Axle mix and match.

[Dougal]

I have an 85 rangie with almost stock axles. It does have bigger calipers with vented rotors on the front and almost new rotors on the back.
I also have a set of 24 spline axles from a rolled disco. Back casing is bent so it'll be stripped and swapped in pieces, front appears okay.

Are there any parts from my old axles which are worth keeping? Besides of course the new brakes and rotors?
My front axle was originally LHD and hence the drivers side knuckle has an extra unused drag link mount. It also has negative camber on the drivers side knuckle, I can only assume from when it was originally LHD.

I will be changing the disco axles to oil bath when I swap the brakes over, these axles do have ABS sensors and they'll be kept for a future project. I'll also be swapping across the driveflange (stupid rotoflex). Anything I'm missing?

[Scouse]

All the RH knuckles have the extra mount for LHD so that's nothing special.

Your pinion flange will not fit as the splines are a lot coarser on the Disco pinion.

You might find a problem with your rotors. Some have different offsets & you might find your RR ones won't fit the Disco.

[Dougal]

All the RH knuckles have the extra mount for LHD so that's nothing special.

Your pinion flange will not fit as the splines are a lot coarser on the Disco pinion.

You might find a problem with your rotors. Some have different offsets & you might find your RR ones won't fit the Disco.

The normal RH knuckles do not have the extra mount for LHD draglinks.
The brake rotors are identical for rangie, defender and disco. Same part numbers in every catalogue I've checked.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has converted a rotoflex drive flange to four bolt. I have seen pictures of it done supposedly with 10spline drive flanges and a custom spacer.

[Scouse]

Sorry for trying to help.


The normal RH knuckles do not have the extra mount for LHD draglinks.My RRs have the extra mount & even the 2007 Defender in the workshop today still has it.

The brake rotors are identical for rangie, defender and disco. Same part numbers in every catalogue I've checked.Disc # for earlyish RR is 571762 which does not supercede to the Disco disc FRC7329 according to my info.
Maybe you will be lucky but I have experienced a problem like this in the past.


I'd like to hear from anyone who has converted a rotoflex drive flange to four bolt. I have seen pictures of it done supposedly with 10spline drive flanges and a custom spacer.It's a common conversion but you cannot use your old RR flange, unless you can magically cut new splines in it.

[Dougal]

Sorry for trying to help.

My RRs have the extra mount & even the 2007 Defender in the workshop today still has it.


I'd appreciate if it you can provide pictures.
I have looked on many rangies, the factory fitment is one side only. The other rangie I have owned and the discovery axles I will be swapping in do not have an extra arm on the knuckle.
See the picture below for clarification.



Disc # for earlyish RR is 571762 which does not supercede to the Disco disc FRC7329 according to my info.
Maybe you will be lucky but I have experienced a problem like this in the past.


The difference is not offset, it is ABS tone-ring mounting holes. The discs I fitted are aftermarket and the same pn is listed for rangie, discovery and defender.
Have a look in the DBA catalogue and it'll become clear.
#87 is solid rotor for front of defender, discovery and rangerover.
#86 is vented rotor for front of defender, discovery and rangerover.
#88 is solid rear rotor for rear of defender, discovery and rangerover.
http://www.dba.com.au/2006/PDF_CATALOGUE/Catalogue_AUST/2007_AUSTCatalogue_17122007.pdf




It's a common conversion but you cannot use your old RR flange, unless you can magically cut new splines in it.

Have you done it yourself? I'm looking for someone who has.
Cutting new splines isn't magic, it's quite straightforward.

[PhilipA]

The negative camber is usually from someone flipping the pivot. ie using a LH on the RH.
Not the best practice.
You are not from India are you?
Regards Philip A

[discowhite]

The normal RH knuckles do not have the extra mount for LHD draglinks.



are you for real!
what landies were you looking at?? i have looked at a flamin lot and they have ALL had the drag link on the casting on BOTH sides, same as the bolt holes on the opposite chassis rail for the steering box to be fitted for LHD vehicles!

maybe i have a special LH/RH drive 2004 defender? geeze whats that worth??
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/36699/2685319700100509853S600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/36469/2663722180100509853S600x600Q85.jpg

but hey, if you dont want to listen to someone who works for land rover be my guest:p

[discowhite]

Have you done it yourself? I'm looking for someone who has.


oh yeah, done that too, old RRC is 4 spline on the pinion, and rota flex is 20something spline, so no it wont fit;)
unless you have a dividing head and a miller, or an old school shaper.

