Tilting diffs

[oddballrovers]

Hi Folks

Now that I have decided to turn the whole transmission, is it any good to turn the diffs pinions upwards in order to reduce the angle? I can see that if the diff nose is upped by 2" then there is the same hight difference as before turning the transmission.

Are there any drawbacks I have overlooked, I know that is involves some fabricating ie I have to do some thing to get the castor right is there by the way any advantage in increasing that now that I am at the "fabric" work ?

Regards

Ole.

[Astro_Al]

Hi Ole,

What exactly is your aim? It would be easier to get a wide angle propshaft than to rotate the axles?

You can do it, but you need to watch your pinion oiling if you rotate it too far.

I would keep the caster stock, either by rotating the swivel housings, or cutting, rotating and re-welding the casing flanges.

You can get slotted swivel housings if you want an easy life.

[by the way, did anything make it all the way to Denmark for you in the post...? - Just wondering if it got there?]

Cheers, Al

[oddballrovers]

Hi Ole,

What exactly is your aim? It would be easier to get a wide angle propshaft than to rotate the axles?

You can do it, but you need to watch your pinion oiling if you rotate it too far.

I would keep the caster stock, either by rotating the swivel housings, or cutting, rotating and re-welding the casing flanges.

You can get slotted swivel housings if you want an easy life.

[by the way, did anything make it all the way to Denmark for you in the post...? - Just wondering if it got there?]

Cheers, Al

Hi Al

Yes it did sorry not to respond re it, have send a donation before its arrival to the forum fond.

Long before that the shafts did also arrive well and safe we have abused the rear onces this year and will allso fit the front ones next year in a new built axle with ventilated dics from a Chevy something I cant remember now and Allu calibers from an ALfa 1,8T

Re.Angles since i am both tilting the transmission and increasing the axle travel, I thought that by tilting the pinions up wards I would reduce the propshaft angles wich is 45 degres ( make them myself off Series front axle yokes and agricultural yokes and some splines allso from an agricultural supplyer)

Re Castor angle, I was off the impression that, for a to me unknown reason, the comp gys where running a none stock angle, would it not give you a different steer!!!

I am for other reasons modifying the brackets on the axels so it would not be any trouble to do it while I was there.

So the idea was to reduce the angle that the prop needed to negotiate, I am also moving the transmission 4" back so thats why.

Regards

Ole.

[biasbilt]

I cut the ends off the axle and rotated them to give more castor, to help turn in ( I think to about 6 degrees negative) on my comp safari racer. Due to the design of my frame, the radius arms are horizontal at ride height, so diff pinion angles weren't an issue. I built a jig, cut the flanges off with a very thin slitting disc where they have been welded on, took the case out of the jig, and did the weld prep on both peices, so that I had a good V, and then put the case back in the jig, rotated it to were I wanted it, tacked the flanges back on and then fully welded with a root and then 2 capping runs.

Since you've already cut the mounts for radius arms etc off, it will be even easier to get the diff pointing in the right direction, and still get some caster on the swivels. Including the time to strip the axle and rebuild it, including hosing it out to clear any grinding dust etc, the whole job only took a morning, and I'd do it on any lifted vehicle to keep the handling okay.

The only thing to watch is the relative positions of the panhard rod and the drag link to ensure that you don't start introducing bump steer (keep them parallel) as the wheel end of the drag link will effectively be lifted on the end of it's arm, which buggers things up nicely (ask me how I found out )

Hope that helps,

Toby

[oddballrovers]

I cut the ends off the axle and rotated them to give more castor, to help turn in ( I think to about 6 degrees negative) on my comp safari racer. Due to the design of my frame, the radius arms are horizontal at ride height, so diff pinion angles weren't an issue. I built a jig, cut the flanges off with a very thin slitting disc where they have been welded on, took the case out of the jig, and did the weld prep on both peices, so that I had a good V, and then put the case back in the jig, rotated it to were I wanted it, tacked the flanges back on and then fully welded with a root and then 2 capping runs.

Since you've already cut the mounts for radius arms etc off, it will be even easier to get the diff pointing in the right direction, and still get some caster on the swivels. Including the time to strip the axle and rebuild it, including hosing it out to clear any grinding dust etc, the whole job only took a morning, and I'd do it on any lifted vehicle to keep the handling okay.

The only thing to watch is the relative positions of the panhard rod and the drag link to ensure that you don't start introducing bump steer (keep them parallel) as the wheel end of the drag link will effectively be lifted on the end of it's arm, which buggers things up nicely (ask me how I found out )

Hope that helps,

Toby

Hi Toby.

That cleared quite a few things, now I know why to run a a larger negative Castor.

My Truck is a leafer a 1969 LWT so I have no radius arms but the principles are the same I gues.

Regards

Ole.

[oddballrovers]

Hi Folks.

Astro Al do mention one off my worries the oiling off the pinion, but how much is too much, is 2" oki or am I then already in trouble? or is there room for even more wich would be great.

Re. Propshaft angles I have once been told that the drive flanges off the prop was best keet parallel otherwise strange wibes would arise.

Anybody got any knowledge on this ??

Kind regards

Ole.

[Steve Hiatt]

Ole

You are right that the flange angles are critical, there are a couple of combinations that work and a fair bit available via Google.

On my racer I cut and turned the axle ends, at a later date I need more clearance for the starter so cut in a different place to turn the diff nose down. No problem with a strong jig. I didn't worry about flange angles as I thought a starter motor was more important, and the prop didn't vibrate.

[bill van snorkle]

Hi Folks.

Re. Propshaft angles I have once been told that the drive flanges off the prop was best keet parallel otherwise strange wibes would arise.

Anybody got any knowledge on this ??

Kind regards

Ole.

The flanges don't have to be parralell, and on the front of a standard coiler they are not. I have had success with various modified swb vehicles by tilting the diffs up so that the relative angle between the flanges and the propshaft tube was equal. of course the height of the oil level plug must be raised accordingly.

Bill.

[oddballrovers]

The flanges don't have to be parralell, and on the front of a standard coiler they are not. I have had success with various modified swb vehicles by tilting the diffs up so that the relative angle between the flanges and the propshaft tube was equal. of course the height of the oil level plug must be raised accordingly.

Bill.

Hi Bill

Just what I thought off, but then this parallel thing stroke me!! When you say alter the oil level "hole" do you mean to keep a higher than std level or do you mean just to keep the std level ?

I have thought about if it is not possible to make some kind off "thrower" thing that will throw oil on the front pinion bearing IE two small "flaps" on the pinion 1x1 cm and a small angel placed so that they are below the normal oil level or is it not to wory about as long as one keeps the level std?

Regards

Ole.

[bill van snorkle]

Hi Bill

Just what I thought off, but then this parallel thing stroke me!! When you say alter the oil level "hole" do you mean to keep a higher than std level or do you mean just to keep the std level ?

I have thought about if it is not possible to make some kind off "thrower" thing that will throw oil on the front pinion bearing IE two small "flaps" on the pinion 1x1 cm and a small angel placed so that they are below the normal oil level or is it not to wory about as long as one keeps the level std?

Regards

Ole.

With Rover type diffs Ole I have found the standard level (quantity of oil ) to be sufficient. Salisbury's and Dana 60's like to roast their outer pinion bearings when tilted unless approx an extra litre is added.

Volvo portals used a piece of shaped tube fitted to the pinion bearing oil gallery that scraped oil off the outer surface of the crownwheel to feed the pinion bearings. Maybe something similar is worth a try.

Bill.