Michele Posted March 15, 2006 Author Share Posted March 15, 2006 Both swivel housings now fully stripped and ready to get a coat of paint and new seals. Hopefully the Cube will get surgery on Sat the 25th... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted March 30, 2006 Author Share Posted March 30, 2006 The progress so far (so slow)... ...these are the LR parts I'm going to fit,stripped and (almost) cleaned,scrubbing and repainting are planned during the weekend ('nuff said): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 [10 days later] It's done. The Cube got CVs. Important things first: a big THANK YOU to my friend Ben (isuzurover) who've been of invaluable help. I'm waiting to get the photos he took with his digital camera so to finish this thread. We started roughly at 9am and finished at 6pm,no stop but for a coffee and a guided tour in a nearby workshop... I "think" I am now the proud owner of the first Longfielded Defender in Italy... ...maybe Europe? The truck rides as well as ever. I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isuzurover Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Happy to help Michele, now I know how to do mine... We learn't a lot about Land Rover tolerances. One stub axle could fit the CV stub through, one needed boring. 0.2mm difference in bore diameter between them... We also learnt that between 1986 and 1997, LR changed their caliper bolts from M12 course to M12 fine. And thanks for showing me all the cool stuff in Mario's race engine building workshop. Here are the first pictures from his workshop... will post some more later. http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/...pic.php?t=71684 And here are some pics of the longfield install, to tide you over until Michele posts more up. http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/...pic.php?t=71688 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro_Al Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Well done guys - great to see this conversion finally filtering into Europe! Michele - you gonna do a kit for this? Cheers, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 Well done guys - great to see this conversion finally filtering into Europe!Michele - you gonna do a kit for this? Hello Al,I am so happy it's finally over you wouldn't believe Things could have been easier but I wanted those oil-type swivels,ya know... Sure,I'm gonna sell (well,my boss will,actually!) a drop-in kit for those who don't have a lathe in their kitchen and a basic kit for those who want to play machining. I will reply those who contacted me since I started this thread during the week. Ballpark price should be 1600 Euros...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isuzurover Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Hello Al,I am so happy it's finally over you wouldn't believe Things could have been easier but I wanted those oil-type swivels,ya know... Sure,I'm gonna sell (well,my boss will,actually!) a drop-in kit for those who don't have a lathe in their kitchen and a basic kit for those who want to play machining. I will reply those who contacted me since I started this thread during the week. Ballpark price should be 1600 Euros...? Michele told me that there will be a bolt in kit containing: 2x New stub axles machined to suit longfields with bronze bushes fitted 2x Longfields 2x Inner halfshafts 2x 30 spline drive flanges (and maybe some other bits?). Fitting this kit will be no harder than changing your cvs and stub axles - probably only a 2 hours work. The DIY kit will contain: 2x Bronze bushes 2x Longfields 2x Inner halfshafts Full instructions for stub-axle machining To fit this kit you will need access to a lathe with a boring bar long enough to bore the stub-axles. Or a big pile of spare stub axles so you can find some that don't need boring (but will still need machining to fit the bushes). For this installation, it only took about 30 mins to bore one stub axle by 0.2mm, machine both stub axles, fit the bushes. We also bored the swivel balls, but that is not really necessary unless you are fitting a toyota diff as well (so have halfshafts that are 1.3" all the way along), but while we had the swivels off we thought we might as well do it. Please correct me if any of that is wrong Michele. These CVs are unquestionably the strongest (currently available) CVs that can be fitted inside coiler chrome balls. They are now probably the strongest part of Michele's drive train, instead of being the weakest on most Land Rovers. Also, if anyone can manage to do the impossible and break one, they have a replacement warranty if broken. I should add that I have no financial or other interest in this whatsoever, apart from helping Michele keep his job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 And a CV on your bookshelf Thanks Ben. Some photos for the thread,the digital camera is definitely handy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Wow Michelle, that's almost as good as porn! No, sorry, it's better than porn!!!! just a thought, would milling out the stub axles weaken them at all? or is it so minimal (must be as some of the factory finish ones have enough clearance for the new shafts) that there is no strength change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Wow Michelle, that's almost as good as porn!No, sorry, it's better than porn!!!! You obviously haven't tried the bubble wrap/wet suit 'thing'. Don't mention it to SiWhite, he appears to have an unhealthy interest in it as well! Les. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro_Al Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Wow Michelle, that's almost as good as porn!No, sorry, it's better than porn!!!! just a thought, would milling out the stub axles weaken them at all? or is it so minimal (must be as some of the factory finish ones have enough clearance for the new shafts) that there is no strength change? Yeah, as you say, if some already have that diameter and it's just tolerance, any strength reduction is negligible. Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Wow Michelle, that's almost as good as porn!No, sorry, it's better than porn!!!! just a thought, would milling out the stub axles weaken them at all? or is it so minimal (must be as some of the factory finish ones have enough clearance for the new shafts) that there is no strength change? Hello Jim! We just missed a Playmate to wipe the tools,that would be the cherry on the cake As to the weakness... As Ben kindly explained, We learn't a lot about Land Rover tolerances. One stub axle could fit the CV stub through, one needed boring. 