300+ hp defenders

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40
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Southampton
After daydreaming of a v8 defender with stupid high horsepower like the ones they do for ridiculous money in America. How do they get the axels to handle the torque, I thought rover axels with hd shafts and cral were good for maybe up to 300 ish hp?
 
Maybe an auto version would be more gentle?
I to like the idea, but it would be non stop improvements, which whilst great would break the bank, and make it even more nickable!
 
Seen this one on Youtube and someone in comments noticed 6 nut axels so possibly japanese.
Plenty more videos on the channel, thou funny description changes hp from 300 - 400 randomly

 
Seen this one on Youtube and someone in comments noticed 6 nut axels so possibly japanese.
Plenty more videos on the channel, thou funny description changes hp from 300 - 400 randomly



4.44 mins you can see rear diff is smack in the middle of the axle and the distance from the rear trailing arm axle mounts to the brakes look quite a bit longer than rover axles.
 
Y61 axles from a Patrol - mega torque trucks
D2 Axles - ~20% stronger than def axles
Defender axles with Ashcroft.shafts.

HP doesnt kill transmissions torque does.

There a plenty if V8 conversions around the UK using the 1UZ or 3UZ V8s which produce roughly 250 - 350hp and 400 - 600nm torque. On standard Def axles

Few Ford Coyote V8s 500hp, 600nm on Def axles with Ashcroft shafts & CVs.

Plenty or LS3 V8s, 550 - 650hp 600 - 700nm most ive seek have been on uprated Def axles (but never seen one off road) few on D2 axles.

As above HP doesnt kill axles torque and shock loading does. 3 ATBs or LSDs to spread the power evenly plus some decent axles would be fine. Standard axles would cope on tarmac if you where a bit sensible.

Depending on your skill the conversions can be quite straight forward. For example you can buy off the shelf adapter plates for 1UZ/3UZ V8s to suit the R380.

BMW 335d conversions are becoming very popular as well as BMW TDV6 swaps both, once tune give in excess of 600nm torque and 300bhp+ with off the shelf parts available to bolt on.
 
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Forgot some. 4x4 fabrications in the midlanda tend to use Dana axles for their mega torque mega power builds. Spendy but damn strong.

If youre going to do it stay sensible. Imo im there is zero point having a 700bhp Defender. No matter what you do they cannot put the power down properly due to the old overal design. Stay sensible but fun, also keeps costs down!

My idea was to fit a 3UZ V8 to mine when owning a derv becomes difficult. Same torque curve as a tuned TD5, just more of it. So the drive train should take it no problems (that said ive done 3 CVs and a full set of shafts + 2 diffs :oops:) bar the shafts thats all upgraded now.
 
Forgot some. 4x4 fabrications in the midlanda tend to use Dana axles for their mega torque mega power builds. Spendy but damn strong.

If youre going to do it stay sensible. Imo im there is zero point having a 700bhp Defender. No matter what you do they cannot put the power down properly due to the old overal design. Stay sensible but fun, also keeps costs down!

My idea was to fit a 3UZ V8 to mine when owning a derv becomes difficult. Same torque curve as a tuned TD5, just more of it. So the drive train should take it no problems (that said ive done 3 CVs and a full set of shafts + 2 diffs :oops:) bar the shafts thats all upgraded now.

Definitely some useful information on here, can't really ever find anything when just on Google normally, if I did ever end up being able to do the conversion probably ls3 I'd only be looking to tune it a bit so being releiable at 500 hp ish and not losing offroading ability would be spot on, so maybe patrol axel swap but then you got diff offsets etc to deal with.

Cheers though
 
If youre happy with 500hp then id say an LS3 is a very expensive way there. There are cheaper LS engines that produce a happy 500bhp with a bit of tuning.

Dont forget a gearbox, LR one will not take LS power. An uprated TX box will, speak to Winchester Gears. Nige Barker for Diffs (once settled on axles)
 
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