Thread: Maxi-drive axle probs on a Defender

Sounds like crap to me. I'd be wanting to see the axles before any replacement.

AGREE ABSOLUTE CRAP!!!.

Cheers Sumo.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Sounds like crap to me. I'd be wanting to see the axles before any replacement.

Well we were thinking the same thing but to be fair to the guy, he was diagnosing down the phone and hadn't had a look himself yet. But thanks, he will certainly want to see the axles.

What would make them go so soon though? It would have done 7000k max. At Suttons they checked all the breather (blocked) and sorted that and replaced whatever needed replacing there. Maybe it's that, it's a farm vehicle, but he doesn't mud bath it.

He was surprised at how suck a thick grade diff oil could get out and spray all over the brakes and tyres like it was sewing machine oil.

I wonder if there is play in it at all or if there is runout in there that will give the seal a workout until it fails. It may be work having this checked also.

Runout wouldn't surprise me because the seals have both failed early and both had similar life spans. I would assume the bearing were checked when the MD axles went in as the end of the axle has to be disasembled on the side with the locking dog.

The stub axle surface can become worn and pitted with corrosion when the original grease seals have been used. they don't seal terribly well.
The fix is either a new stub axle or speedi sleeve the existing stub axle.
Trying to run the RTC3511 seal on it won't last, even if it looks like it may miss the worst of the damage.

Speedi sleeves aren't cheap, so sometimes a new stub axle is cheaper. I speedi sleeved one of my stub axles quite a few years back due to this, about six months after converting to RTC3511 seal and oil lubed bearings. Wrecked a near new set of pads when it let go.

BTW, 80w-90 might be fairly thick trying to pump it into a diff, but at 100*C it's exactly the same viscosity as 15w-40 engine oil at the same temp

yep i would have thought stub axle first....no sure that a bit of water would render a set of maxi axle to replacement

see my stub problems

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...e-tonight.html

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...-sleeve-q.html

Originally Posted by rick130

The stub axle surface can become worn and pitted with corrosion when the original grease seals have been used. they don't seal terribly well.
The fix is either a new stub axle or speedi sleeve the existing stub axle.
Trying to run the RTC3511 seal on it won't last, even if it looks like it may miss the worst of the damage.

Speedi sleeves aren't cheap, so sometimes a new stub axle is cheaper. I speedi sleeved one of my stub axles quite a few years back due to this, about six months after converting to RTC3511 seal and oil lubed bearings. Wrecked a near new set of pads when it let go.

BTW, 80w-90 might be fairly thick trying to pump it into a diff, but at 100*C it's exactly the same viscosity as 15w-40 engine oil at the same temp

Im backing most of this... except the viscosity thing.....

If you know how and are willing to do the prep work properly you can speedy sleeve the axle yourself, Its not quite brain science.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

Im backing most of this... except the viscosity thing.....

If you know how and are willing to do the prep work properly you can speedy sleeve the axle yourself, Its not quite brain science.

have a look at an oil PDS Dave and see what the majority of 75w/80w-90's are at 100*C, usually in the 14-16cSt range, which just happens to be right where the majority of 5w/10w/15w-40 engine oils sit too.

In other words they are as 'thin' as each other at working temp, and a Sals working hard gets damn hot in Summer.