Disco axles going under s3 lightweight-specific questions.

[Duncan]

Hi Everyone,

Finally getting around to this along with few other mods and general MOT work.

I have a set of 92 Disco axles that I am fitting under my lightweight, I have the axles ground back to bare tubes and ready to fit but thinking ahead I want to tweak a few other parts and have a few questions to throw out there...

Rear Axle

I stripped these years ago and have misplaced the measurements of the angle the pinion sits at, I have an inclinometer so plan to set it as it would run on a disco, If it is tilted back a bit how would this affect the rear prop?

I plan to fit disco mounts to locate the lower end of the shocks - (to do away with the split pin and washers) but not sure if I will have room for the neccesary travel keeping the top mount. (Have para's and extended shackles) Or maybe keep the loop top and bottom shocks and fit a bolt on style like at the top but at 90 degree to the axle so doesn't twist the rubbers when articulating, Anyone experimented here?

Front Axle

I have Para's and extended shackles but also have gone too far front twisting mounts so this will sit the springs back level-not ideal with the track rod, I plan to make up extra extra long shackles here to compensate for the height lost in the spring perches clearing the diff buldge (Using YRM premade mounts here-to save time)

As the front has the twister mounts I hope that will decrease the extra twisting forces caused by the extra long shackles...

Again at the front looking at shock mounts to rid the pin style, and with extra wide axles maybe es9000 shocks.

Fitting p38 PAS box after axles so will sort the drag link then.

[ejparrott]

I'd stick with the split pin mounts if I'm honest, much much easier to change than the pins.

[Pollywog]

If you want to do away with the split pins how about knocking up something like this: http://www.seriesoneshop.com/contents/media/l_217254.jpg

[ejparrott]

Or that....that's on my list of things to do....

[Duncan]

I like that plan but I'm thinking if that bolt was at 90% to where it is now it wouldn't bind the rubber when articulating as much. Bare tubes so nows the time to think these lil bits through.

[ejparrott]

The biggest problem is getting them off when they've been on a few days. You can't unscrew the nut for the corrosion, and it's a pig to stop the damper body rotating. No such trouble with Series eyes

[Duncan]

Yeah that is true, Hoop style and bolt on then is the winner, getting the rear axle mounts tacked on the wkend hopefully:)

[Snagger]

It's going to be awfully tall on parabolics and raised mounts'shackles. I don't think you need any more than 1-ton shackles on the front to keep the spring flat with the G2F dumbirons. I'd then look at the back end being a similar lift but no more. You could just fit extended shackles, but I don't think that is a good option as the spring will be inclined, giving increased bump steer and also causing a lot of stress when lateral forces are applied to the long shackles; I think you should use nothing longer than 1-ton shackles and extend the hangers at the front end of the rear springs by the same amount as on the G2F dumb irons. You should also be using revolving shackles at the back to match the G2F dumb irons or you'll be putting all the articulation through the front springs only, wearing them out far faster than if the articulation was spread over both axles.

Whatever you do, keep the rear diff pinion parallel to the gear box axis probably a bit nose down with the suspension lifts, but you'll have to check, and keep the swivel pin inclination at 3 degrees.

If you expect to use the vehicle in a way that creates a lot of axle articulation, then I'd use dampers with eyes at each end but would mke an axle bracket that rotates the pin so that it runs along the vehicle axis instead of the axle axis.

[Duncan]

Hi Snagger thanks for feedback! I'm happy with the back end as with the extended shackles it's slightly inclined but acceptable and flexes well and moves/matches well with the front axle not looking to extend the rear hangers as then would be lifted more than the front. The front is working well as it is so not wanting to adjust with longer shackles - just as it's sitting flat now the tracking bar of the disco axle should be exactly where i don't want it-but will physically see that when test fitting soon.

Cheers for confirming parallel for the rear diff pinion as I have no disco's around to check with. At the front will set at 3 degrees and then see what the steering is looking like.

Only a couple of inches lifted and going wider stance with axles so evens out:)

[Snagger]

Duncan, my 109 is on 1-ton spring hangers and shackles with parabolics. I set the castor angle at exactly 3 degrees, and needed the axle saddles only high enough that the inboard edge of the right side saddle bottom was flush with the diff housing neck; taller than standard series mounts, but as low as you can go to fit the springs without scalloping the axle housing. That gave me 1//4" track rod clearance over the spring tops with the chassis supported and the axle hanging on the springs, and more when the springs bear weight. If you have 1-ton shackles, they should achieve a similar result in conjunction with the G2F dumb irons.