uninformed

A couple boring pics, but just to illustrate that one change makes many, and when you are doing everything by hand, it takes longer again lol. Im very lucky to have a mate with a small lathe that lets me use it and gives me guidance on it. No DRO so the true definition of manual machining 😆 Tapping the new drag link (I still have to tap the track rod and then cut/slit both) and the spacers. The spacers moved too much in the vice so I clamped the housing vertically to the side of my bench and bolted the spacer to it. You may notice the large chamfer on the corner of rebate for swivel ball spigot. This is to use a O ring around the swivel spigot and hopefully avoid a gasket. Only time will tell on that one.

In short, there are codes for different parts of the vehicles and what you can and can not do. So basic yes no to the idea of a mod, then if yes, the design and implementation of it. As with life, it comes down to the individual certifying engineer, their interpretations of the rules, and how they want you to go about it. I do know that there are Cert engineers out there that don't go to the lengths of weld tests etc.

Ill just leave this here....

A mate of mine widened LR housings over 30 years ago like this. Very rarely do we have new ideas, just old ones revisited 😄 No idea on weight but they weren’t too bad. They are machined out of 4140. Probably could have been k1045 or such but I wanted some extra safety margin. Obviously it depends on the grade of Aluminium, but is there any concern of fatigue failure ? I would also look at the strength of the bolted joint. I originally had no intention of welding them as well as bolting, and had some evidence that they may be strong enough without the weld. But a friend pointed out he knew of the a few failures of the original 3/8 UNF 6 bolt joint on RRC. Even though these are M10 7 bolt, the strength increase at best is maybe 10-15%. + 75mm added width is an increase of over 30% on joint load. I forgot to add, in the end of my housing, inside the axle tube, I installed hollow bar 10mm wall thickness. This was done a few years earlier with a mate that helped my laminate the housing. The housing was put in a lathe and machine out the over roll from friction weld of axle flange. Hollow bar is a neat (not press though) fit and is continuous fillet weld in the end. It’s a bit over 200mm long and has plug welds on the other end. Unsprung mass is definitely something I like to keep down, but am limited by skill and budget. If I do it again I would custom fabricate the housing so no spacers needed and use D2 radius arm bushes.

Yes I’ve seen photos of factory RRC radius arms with nearly 180 degree bend sideways in them after a 100km/h head on crash. Engine was shot out of chassis and crank punched out of block. I wasn’t looking that hard at D2 stuff when I designed these and tbh didn’t want to change the axle bracketry and have to re true the housing. We have some good options for bushes with the Patrol stuff. They are definitely better than Defender bushes. welding mine was a choice driven by unsprung mass. I don’t compete so won’t be that hard on them. I doubt mine would be as strong as factory in up/down direction but hopefully they will be as strong in side bending even with my added length. I would be a little concerned about extending the factory arm 300mm off the pin , also taking into account the slender ratio the arm would have.

Yes the D2 axle bushes are quite good. I’m using Nissan Patrol bushes at axle end. The pin style isn’t so bad as it allows for the rotation during articulation. It will be a bit more limited in travel compared to a D2 style chassis bush, but being longer the angle of bush deflation is reduced. I’m only running 12” shocks so shouldn’t be a problem. BTw, I’m pretty sure the LR radius arms are forged not cast, and yes they are strong and ductile which is good. I’ve heard some evidence that they mostly fail (bend/buckle) sideways. I’m hoping to do some bend tests on a factory arm and a test one of mine to compare.

Thanks. Its been quite an interesting and challenging learning curve. Welds on Suspension links needed to be X Ray tested and we did some destructive tests as well. These sorts of modifications need to be approved by a certifying engineer registered with Dept Of Transport.

I would say that’s an optimistic view point lol. That complex radiator is one pipe down the right end tank. Small radiator, hottest water enters, travels across only half height, half cooled, hits oil pipe, gets heated again and then travels half height across again... block cooler, hottest water enters radiator, gets full cooling, enters block, coolest part of engine and goes through oil cooler. I guess we will just disagree on that one. cost cutting by accountants, yep, and plenty of it over the LR years.

In the left hand end tank, there is a divider plate half way up. Water enters left end tank, fills, hits divider plate, travels sideways to right end tank, drops down to lower half, moves sideways back to left end. There is a hole in the plate about 15mm dia, water will pass through it easier than going through the core, bypassing the cooling process. Terrible for hot climates, thats why we plate them but still leave 3mm for bleeding. Known as a dual pass radiator.

If that’s it, as I have stated a few times, it’s been done and common practice amongst Tdi owners I know in Oz.

African Mod? What is that?

Always use the shroud. You keep referring to the Tgv oil cooler as cheap, implying less efficient, poor design etc. Can you explain how it’s cheaper to manufacture and how it is less efficient that the 300Tdi set up?

Can you explain the difference between the two, and do you know the speeds and why that happens re the fan?

The trailing arm and radius arm mounts are LR chassis replacement parts. But all the fish plates, overlapping tie ins , braces and everything else are hand cut and fabricated.

Yes it’s the weld on block for actuator. Billet aluminium cylinder bolts to it, and has a vacuum operated piston that has a selector fork attached. That slides a locking collar along splines on the axle shaft and will engage/disengage dogs on the end of the carrier/hemisphere.

Funny story about that, I had a guy start, great welder but unreliable and terrible communication so I taught myself on this build. Getting new shafts made by MaxiDrive out of Hytuf. They know all the dimensions for the locking spline etc and make excellent shafts. They will be 24/23 spline. Running Genuine GKN RRC cvs with custom stub shafts out of Hytuf and anti burst rings out of 4140. They are the same length as the AEU2522 early 110 cv

Thanks. Slow going and lots left to do. Just have to keep chipping away at it. Next will be finishing radius arms and start on shorten rear overhang and new rear cross member.

I had to remove the spring mounts to have good access to the weld at flanges. Back on they went.

Custom laminated and widened front housing. This is the original 98' housing so has the 7 bolt swivels, TRB top and bottom, but ill be using early stub axles and hubs for the wider bearing spacing. 75mm wider each side. Bolts will be replaced with ARP studs.

End caps/transitions and some bits for the radius arms

New A frame cross member with end plates incorporating link mounts. Cross member and body outriggers welded in. Some where along the line I sold the MD locked Sals, and built a custom rear Rover housing....madness right! 🤣

Then some longer traiing arms, A frame arms and modified/strengthend body outriggers.

Then the rear fish plate, and new trailing arm mounts including strengthening, plus some little tie ins/bracings.

SO it sat for a couple of years while I took care of other things. When the dust had cleared I figured I could get into the modifications I had always wanted to do.... Starting with longer Radius arms. Chassis work first. 3mm fish plate, tying in with crossmember bolts. New RA mount and bracing.

Vent cut in left guard for better cooling.