0.2mm difference in bore diameter between them... The amount of material removed was silly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isuzurover Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Jim, as Michele said above, we only bored one stub axle (of the two that were factory fitted to Michele's '97 90). So the amount we shaved off was less than the tolerances during stub axle manufacturing. There are probably 50 or so vehicles with this conversion in OZ (not all using cro-mo longfields though), and I don't know of any that have broken stub axles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isuzurover Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Someone mentioned instructions: (1) Dismantle front end - remove drive flanges, calipers, hubs, stub axles, then CV & inner halfshaft complete. (2) Clean stub axles for machining (3) Check if longfield will fit through stub, if so, no boring is required (4) remove bronze bush and bearing (new type stub axle) (5) machine back of stub-axle to specified dimension (5.6mm) - Michele can post some pics to explain this - and cut a chamfer so bush can be fitted. Remove oil seal from inside (if fitted) and throw away. (6) bore stub axle (if needed) (7) press NEW bronze bush into stub axle (8) fit NEW halfshafts onto LONGFIELD CVs (9) fit halfshaft/CV into axle (10) refit all other components as per normal, fitting NEW 30 spline drive flanges (can re-use old circlip on the longfields). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 naa, that's why Ben moved to Germany I thought it was the beer! Maybe this thread could be archived? The title I choosed is not exactly crystal clear...erm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Hi I am new to this forum that's been introduced to me by Michele. I would like to tell 'MJG' that the Toyota parts are not the best you can have. I have formerly had Land Rover axles with Jack Macnamara shafts and Toyota CVs, with Simex 34"........I have broken 3 CVs - and that is with a Tdi low power engine. I have now tried a different set up. I have Volvo C303 axles (portal) with a hub reduction of 2.11 :1 on Simex 36"and i hope that this will keep me from breaking the CVs. I have tried the vehicle in a competition in Trapani and it goes through the deep mud that others with the 'normal' axles srugle to get through with the winch. But time will tell whether i have made the right modification as it is still new to me. P.S. Michele....where do you get such CVs and custom axles? can you metion the supplier please? Regards Josef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Please excuse my ignorance.....Is LONGFIELD the manufacturer of these CVs and axles? Is there a web site that i can visit to learn more? Thanks Josef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 http://longfieldsuperaxles.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush65 Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 ...I would like to tell 'MJG' that the Toyota parts are not the best you can have.I have formerly had Land Rover axles with Jack Macnamara shafts and Toyota CVs, with Simex 34"........I have broken 3 CVs... We are not talking about stock Toyota cv's here. These cv's are manufactured from much stronger materials than the stock cv's - 4340 bells and 300M stars and cages. The bell and star have been re-designed to maximise the strength when operating at large steering angles. They are stronger than the 4340 axles/halfshafts and the crownwheel and pinion used in the diff. You said, you have broken 3 cv's. In Australia, others have broken that many stock cv's in a single event, and can break them at any time they choose. But now they rarely if ever break these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Well done Michele/Ben. Nice to see another option being used in Europe and if you're not going portals it certainly looks a good one. Have you still got the rover/arb diff in the front or did this have to be swaped for a Toy unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Trev he is still using his Rover ARB centre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Thanks for all the information. I will contact them to get their price list and further information on their products. Josef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 18, 2006 Author Share Posted April 18, 2006 Hi there, sorry I went off for the Easter holiday and just came back,and I'm catching up with mails and new posts... John and Tony summed it up well. As to the Volvo portal conversion,a mate originally fitted 303s to his 90...a couple of years ago already? (IIRC), I am well aware of the conversion...there are pros and cons as with everything. One for all (at least here in Italy) you can't fit them unless you have the truck re-registered and checked out at the local MoT station,and the legal process is a true PITA. This doesn't apply if you live in a "free" country as UK...AFAIK...or Malta,I guess?? Alternatively you need a trailer and another truck... The Toy conversion allows me to use the front locker 100% and to run bigger tyres (should I,choice is restricted here as well),all in a stealth package ,so no hassle at all. The Volvo conversion is nice sure B) I have tried the vehicle in a competition in Trapani "Trapani in the mud" challenge? I have a couple of pics of a green 90 with a ripped off 303 rear axle... Mate of yours...? Thanks for all the information. I will contact them to get their price list and further information on their products.Josef I'm the European distributor for these parts. You can PM me here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josef Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Hi Michele Yes that's mine. I fitted the axels the week previous to going to Sicily and i used standard LR arms. The photo was not during the event in Trapani but at Parco Dei Nebrodi where i had tried a steep uphill with too much throtle and the LR just took off verticaly and landed back on the rear axle, snapping the rear arms (tie bars) in two and the rear axle moved forward right next to the front one. It was quite a job to fix the car on the spot, but i managed in just less than an hour. I have now fixed this problem and i am still learning how to drive the new beast. I am aware of you strict regulations in Italy and you are right in doing the TOY conversion............I taught that you had to have the tyre size specified on the loog book too! What part of Italy are you in? Would you like to have some visitors from Malta to do some Offroad in your area with you and your friend? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 1)(...)I taught that you had to have the tyre size specified on the loog book too!2)What part of Italy are you in? Would you like to have some visitors from Malta to do some Offroad in your area with you and your friend? Thanks Hello there! 1)Yup,and it's a curse. 2)Northern Italy! I think it would be quite a trip for you guys? I'd like to meet you guys...wheeling is tolerated here and there,but we should really consider Piemonte-Liguria or Emilia,and have things organized well in advance... P.S. Nothing extreme,mind you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts