Salisbury rear axle replacement

[henk]

As my rear salisbury axle is getting more play I was looking for a future replacement and came across the Maer axles (https://www.maer.com.pl/rear-axle-long-nose-land-rover-defender--discovery-i--range-rover-classic,956,3679.html).

Advantages as I see it:

• easier to swap diffs
• more ground clearance
• I could use a spare Atom locker I have around

Disadvantage:

• non standard propshaft I assume

Am I correct there is no standard propshaft I can use?

I guess length is somewhere between a short nose version and a salisbury version

[Mossberg]

That looks like a copy of the axle off the 90/disco 1/rrc. If that is the case I would suggest you check the specification is suitable for what you want as I know the Salisbury spec is higher. 

You say your axle is getting more play, but would the play not be from bearings, stub axles, dif and bushes.

I have just done a rear axle case swap on my 90. The reason for the change was due to corrosion on the many weld-don parts - bump stop plates, spring mounts, shock brackets and the tube under one bump plate in particular. 

My axle case replacement was from a 300tdi disco but was rusty. I cleaned it using electrolysis and it removed the rust which I then prepped and painted. That cost me £80 but then the work of restoration, so paint etc. I did a bit of a restoration which cost around £500, but that included calipers, discs, Timken bearings, Corteco seals and new brake lines (cunifer pipe, brass fittings, s/s nipples and standard flexible). I didn't change hubs, stub axles, drive shafts or diff).

[Arjan]

The Maer HD Axle casing is just that : extremely heavy duty. 

When I was over there to collect my chassis I had a very good look at them as I seriously consider getting one for the OneTen.

Designed and used in big numbers underground in mines in an environment that could be described as extremely hostile..

According to Maer, it is designed and build to take standard LR parts (bearing, seals etc.) and a Rover Diff..

It is my understanding these casings accept a standard LR propshaft but I suggest you ask to the importer in your country.

Also, be careful lifting them as they are.... heavy

[Bowie69]

All that HDness and they stick a LR diff in it? 

I guess it makes it easy, but still.

[miketomcat]

If your switching from a Salisbury diff to rover diff you'll need a different prop, however a puma prop may fit as they had a rover diff (I can't remember if it was standard rover or p38 type) but it will depend on your transfer box position. 

Prop lengths here:

https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/87209-prop-lengths/?do=findComment&comment=752861

Mike

[Chicken Drumstick]

Surely the Salisbury is still the better axle and diff.

[Mossberg]

So how much are these?

[Arjan]

May I suggest you ask the Maer importer in your country...

 

[Mossberg]

2 hours ago, Arjan said:

May I suggest you ask the Maer importer in your country...

 

I have tried to look on their website and Facebook but no prices for axles 

I don't really want to make an enquiry as I am not looking for one, only curious. 

[Snagger]

I don’t see the point in replacing a Salisbury with that.  The only significantly stronger part is the diff pan or cover, but you can just replace that or fit a guard to the Salisbury.  The innards of that Maer unit are the vastly weaker Rover stock for the 90, RRC and Discovery 1, which won’t last well on a 110 or 130.  You could update all those innards with aftermarket gears, diff and shafts, but that’d cost a fortune compared to reconditioning your Salisbury unit and would still be weaker.

People are scared of Salisburys, but they are just a little heavy and awkward.  The principles are the same as on the Rover diff, the main difference in setting one up is that the Salisbury uses shims to set main bearing preload and the diff lateral position for backlash, whichever the Rover is a little easier in using those preload nuts to press the bearings in.  If you follow the instructions on how to set up a Salisbury, it’s no harder than the Rover.  But if you are reusing the same gears and diff centre, then you don’t replace or change the sh8ms at all, just the bearings with identical new Timken bearings.  The tolerances on the bearings are tight enough that the existing shims will be correct.  That even applies in 95% of cases of replacing the pinion and diff - you keep the pinion shims in the casing as they are and the existing shims on any used diff centre.  Even if you swap ratios, there is seldom a need to reshim, but you can fit as they are, run a contact pattern and see if it does need any more work.  If you buy a new diff unit (like a locker or ATB), then you will need to shim that up from new, but using the old bearings with the inside of the inner races ground out a little to make them easy to fit and remove for testing makes the shimming set up fairly straight forward - the instructions have a guide that should hopefully only need you to remove and refit them twice - once to find the total endfloat and total shim thickness needed, and then once more with all the shims on one side to measure the backlash, which will then tell you on a table how much thickness to transfer to the other side.  The next fit would be for confirmation with a contact patch test.  It should be that quick, little more than on a Rover type.

[Mossberg]

Henk, have a look at this thread if you do consider rrefurbishingyour axle case. I used electrolysis and I feel it worked well.

If you have any questions on the process or set-up then just ask and I will help where I can. 

As you already have your axle case, if it is in good condition, cleaning and repainting can be relatively inexpensive. Note that with electrolysis you don't take away or damage good steel, only rust is removed.

https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/111731-rear-axle-case-swap/