Custom Built Front Diff / housing

[crash]

Where in Melbourne or Central Victoria can you get a custom front Diff / housing made up?
This is for a non landrover project I will hopefully be starting in the next couple of months so starting research now.
A D44 or similar should be adequate for my plans. It will need to handle 35" rubber, but will only be around a 200hp engine, and will need a locker, free wheeling hubs, and disc brakes and 5.38 gearing.
As the vehicle is in a container on its way here from OS I can not measure the width at the moment.
So far all I can find is custom rear diffs for racing applications.
Is Solid axle industries still in business or have they gone bust?
Any leads appreaciated.
All will be revealed when the toy arrives - any guess as to what it may be?

[uninformed]

looking at Dana casings, whilst strong they arnt the best design. What about a Toyota diff out of a hilux? you could fill it with an ARB and longfields and good aftermarket FWH and be good to go. Not a stupid big heavy diff but good power to strength ratio if built right. If not that I would go a Ford 9 before a dana 44, way more AM options. Look at making sure its Full floating also.

[wagoo]

looking at Dana casings, whilst strong they arnt the best design. What about a Toyota diff out of a hilux? you could fill it with an ARB and longfields and good aftermarket FWH and be good to go. Not a stupid big heavy diff but good power to strength ratio if built right. If not that I would go a Ford 9 before a dana 44, way more AM options. Look at making sure its Full floating also.

Alot of 9'' Ford enthusiasts would disagree with me, but I don't think a low pinion 9'' diff is an ideal design for a front end. Standard rear diffs when fitted to the front drive on the coast side of the ring and pinion teeth. 9" ford ring and pinions have a severe tooth pressure angle on their coast side which is rough on pinion bearings and housings. Even Ashcrofts in the UK who were adapting the 9'' ford design to Rover axle housings ended up having to design new ring and pinions with a reduced pressure angle due to housing failures while prototype testing.
Wagoo.

[uninformed]

Alot of 9'' Ford enthusiasts would disagree with me, but I don't think a low pinion 9'' diff is an ideal design for a front end. Standard rear diffs when fitted to the front drive on the coast side of the ring and pinion teeth. 9" ford ring and pinions have a severe tooth pressure angle on their coast side which is rough on pinion bearings and housings. Even Ashcrofts in the UK who were adapting the 9'' ford design to Rover axle housings ended up having to design new ring and pinions with a reduced pressure angle due to housing failures while prototype testing.
Wagoo.

All true, but I figured with only 35's and 200 ponies, and compared to what some of the good ol boys in USA can get them to handle, that they be ok....

RE Ashcroft, I was suprised they went for a equal angle tooth design, rather than a reverse cut front....seems to me there would be a HUGE market in the USA for reverse cut fronts.

Then there is the HI 9

Hell even a fully built Rover front end should handle 35's and 200hp

[Slunnie]

Where in Melbourne or Central Victoria can you get a custom front Diff / housing made up?
This is for a non landrover project I will hopefully be starting in the next couple of months so starting research now.
A D44 or similar should be adequate for my plans. It will need to handle 35" rubber, but will only be around a 200hp engine, and will need a locker, free wheeling hubs, and disc brakes and 5.38 gearing.
As the vehicle is in a container on its way here from OS I can not measure the width at the moment.
So far all I can find is custom rear diffs for racing applications.
Is Solid axle industries still in business or have they gone bust?
Any leads appreaciated.
All will be revealed when the toy arrives - any guess as to what it may be?
It is in QLD, and the product is not on his website, but he will do custom axle front or rear housing for about $1k(ish)
budscustoms - custom parts & fabrication! (http://www.budscustoms.com.au/)

[crash]

One thing I forgot to mentioned was what ever diff I go for will most likely require cutting down. It is also going into a light vehicle, so a Toyo 80 series or GU front end would do, but requires the 5.38 gearing which I am unsure about if available for these diffs.

[roverfan]

Steer well clear of SOLID unless you feel like throwing away cash. Dana 44 is plenty strong for 35s, I ran 36 inch sx swampers with lockers for years without a drama.

[crash]

Steer well clear of SOLID unless you feel like throwing away cash. Dana 44 is plenty strong for 35s, I ran 36 inch sx swampers with lockers for years without a drama.
I am a firm believer that driving style has alot to do with diff problems in 4wd's. A dana 30 could be built to handle what I think is required for my intended use but I want to build a certain amount of "error" into the equation. If I have to outlay the money, I only want to do it once.

[clubagreenie]

The guy who restores GTHO's and the like uses a mob who manufacture their entire housing from scratch so should be able to make anything to suit anything. All from one piece segmented/folded plate and heavy custom tube. Watched him one day align the flanges on one by hand with just heat and wet rags.