Thread: weak axles

Cheaper and easier to replace an axle than a gear box or diff. There's got to be a weak link (fuse) somewhere and when/if that 'fuse' is replaced with a heavier/stronger one then it won't be long before the next weakest point in the system is discovered.

Landy's are tough vehicles but they still have to driven within their 'limits' if you want to be able to drive it back home at the end of the day.

The Poms generally drive in mud not rock, so they didn't think it was a problem as the wheels just spin and don't load up like on rock. The engines were smaller and when the engines got bigger people carried heavier loads and the axles started to give trouble. Land Rover were very slow to react to most things, and they would sell every vehicle they made so the priority was the cars and the Range Rover, hence so little difference from 1958 - 1983.

Jeff

Broken axles are relatively rare on 88s, but with the availability of the six, and also with the low speed torque of the diesel, broken axles became common on the 109 with the 2/2a (Broken axles were almost unheard of with the semifloating axle on the S1, but bearing failures were not!). In addition there seem to have been quality problems with axles after the merger with Leyland in 1967. The ultimate solution was to replace the rear axle with the salisbury in the 109, but the original setup continued to perform with few failures in the 88 until the end of S3 production (with more splines on the outer end in late production.

John

So with the 2.25 petrol in the 109 they still break axles more than the diesel engine ?

in the order of being likely to snap axles....

109 with a six and a rover diff at the end
109 with a diesel and rover diff
88 with a diesel
109 with a 4 pot
88 with the 4 pot petrol.

but if any of them have the sailsbury rear end.... you'll probabley take out the gearbox first.

the diesel engine is the same engine as the 2.25 petrol in essence its just had the head modded to make it a diesel and an injector pump slots in where the dizzy goes and has injectors instead of spark plugs.

torque is up on the diesels and overall power is down when compared to the same generation of petrol engine.

G'day All, In almost 40 years of owning Land Rovers I have never broken a rear axle, only a layshaft in my 88" S2A back in 1979 and in town, changed down to 2nd to negotiate a tight corner and 'bang' no drive, stop, engage low range top gear and drive the 1/2 mile home in rear wheel drive LOL, had it fixed the next afternoon no more problems, hope I haven't jinxed myself, cheers Dennis
PS 1 Land Rover I had, a S2A 109 had a 302 V8 Ford in it, made my own adaptor plate etc was fun but fuel was cheap then LOL.

Originally Posted by Dinty

G'day All, In almost 40 years of owning Land Rovers I have never broken a rear axle, only a layshaft in my 88" S2A back in 1979 and in town, changed down to 2nd to negotiate a tight corner and 'bang' no drive, stop, engage low range top gear and drive the 1/2 mile home in rear wheel drive LOL, had it fixed the next afternoon no more problems, hope I haven't jinxed myself, cheers Dennis
PS 1 Land Rover I had, a S2A 109 had a 302 V8 Ford in it, made my own adaptor plate etc was fun but fuel was cheap then LOL.

The only axle I ever broke was in a 1960 88" S2 soft top with standard 2.25 petrol engine.

Never did an axle with either my Rover 6 cyl later 202 Holden 109" or my 253 Holden 109" Station Wagon (although I did do a diff on the Southern Cross drive after I did a lube job and forgot to refill the rear diff )

By the time that Rover Co got the message about the rear diffs, British Leyland had taken over and they were not into spending money on development. Result in the 1970s was the Series 3 when they could have built the County and never let Toyota Land Cruiser get a look into the Aussie market. But that's all history now.

Diana

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

but if any of them have the sailsbury rear end.... you'll probabley take out the gearbox first.

Or the drive flanges. I broke a short side axle in my 202 powered 2A doing a hill start on he road, then put in a Salisbury, my next 2A had a Salisbury and so has my Defender and all have had to have the drive flanges replaced. I suppose it's easier than axles.

Jeff