Thread: Axle housing question

Did the classics have the salsibury rear?

NO

Would these axles put up with 35" tyres under moderate abuse (most likely to ever see 33" though)

NO,although it would depend on the weight and gearing of the Jeep and which model RRC. After 1993 ? They had much stronger axles .

How easy / hard are they to find parts for such as upgraded axles and lockers

Pretty easy.The strongest lockers are Maxidrive which come with bigger stronger material axles, and Jacmac and many UK and US firms make stronger axle shafts.

Where in the serial number can I find date of manufacture?

No idea, but there are visual differences between pre 93 , where the stub on the front is one piece with a cast cap and the rear axle shafts are one piece with a cast cap, and the later ones are two piece with a plastic cap. There are also differences in diff bearing dimensions between earlier 10 spline diffs which were imperial and later metric diffs within the 10 ? spline and later 24? spline axles( I can never remember the numbers).

In either case however the axle shafts would be hard pressed with 33s and the diffs are weak with only a single cross shaft, but this would be addressed with lockers, however it would be wise to get bigger axles at the same time.
Some on this forum use Nissan Patrol axles are they are much stronger but worse "pumpkin" clearance.
Regards Philip A

That is the next question what were the stock diff gear ratios?
My preference would be a Dana 44 to match the rear and I have a contact that could make up what I want but have to find a Dana 44 first.
Patrols or 80 series may end up being the best long term option. I just have an adversion to both as I like to be different.

Stock ratio for the classic , defender , D1 and D2 is 3.54

There are millions of D44 axles around which can be picked up cheaply. Scouts had a D44 front and rear, (old) Cherokees (maybe - or a D30 front?), Ford F-trucks, etc...

The Sals used in 109", 110" and 130" land rovers had a Sals/D60 rear.

Scouts would be hard to find I would guess.
Cherokee's have a D30, from memory from 76 onwards the pumpkin is on the wrong side for me.
Will start scrounging around the Ford wreckers to see what I can dig up.

CJ's had a D30 front, Fullsize J Series trucks had a D44 front, as you said, full size Cherokees had a D30 front end.

The Scout and Jeep truck front ends are quite a bit wider, with the Jeep truck wider again than the Scout II.
The Scout was what I was going to use in my old CJ project twenty five years ago.

Also remember that pre about '73 had enclosed front knuckles, so don't have the turning circle of the open knuckle front ends. (I had an enclosed knuckle D44 front end in a J3000 truck)


I'd get in touch with a Jeep wrecker like Mascot Motors at Nowra (don't know any in Vic) and get a D44.
Even a D30 would probably be stronger than a Rover front diff, and at least the axles and knuckle uni's are and can be made a lot stronger more cheaply.

Originally Posted by rick130

...

The Scout and Jeep truck front ends are quite a bit wider, with the Jeep truck wider again than the Scout II.

...

Sam Overton fitted Scout axles F+R to his first RRC. They weren't noticeably much wider than the RRC axles.

It sounds like any axle (except hilux or serie landie) would need to be narrowed for the application. The advantage of a lot of the US stuff is the axle shafts are not necked down, so can be cut and resplined.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Sam Overton fitted Scout axles F+R to his first RRC. They weren't noticeably much wider than the RRC axles.

It sounds like any axle (except hilux or serie landie) would need to be narrowed for the application. The advantage of a lot of the US stuff is the axle shafts are not necked down, so can be cut and resplined.

IIRC Early (pre about '80) CJ and Series Landies were about the same track width.

Rover at one point fitted Series running gear to a CJ as an exercise (late fifties/early sixties ?) and apparently it all fitted pretty well