Reply With QuoteHere we go for the front (Rover type) axle. First step once again to remove the axle. This wasn’t a difficult thing since the Rover axle weighs bugger all compared to a Salisbury, especially once the swivel housings have been taken off.
After setting up the housing to pre-stress it, it was just a matter of taking to it with the die grinder to cut the hole, and welding on the mounting block for the vacuum actuator. Once again, Mal supplies a jig to set up the mounting block in exactly the right place. Even I couldn’t stuff that up. :roll:
Here’s the block after welding. No comments on the cocky poo please.ops:
The front was pretty easy to build up because most of it gets thrown out. Only the crown wheel remains, which is transferred on to the new Maxidrive centre. The new centre comes complete with the bearings already fitted. Very nice of Mal, don’t you think? :wink:
The most interesting part of this is the change to the locking tab thingy that mounts on the bearing caps.
In this photo you can see the locking thingy on the top of the bearing cap. The other side was originally the same:
The side where the locking dog engages get a bit of surgery. Basically, the mount for the locking thing gets a date with Mr Hacksaw and Mr File, then drilled and tapped to take a bolt holding a small bit of angle in place. You then mark up the angle and cut it out to make a new locking tab:
After grinding and starting to coat with some cold galv stuff, I was ready to fit up the actuator:
Then it was just a matter of sticking it all back together.
Even though the actuator is on the front of the axle, it’s right at the top and protected by the steering guard and the panhard rod. If I hit anything high enough to bother the actuator, I think it’ll be the least of my worries 8O
Since my 200tdi has the old style swivel housing, changing to the AEU2522 CVs was straight forward. I already have the broze bush in the stub axle, and the early CVs are the same size and therefore a simple fit. The Maxi axles are also straightforward, although the tight fit of the Maxi drive members onto the CV stubs is a bit of a pain. No doubt they’ll loosen up a bit with use.
The rest of the installation revolves around fitting the switches and vacuum lines and tank.
Maxidrive lockers use vacuum lines to both engage and disengage the locking dog. They also include a third line which is the breather. The factory breather banjo fitted is removed for both front and rear, and the hole is filled with a plug.
Vacuum for the Maxidrives is supplied by the vacuum pump simply by cutting into the line to the brake booster:
A non-return valve is fitted into the line that feeds the two switches and the small (supplied) tank. Usually the tank is mounted under the blank plate on the RH wing, but mine is crammed full of manifold and pressure switch etc for the onboard air system. The best spot I could find was under the brake booster, mounted to the inner guard. Once again, all mounting hardware, brackets etc are included in the kit:
The Maxidrive system is all pneumatic and uses pneumatic switching too. The control valves (on/off switches) look like this:
The valves could be mounted in any protected space (but they do draw in air, so need to be dust/water free). I chose to go along with Mal’s suggestion and mounted them here:
The warning lights are also mounted up in the place suggested in the instructions, but the could be just about put anywhere that takes your fancy:
The only electrics involved are for the warning lights. Unlike the ARB lockers, the warning lights show whether the Maxidrives are engaged, much like the light for the LT230 centre diff lock. The ARB lights just show when the switch is on.
Well, that’s it. A couple of weekends work and a few dollars out of the savings account. Overall I couldn’t fault the Maxidrive kits. As I said before, everything is included and the instructions and photos supplied are first class. They’re not as easy to fit as the ARBs because you have to weld on the mounting blocks, but they have a reputation for being much stronger and absolutely trouble free. They are also better value when you take the cost of the axles and everything else into account.
Paul
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