Salisbury Diff into PUMA

[Drover]

I have got the opportunity to buy a Salisbury diff out of 2003 Defender, Disc to Disc with ABS. Cost is $1000.00.
Questions I have are –
1/ Is that a fair price ?
2/ How hard to find are these diff’s getting ?
3/ What are the major adjustments, problems (in any) to fit it to a PUMA ?
- bolt pick up points
- spring size and saddles
- Shock’s
4/ What are pro’s and con’s of the Salisbury in comparison to the PUMA diff ?
All comments and advice is most welcome.

[isuzutoo-eh]

Land Rover were selling new sals for around 900 by memory.
You'll gain strength but lose clearence.
I think you'll need a new tailshaft too.

[Psimpson7]

I would say $1k is probably ok if its in totaly complete and in good condition.

2003 would have been very late for a Salisbury I think.

Tailshaft as Mark has said will need to be changed, and more seriously maybe, does it have provision for the ABS / Traction control sensors?

[Drover]

I would say $1k is probably ok if its in totaly complete and in good condition.

2003 would have been very late for a Salisbury I think.

Tailshaft as Mark has said will need to be changed, and more seriously maybe, does it have provision for the ABS / Traction control sensors?

Yes it is the last of the Sal's, Disc's, ABS and TC.

So, everything else is a straight bolt up ?

[Psimpson7]

I think so yes. JC would be the man to confirm as I think he was saying somewhere he has done a lot of these changes.

[Drover]

Thanks for the info,

What is difference in the ground clearance between the two ?

Does it cause issues off road ?

Cheers

[Psimpson7]

You lose about an inch of ground clearance in a straight swap. They can be shaved to get back 1/2 of that pretty easily, especially if its out of the car. You could then fit it with one of the aftermarket diff pans which are miles better, and will seal better with the shave.

[Drover]

If I go ahead I would fit a new centre, Detroit locker or similar, maybe Ashcroft half shafts...bla bla bla

I don’t suppose my Ashcroft half shafts/Drive flanges from the PUMA diff would fit the Sal's, in any case it would be smart to get all tricked up before fitting.

[rick130]

I doubt the P38 style drive shafts will fit.

Clearance isn't a biggy, you can easily shave 3/4" off the bottom of a Sals without compromising strength at all, and as Pete said just fit an aftermarket heavy duty cover.

Fitting a Detroit is dead simple as only the guts are changed, you split the hemisphere and remove the cross pin, pinions and side gears and install the Detroit (in effect a No Spin) centre, then fit some Hytuff or similar axles and drive flanges and the shortened prop shaft and you're done.

[PAT303]

Personally I think the sals is a plough and I won't be fitting one but for 1K it's a good buy. Pat

[Drover]

The decision to fit the Sal’s or not, would be made easier if Mr Ashcroft would start making the new Hy-brid centre for the P38 PUMA diff.

[cal415]

Do it, i am doing the same thing, just waiting for the right sals to come up for a good price, i had a few lined up now but sale keeps falling through, had one lined up for 300 complete disk to disk out of a 96 defender but the seller decided to sell it in peices instead.

As for clearance, they are easy to shave to get back to close to the same clearance as a rover diff, thats small price to pay for the added strength. You should consider an e-locker for it, i dont know if they are ready for sale yet but i do know they had been working on a sals one. the other option is going all out and doing the d60 conversion with 35 spline axles - thats what i am planning on doing.

[Drover]

[QUOTE=cal415;1654641] had one lined up for 300 complete disk to disk out of a 96 defender but the seller decided to sell it in peices instead.

QUOTE]

Hey Mick,

What year did they stop putting sal's into Defenders, I thought it was '2003 and that the years before that were not ABS/TC compatible ?

[rick130]

I always thought '02 was the last of them, but the one you're getting is an '03, so that'd be the cut off I imagine.

A '99 on 110 should have the tone rings for ABS/TC, the changeover from the Tdi was late '98/early '99, remembering that 130's won't have the tone rings at all, even now.

[cal415]

[QUOTE=cal415;1654641] had one lined up for 300 complete disk to disk out of a 96 defender but the seller decided to sell it in peices instead.

QUOTE]

Hey Mick,

What year did they stop putting sal's into Defenders, I thought it was '2003 and that the years before that were not ABS/TC compatible ?
As far as i know they stoped in 03, but i think an 02/03 could go either way depending on what they felt like putting in them.... bit like the old d2 CDL thing - luck of the draw.

Being a 130, the lack of ABS is fine by me, makes it much easier for me to source a sals too :)