Defender Rear Axle/Hub Identification

[DeanoH]

When I bought my 130 the previous owner told me it had 'upgraded' rear axles, but was unsure of the type or specification.

They look like this.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/11/661.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/11/504.jpg

The axles are 30mm in diameter for their entire length with a 1mm raised seal section near the flange end.

Does the info stamped on the flange and axle give any indication as to the manafacturer or quality of the axle flange combo. I assume 08 08 is 710 language for 80 80 steel :D. But HTE 859 X I've got no idea. :confused:

Deano :)

[Bearman]

HTE = Hi Tough Engineering.

[rick130]

and the X denotes long splines on the drive flange.

[slug_burner]

A lot of us have those axles and flanges. Mine will be the same except are labeled Maxi drive, the original before Mal Storey retired and Hi Tough took over the axles part of the business.

[uninformed]

DeanoH, as others have said, they are made by Hi-tough Engineering, which is run and owned by Barry Ward. He was Mal Storey's right hand man and made alot of the MaxiDrive axles.

Im guessing the numbers on the axle are date? Are they stamped on the diff end? Normally there is a number/code on the flange end.

Number is not steel code, material used in those is Hytuf. I think it is AMS 1684??? I think the DF is 4140???

Are you running the wheel bearings in oil?

[rick130]

A lot of us have those axles and flanges. Mine will be the same except are labeled Maxi drive, the original before Mal Storey retired and Hi Tough took over the axles part of the business.

Although mine don't have the trendy scallop between the bolt holes :(
Pure business only :D

[DeanoH]

DeanoH, as others have said, they are made by Hi-tough Engineering, which is run and owned by Barry Ward. He was Mal Storey's right hand man and made alot of the MaxiDrive axles.

Im guessing the numbers on the axle are date? Are they stamped on the diff end? Normally there is a number/code on the flange end.

Number is not steel code, material used in those is Hytuf. I think it is AMS 1684??? I think the DF is 4140???

Are you running the wheel bearings in oil?

The axle numbers shown are at the diff end. I haven't removed the drive flange yet as the 50mm nuts are very tight, (should have loosened them when the wheels were on the ground), the rear bearings are in good nic and are not running in oil. When dis assembled they were greased with a strange looking orange grease, not amber but orange.

The axle seals are obviously working as there's no oil in the hubs. I've noted in different threads that oil bath is better but have visions of my old SIIA and the horrible mess around the swivel pins when they were oil lubricated so am a bit loathe to go down the same path.

Presubably for oil lube one removes the axle seals, replaces the hub grease seals and rely on the diff oil to do the job ? Probably a thread on this somewhere but haven't looked yet.

On the long axle there's about 1mm of end float at the drive flange, but as I said I haven't undone the big nuts yet. On the front axles theres two washers/shims on each side next to the circlip which minimises end float. Should I expect the same on the rear or is end float relatively unimportant. The short axle has barely discernable end float.

Deano :)

[rick130]

The axle numbers shown are at the diff end. I haven't removed the drive flange yet as the 50mm nuts are very tight, (should have loosened them when the wheels were on the ground), the rear bearings are in good nic and are not running in oil. When dis assembled they were greased with a strange looking orange grease, not amber but orange.

The axle seals are obviously working as there's no oil in the hubs. I've noted in different threads that oil bath is better but have visions of my old SIIA and the horrible mess around the swivel pins when they were oil lubricated so am a bit loathe to go down the same path.

Presubably for oil lube one removes the axle seals, replaces the hub grease seals and rely on the diff oil to do the job ? Probably a thread on this somewhere but haven't looked yet.

On the long axle there's about 1mm of end float at the drive flange, but as I said I haven't undone the big nuts yet. On the front axles theres two washers/shims on each side next to the circlip which minimises end float. Should I expect the same on the rear or is end float relatively unimportant. The short axle has barely discernable end float.

Deano :)

The grease could be anything, I have some Redline CV2 grease that is a very high temp/race car wheel bearing grease that is a funny solid orange/red colour. (it's also water resistant and suitable fro CV's as it contains soluble moly)
I used to use Neo Z12 (no longer available) that was a pretty translucent red colour.

I'd convert the hubs to oil lubed too.

I haven't had an oil leak since converting mine nine or so years ago, just use the RTC3511 hub seal and remove the axle housing oil seal and off you go.
It'll stop the axle splines fretting too, and end float is controlled by the end cap on those axles, it isn't critical as it is with the front CV axles.

[cewilson]

I find it a personal preference. I'm running Maxi-drive axles and drive flanges, with ARB lockers front and rear. I went with oil lubed for a while but it gave me the ****s - I had a couple of bearings fail. Probably not the fault of the oil at all, but I prefer to stick with grease considering I'm generally doing adjustments and checks every 10k.

