, replace with the earlier 200 and You can now attach the 200 prop, which has the UJ's both ends.

2. Or, just change the flange on the 300 diff, by putting the 200 flange on it. This has the 4 bolt holes that allows you to now change the prop to the double UJ 200 prop.

Thats it, job done. How this affects noise on a standard road going disco I am not sure, as mine is heavily modified

This also allows you yo buy the cheaper 2nd hand parts off of ebay

Or, get a later V8 prop as they don't have a 'donut'. Simples.