Read axle

Hi guys , I have a 1990 90 hard top with rear drum brakes i have read that you can swap the axle out for a discovery 1 axle with disc brakes is it a hard job ? Any advice would be great

eggy said:

Hi guys , I have a 1990 90 hard top with rear drum brakes i have read that you can swap the axle out for a discovery 1 axle with disc brakes is it a hard job ? Any advice would be great

Click to expand...

Haven't swapped an axle, but I've had mine off before. Should be fairly straightforward, depending on your experience. So, you'll have to jack your landy right up and put in on axle stands on the chassis. Take the wheels off and support the axle some how. Detach main brake line to axle T joint, shock absorbers, A frame joint and trailing arms at the axle. You'll have an axle breather pipe meandering around under there too. It would make life easier if you removed the coil springs by unbolting the clamps at the axle. You'll then have to man handle the axle off it's supports and pull it out from under your landy. If I've missed anything you'll know because it'll still be attached to the axle. Also, someone will be along in a minute to let me know.

Why do you want to change the axle ? Had my 1990 90's axle off for a refurb a couple of years ago [ weld on some new mounting brackets for trailing arm and shock,clean and paint up. ] Pretty much as Al203 describes although I left the wheels on so as to roll the axle out from under the landy into the shed to be worked on. Do make sure the chassis is well supported on proper axle stands.

Thanks for the replies guys
Only changing the axle as I don't like drum brakes just got to get an axle now.

Don't just consider an old Disco axle.
Although I did buy, rebuild & fit a Disco 1 axle to the rear of my 1986 90 many years ago (Aug 2004 to be exact!), about 4-years ago I bought a new / take-off Defender 90 TDCi rear axle and brand-new (crated) Defender front axle and fitted them instead. A more expensive option certainly but one that means I have new components which should last many years.
I don't mean you have to buy new like me but look for old Defender axles as well, buying a later one means that there is less chance of the casing requiring repairs .

As long as you have some decent axle stands, swopping an axle is a relatively simple 1-person job which can easily be completed in a day (including several stops for tea!).


Old axle removed (2004).




Rebuilt Disco axle in place (2004).




Brand new Defender front axle ready to go in (2015).

Thanks for that Litch
If you don't mind me asking what did you pay for the front axle
Any Colin

Can't remember the exact price (have the paperwork buried away somewhere) but I bought it from RJ Land Rovers in Sawtry and they are currently advertising them - £850+VAT.
Ironically they bought their stock from my normal supplier (Nick Evans of Bedford) so if I had gone direct to Nick I would not have had to pay as much or travel so far (unfortunately he had sold all his stock by then). I do know that I paid £400 for the new / take-off rear (from Nick).

Nick is the person who had (has?) the contract with Land Rover for ALL excess / unwanted / damaged parts. He bought from Land Rover and sold to the likes of Paddocks, Craddocks, RJ etc. I have bought large amounts of parts from him over the past 25+ years.

nothing wrong with drum brakes, less maintenance on them when setup properly.

Refurb what you got ?

tottot said:

I left the wheels on so as to roll the axle out from under the landy into the shed to be worked on.

Click to expand...

When I did the same on the series I swapped the wheels for a pair of bare steel rims. Easy to get hold of, you cannot give them away (I still have the pie I used as I am loathed to scrap them), and means you don’t need to jack and support the body up as high as you do if you still have tyres fitted.

Al2O3 said:

Haven't swapped an axle, but I've had mine off before. Should be fairly straightforward, depending on your experience. So, you'll have to jack your landy right up and put in on axle stands on the chassis. Take the wheels off and support the axle some how. Detach main brake line to axle T joint, shock absorbers, A frame joint and trailing arms at the axle. You'll have an axle breather pipe meandering around under there too. It would make life easier if you removed the coil springs by unbolting the clamps at the axle. You'll then have to man handle the axle off it's supports and pull it out from under your landy. If I've missed anything you'll know because it'll still be attached to the axle. Also, someone will be along in a minute to let me know.

Click to expand...

That's pretty much it but you will need to swap the drive flange from the 4 bolt one on the def axle and put it on the disco axle.... All very straight forward.
I did mine some years ago.

Leave the wheels on and just lift it higher

Def90man said:

Leave the wheels on and just lift it higher

View attachment 196149

Click to expand...

Nope, steel rims and keep it nice and low and safe! (Especially as it was like this for about 2 weeks in front of the garage while it was repaired and painted!).

Also you cheated by having a handy telehander laying around under the work bench!

Thanks guys
I like the improvisation of jacks im so jealous lol I'm quite capable off doing the work it's getting hold of a axle near to me I'd like to do a good job on it with pictures I can put on here

Rodeo Joe said:

you will need to swap the drive flange from the 4 bolt one on the def axle and put it on the disco axle.... All very straight forward

Click to expand...

200 Disco rear diff has the 4 bolt flange not that silly rubber donut wazzit as on the 300 series and newer

watching this as might fit a 200 Disco axle on our '86 Ninety but thats a job for the future
got to fit the tdi first..............

Rich.

Zed. said:

200 Disco rear diff has the 4 bolt flange not that silly rubber donut wazzit as on the 300 series and newer

watching this as might fit a 200 Disco axle on our '86 Ninety but thats a job for the future
got to fit the tdi first..............

Rich.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, by '200 series' I mean pre '93 Discovery & (RR?)

Rich.