Salisbury diff on 110

[phibbzy]

Quick question (probably a stoopid one), is there an easy external aesthetic way to determine if a diff is a salisbury type on a defender 110?

[Chomby]

Rover diffs are round and Salisbury's are not. Thats how i would explain it. The front should be a round diff housing and the rear, if Salisbury, will be a different shape. AFAIK all 110's came with Salisbury rear differentials. And also I don't think any Rovers had Salisbury front except maybe the Series '1 tonners'.

[130man]

Hi, to add to Chomby's info, the Salisbury has a flat section at the bottom. Cheers, 130man.

[steveG]

I'm struggling to find a good comparison image to post for you.
Hop on google and look at images for Landrover Salisbury axle.

Apart from the size (Sals is physically much larger than rover diff), the key difference is the construction. Sals has a huge cast center housing, with the axle tubes pressed into it. Rover diffs are welded together from metal pressings so don't have have the perfectly round axle tubes.

Steve

[phibbzy]

Thanks all,

It looks like its definitely a salisbury type. I hear they're stronger so I'm grad for that but getting a diff lock installed in one is a VERY costly subject... :(

[steveG]

Thanks all,

It looks like its definitely a salisbury type. I hear they're stronger so I'm grad for that but getting a diff lock installed in one is a VERY costly subject... :(

Nah - throw in a Detroit.
Cheap and effective and you don't even need to do any backlash setting etc when putting one in a Sals.
Only semi-special tool required is a torque wrench and you'll have it all back together and on the road in a couple of hours at newbie pace.

Steve

[Distortion]

Just had a detroit fitted to my salisbury. I supplied the locker(purchaced through lucky 8) the local guy fitted it for $450 at short notice.

I haven't taken it off road apart from some testing in a vacant lot but you wouldn't know it was there unless you were told and started deliberately trying to get it to lock/unlock round around corners.

I haven't upgraded the axles yet but this is being built more as a tourer so I'm not too concerned

[rijidij]

An easy way to tell is, the rear face of the Salisbury is a cover plate which unbolts.

Salisbury
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1631.jpg

Rover
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/1632.jpg

Cheers, Murray

[jimr1]

Hi phibbzy , just to add to rijidij post , the Salisbury has been around since the Land Rover Series 3 long wheel base , before that Rover axels were very prone to snapping . The Salisbury is a Darna design , it got it's name from the Brithish Armys testing ground on Salisbury Plain in the uk. A 12 bolt Salisbury is a much stronger diff than a Rover Bandjo diff . jmir1:)

[dfendr]

The Salisbury differential was developed at the behest of the British MOD, as the existing Rover rear axle assembly was reaching the end of it’s functional life, in particular the 10 spline axle shafts. It is based on an American Dana 60 and was built under license by GKN Corporation in the UK. They became optional on long wheel base (LWB) civilian models as a dealer installed option in 1966 or so. They became standard equipment on all LWB starting with the Series 3 production. They continued as standard equipment until 2001, at which time they were replaced by the P38 design. The Salisbury differential/axle assembly was overall the most durable axle assembly used by Land Rover.

[Vern]

Just had a detroit fitted to my salisbury. I supplied the locker(purchaced through lucky 8) the local guy fitted it for $450 at short notice.

I haven't taken it off road apart from some testing in a vacant lot but you wouldn't know it was there unless you were told and started deliberately trying to get it to lock/unlock round around corners.

I haven't upgraded the axles yet but this is being built more as a tourer so I'm not too concerned

Easiest $450 he ever made, its a 30min job, but you didn't want to hear that:)

[mfc]

If its different to the front( to state the obvious) ... Detroits are easy but ...catches are
1 .. Long range tank ... It can require a hoist to drop the whole back driveshaft to clear the diff centre. And
2... Some centres need a spreader and some only tire leavers ...ie it doesn't fall out like the rover centre
Search ... Ron 101's post in the good oil on Detroit install in a 101 LR .... It's easy but...

[isuzutoo-eh]

If its different to the front( to state the obvious) ... Detroits are easy but ...catches are
1 .. Long range tank ... It can require a hoist to drop the whole back driveshaft to clear the diff centre. And
2... Some centres need a spreader and some only tire leavers ...ie it doesn't fall out like the rover centre
Search ... Ron 101's post in the good oil on Detroit install in a 101 LR .... It's easy but...