[discowhite]

http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/38976/2309174630100509853S600x600Q85.jpg
page 512

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/37908/2682196900100509853S600x600Q85.jpg
page 508

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/technical-chatter/5866d1199259684-axle-mix-match-knuckle.jpg

page 514

[lokka]

Karcraft in sydney do a replacement flange to be rid of the rubber donut and it dosent require a spacer not sure on $ tho

When removing the spigot from the rear pinion its best to cut 3 relief cuts in the sides or the triangular flange as deep as you can go without cutting into the carrier housing then using a large hammer give the spigot a few solid belts sideways to loosen the spigot then with the correct bolt in the spigot attached to a slide hammer or a short length of chain with a reasonable weight attached to the other end to use like a slide hammer belt out the spigot to reveal either a 15mm bolt or a nut as ive seen both its a peice o pi55 to do with this method ive done a few now and its only a 1/2 hr job :D:D

[Dougal]

The negative camber is usually from someone flipping the pivot. ie using a LH on the RH.
Not the best practice.
You are not from India are you?
Regards Philip A

When you say "flipping the pivot", which part is actually handed side for side?
Is it the swivel balls?

The car dealer who did this wasn't hot on "best practise", they were shut down for winding back cars, swapping badges on bmw's so they could sell them for more etc etc.
After all these years I've almost got to the bottom of the dodginess they injected into my vehicle. Almost.

[Dougal]

are you for real!
what landies were you looking at?? i have looked at a flamin lot and they have ALL had the drag link on the casting on BOTH sides, same as the bolt holes on the opposite chassis rail for the steering box to be fitted for LHD vehicles!

but hey, if you dont want to listen to someone who works for land rover be my guest:p

The vehicles I am talkinga bout are discovery series 1 and rangerover classics. Mine is the only one I have seen with the double knuckle.
2004-2007 defenders are not something I see a lot of. But claiming ALL landies have double knuckles on both sides is very wrong.

[PhilipA]

When you say "flipping the pivot", which part is actually handed side for side?
Is it the swivel balls?


The hubs. But the neg camber will be a LOT, as they have a lot of "king pin" inclination. Maybe its just from some different model.
I remember a long time ago an Indian guy intended to just flip the hubs to make a LHD Rangie a RHD. He got upset when I said this is suicide.
I think the balls are also handed for caster.
Its not something I concentrate on as its generally best to put the correct parts in the correct place. ( understatement)
PS I am pretty sure a RRC does not normally have a spare eye on the RH pivot.
Regards Philip A

[Dougal]

The hubs. But the neg camber will be a LOT, as they have a lot of "king pin" inclination. Maybe its just from some different model.
I remember a long time ago an Indian guy intended to just flip the hubs to make a LHD Rangie a RHD. He got upset when I said this is suicide.
I think the balls are also handed for caster.
Its not something I concentrate on as its generally best to put the correct parts in the correct place. ( understatement)
PS I am pretty sure a RRC does not normally have a spare eye on the RH pivot.
Regards Philip A

The camber I have is somewhere around half a degree I think and has been there since the vehicle was converted from LHD to RHD in a very dodgy manner. They didn't even put the right springs in, only swapped the back two from side to side.:eek:
It's only the drivers side too, left is as plumb as you expect it to be. I have to run 1mm toe-in to compensate for the tyre wear.

Regarding the drive flanges, will a front drive flange fit in place on the rear diff once the rotoflex is gone?

[rovercare]

Regarding the drive flanges, will a front drive flange fit in place on the rear diff once the rotoflex is gone?

No, 4 spline early and fine spline late, don't interchange

Sorry, just re-read, do you mean a front flange of a 24 spline centre?? If yes, they will interchange as the front and rear centres are identical

[Dougal]

No, 4 spline early and fine spline late, don't interchange

I'm talking about front vs back on the same vehicle.
Specifically, 97 disco, front being 4 bolt, rear being rotoflex. Are the diffs the same except for the driveflange?

[rovercare]

No, 4 spline early and fine spline late, don't interchange

Sorry, just re-read, do you mean a front flange of a 24 spline centre?? If yes, they will interchange as the front and rear centres are identical

Its written in there:D

Well not exactly, you have to cut the end of the pinion off, the bit that sticks into the rotoflex

[Dougal]

No, 4 spline early and fine spline late, don't interchange

Sorry, just re-read, do you mean a front flange of a 24 spline centre?? If yes, they will interchange as the front and rear centres are identical


Thanks, that's handy to know.
I have both axles, but will fit one sometime before the other (probably rear first). It gives me a bit more time to source a new driveflange.