[uninformed]

Although mine don't have the trendy scallop between the bolt holes :(
Pure business only :D

I believe that Mal started doing this due to one customer having trouble fitting the original MD DF to some LR alloys....

[Sam65]

When I bought my 130 the previous owner told me it had 'upgraded' rear axles, but was unsure of the type or specification.

They look like this.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/11/661.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/11/504.jpg

The axles are 30mm in diameter for their entire length with a 1mm raised seal section near the flange end.

Does the info stamped on the flange and axle give any indication as to the manafacturer or quality of the axle flange combo. I assume 08 08 is 710 language for 80 80 steel :D. But HTE 859 X I've got no idea. :confused:

Deano :)

The "X" after HTE 859 designates that the drive flange has 10mm longer splines than the standard HTE 859. This should be mated with an axle with similar "X" designation and 10mm longer splines. These are designed to prolong the life of the axle to drive flange connection. This is the concept of the "Maxi" axle and should work well if greased regularly. Similar result can be achieved with the shorter HTE 859 drive flange and normal length axle and splines, if converted to oil bath lubrication by removal of the axle to differential oil seal. HTE specify that the HTE 859X can only be used with axles where the part number ends with an "x". It could be that you only have half of the conversion, and may need to seek advice from HTE.

[460cixy]

I'm pretty sure mine has the number under the flange nut

[uninformed]

Looking at the pic of the axle, going by colour, stamped numbers and machin marks, Id bet its a Hi-Tough axle.....

[Lotz-A-Landies]

I've woken up this slumbering thread because it is on the track where I'm looking for info.

The situation: I wish to fit disk brakes to the rear of my 91 Defender 6X6 (narrow wheel bearing spacings), changing from drums to disks using Disco 1 hubs will narrow the track, so I have swapped the stub axles to later stubs that space the disco hubs to the correct track but still leaving the original halfshafts with the correct protrusion from the stub axle.

The problem: while the axle halfshaft is in the correct alignment to the stub axle the original drum Defender drive flange is too long (none of the halfshaft is protruding so I can't get the circlip on without withdrawing it about 10mm).
I have borrowed an HTE 859 drive flange and (with no gasket between the flange and hub) there is 3.1mm between the circlip groove and the face of the HTE 859.

The question: Is there another HTE flange that is slightly longer(thicker) that will take up the 3mm?

[slug_burner]

Can you use a shim under the flange?

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Can you use a shim under the flange?I could, but I know that there are multiple HTE flanges including the 859 and 859X just wondering if there may be one a little closer to my needs.

I could call Barry on Monday, but thought someone out there may know before then.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

So no one even knows the actual difference between HTE 859 and HTE 859X flanges? :BigCry:

[slug_burner]

So no one even knows the actual difference between HTE 859 and HTE 859X flanges? :BigCry:

10mm more spline on the X

[maxthomas]

This is the instructions that came with my axles last week. It explains what the numbers mean well.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/02/1039.jpg

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Have just come off a long conversation with Barry W, the long and the short of it (excuse the pun) is that the HTE-859 is the replacement flange for Defender etc with 25mm spline inside the flange, the HTE-859X has 35mm spline to be used with the Maxidrive/Hi-Tough X axles.

The original 110/County and my Drum braked Defender FRC5806 flanges had 30mm spline but were much taller.

The solution we have come up with is to get the HTE-859X drive flanges, machine out 5mm of spline from the end leaving sufficient clearance for the circlip. Then machine an additional 5mm of thread on the outside so the cap takes up the lost space at the end of the axle.

Sounds simple doesn't it! :o

The HTE-859X flanges will be on the way this week. :)

Thanks everyone. :BigThumb:

[Damo89]

Have just come off a long conversation with Barry W, the long and the short of it (excuse the pun) is that the HTE-859 is the replacement flange for Defender etc with 25mm spline inside the flange, the HTE-859X has 35mm spline to be used with the Maxidrive/Hi-Tough X axles.

The original 110/County and my Drum braked Defender FRC5806 flanges had 30mm spline but were much taller.

The solution we have come up with is to get the HTE-859X drive flanges, machine out 5mm of spline from the end leaving sufficient clearance for the circlip. Then machine an additional 5mm of thread on the outside so the cap takes up the lost space at the end of the axle.

Sounds simple doesn't it! :o

The HTE-859X flanges will be on the way this week. :)

Thanks everyone. :BigThumb:

Love reviving an old thread... I have the stock alxes and they were just replaced under warranty - was thinking I should upgrade the flanges to HD ones, but can't figure out which ones to get.... there are three listed here. Any advice? 110 Wagon MY15...

Axles Hi-Tough Rear (http://www.lrautomotive.com.au/contents/en-us/d691.html)