Wait, what? To fit a Detroit in a sals you don't need to remove the driveshaft! Don't need to extract the crownwheel either!
All is done in situ without disturbing the crownwheel and pinion...

[Vern]

Leaving the crown wheel in would be rather tricky wouldn't it? I'd like to see that done.

[isuzutoo-eh]

Okay, I didn't fit my Detroit, but I did pull the assembly nearly all the way down because I was worried about the banging I was getting from it, I didn't remove/refit the Detroit as such though. Too many springs to want to take it right out.
I'll bow to those who have superior experince on this...

[mfc]

You're both right lol axles out , centre out c wheel off . I was referring to the two catches I had . Getting the centre out of the housing prior to fitting the locker internals .. My long range tank made removing the centre hard as the tank was in the way and.... Mine was really hard to leaver out of the housing ( diff centre)

[Vern]

Okay, I didn't fit my Detroit, but I did pull the assembly nearly all the way down because I was worried about the banging I was getting from it, I didn't remove/refit the Detroit as such though. Too many springs to want to take it right out.
I'll bow to those who have superior experince on this...

And so you should mark:D. I just can't see this being done successfully with out pulling the centre out. Mine came out easy with a couple of large screwdrivers, I think it took 30 min to do the whole job, but the whole assembly was sitting on the ground:)

[Bigbjorn]

Hi phibbzy , just to add to rijidij post , the Salisbury has been around since the Land Rover Series 3 long wheel base , before that Rover axels were very prone to snapping . The Salisbury is a Darna design , it got it's name from the Brithish Armys testing ground on Salisbury Plain in the uk. A 12 bolt Salisbury is a much stronger diff than a Rover Bandjo diff . jmir1:)

Salisbury Gear Co, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1926.

[Cobber]

They continued as standard equipment until 2001, at which time they were replaced by the P38 design. The Salisbury differential/axle assembly was overall the most durable axle assembly used by Land Rover.Forgive my ignorance, but why did they change it? I've always wondered :confused:

[jimr1]

Salisbury Gear Co, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1926.
Hi , well you'r never to old to stop learning , I got my info . many years ago from something i'd read , not long after Land Rover had gone to the Salisbury . At the time it sounded like a good enough to be true , and I've always thought that until now , so thanks for brining me the correct reason why It is called a Salisbury :) cheers jimr1

[Didge]

Forgive my ignorance, but why did they change it? I've always wondered :confused:
I reckon it was to quote an ABBA song
Money, Money, Money,
Gotta be cheaper to produce something that fails and then more profitable to fix something that fails more often than something that was built right in the first place. :)

[Bush65]

I recall reading that Land Rover changed from the Salisbury to the P38 rear, starting with the Wolf's for the UK military.

The reason being that it was easier to reinforce the pressed steel 'banjo' housing for the Wolf's than the composite tube and cast housing used with a Salisbury.

That sounded plausible to me, but I'm open to other equally plausible explanations.

[phibbzy]

Some good advice in this thread guys, thanks heaps!

What should I look to pay for a Detroit locker? Any good suppliers around?

[steveG]

Think mine was in around $550 USD delivered a couple of years back. Got it from Great Basin Rovers in the US.
For the Sals they're pretty small so freight isn't a huge cost.

Steve

[Judo]

Try Lucky8 in the marketplace alerts too. Key point in price comparison is exchange rate too. A USA locker is now 10% more expensive than a month ago purely on exchange rate changes. I wish someone stocked up for us. :)

[goingbush]

Salisbury Gear Co, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1926.

Yes I was going to say,..... the British Army driving around Salisbury Plain would not have had any bearing on the name of Salisbury rear axles in Holdens !!!

[Jeff]

Forgive my ignorance, but why did they change it? I've always wondered :confused:

IIRC the Land Rover Wolf was fitted with the P38 type diff to save weight, and they then carried on to the rest of 110 Defenders, probably cost, or product streamlining.

To tell if you have a Salisbury, drive along a deeply rutted road, if you leave a deep scrape offset to the right, you are the proud owner of a Salisbury Plough.

Jeff

:rocket: