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Front axle and trailing arms what will fit


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Hi, today my replacement front axle casing arrived. The good thing it's new, the bad thing they supplied me with STC4291 in stead of the FRC4307 (Defender / narrow radius arms).

Main difference:

- this axle has air suspension brackets fitted

- it's using the wider radius arms (brackets)

post-2702-128022164702_thumb.jpg

The question, will it fit my 1989 127 / 110 chassis and suspension if I just upgrade to wider radius arms or are there more problems / differences?

Cheers

Marco

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Hi, today my replacement front axle casing arrived. The good thing it's new, the bad thing they supplied me with STC4291 in stead of the FRC4307 (Defender / narrow radius arms).

Main difference:

- this axle has air suspension brackets fitted

- it's using the wider radius arms (brackets)

post-2702-128022164702_thumb.jpg

The question, will it fit my 1989 127 / 110 chassis and suspension if I just upgrade to wider radius arms or are there more problems / differences?

Cheers

Marco

As nicks90 says, I'd ask for the proper one firstly. but that will proabaly entaile faff and delay.

As far as that one is concerned it should fit - have you got the old case to chack your dimensions of spring mounts etc, to check?

STC4291 - from LRseries is for RRC... I'm guessing you paid through the nose for it too...!

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LRSeries shoes this FTC3121 which supersedes the number you have says it's for Applicable Models:

Range Rover Classic vin JA610294 on

no mention of Defender or 90/110 models.

who supplied it ?

can't see why it wouldn't fit with the correct radius arms, the hole is in the spring seat for the shock absorber bottom attachment.

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At this stage they deny being wrong... in a normal world you would expect kind of customer service. They offered me a refund, will see what happens... It's however not my preferred solution as I did order the axle casing as the main part and added a lot of other axle parts to the order because of the shipping costs to Holland.

Price has been OK for the casing only.

But I might have to spend more money to get it sorted with wider trailing arms but no clue if this casing will fit at all.

e.g. will the (after market) 3 degree camber correction radius arms fit a Defender with standard spring (height)? Or just only suitable for off road use and raised vehicles?

Cheers

Marco

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on standard springs there won't be any need for castor corrected arms, only if raised more than 2 inches from standard.

OK, but will they (the camber corrected ones) do any harm on standard height? I will probably have to get some wider arms either 2nd hand or new... the new ones supplied are mostly the 3 degree ones..

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A pair of 300tdi defender or disco trailing arms should sort it out.

Does it have swivel balls etc?

If it doesnt, you'd need to check the older swivels will fit it, or convert to the later swivels too. Just check if the gaskets are the same.

It doesnt look like the air suspension brackets are an issue, just gives an additional shocker mounting point out front. The OE mounting holes are still there, as ralph says.

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OK, but will they (the camber corrected ones) do any harm on standard height? I will probably have to get some wider arms either 2nd hand or new... the new ones supplied are mostly the 3 degree ones..

Second hand ones are 10 a penny, don't get castor corrected ones, you will be putting your new chassis-end bushes under strain the whole time without a lift. They will also make the steering heavier.

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OK, but will they (the camber corrected ones) do any harm on standard height? I will probably have to get some wider arms either 2nd hand or new... the new ones supplied are mostly the 3 degree ones..

don't know. never tried it, but suspect it wouldn't be very god to drive, castor is set by the swivels on the axle IIRC, it's not normally adjustable on a beam live axle.

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Camber is the amount by which the wheels lean in or out laterally to the vehicle- not much on a landy IIRC!. This can only be changed by fitting modified swivels (but why would you want to?)

Caster is the amount by which the axis of the swivel bearings is offset from vertical in front of the tyre / road contact point. This can be changed either by lifting the front suspension (worse), rotating the swivel housings on the axle ends by re-drilling and so forth (better or worse depending) or by fitting radius arms that have been built to produce a different Caster Angle (better).

Good (if long) guide

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Thanks, so no corrected radius arms for me :) ... will try to get some 2nd hand standard ones this side.

I've just checked and the hole pattern for the swivels is the same so no problems with fitting my swivels. Not sure if there are any (half shaft) bearings & seals fitted into the axle casing (can not find in my part catalogue) but presume there must be a bearing or seal inside the axle casing end?

If springs and radius arms are all at the same chassis width than I guess this casing will fit if I do have the correct radius arms.

The only other thing beside the air susp. brackets is the +/- 2cm thick extension/washer for the radius arm bush & bolt welded onto the axle. No clue if that's standard or not as my old narrow radius arm axle does not have such a reinforcement.

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) but presume there must be a bearing or seal inside the axle casing end?

There are no seals in the actual casing par say. There is a seal fitted to the inside of the swivel ball (it kinda acts as the axle case oil seal) and then another one on the inside of the stub axle. These are the only 2 oil seals that seal to the drive shaft.

post-20087-128023276757_thumb.jpg

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The only other thing beside the air susp. brackets is the +/- 2cm thick extension/washer for the radius arm bush & bolt welded onto the axle. No clue if that's standard or not as my old narrow radius arm axle does not have such a reinforcement.

Is this something to do with a front anti role bar linkage at all?

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You sure that reinforcement isn't an anti-roll bar mount? they are held by what looks like two ball joints joined to look like a dog bone...

No it's just a tick piece of steel / washer where the radius arm bush bolt is fitted. My bolts do fit but are 5mm short to take the full nylock. There are separate brackets for the anti roll bar.

Does anybody know if Discovery Series 1 3000Tdi wide radius arm are similar to Defender 300Tdi? I think yes looking at part numbers for replacement kits... anybody to confirm?

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Ah, when you say 2" thick, you mean 2" diameter? In which case, yes it is normal on a later axle (both RRCs I have had had them), and yes, you will need longer bolts...

TBH, I would send them photos of the differences and part numbers and get them to replace with what you asked for!

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Ah, when you say 2" thick, you mean 2" diameter? In which case, yes it is normal on a later axle (both RRCs I have had had them), and yes, you will need longer bolts...

TBH, I would send them photos of the differences and part numbers and get them to replace with what you asked for!

2cm thick, see my image of the bolt (at LH side) which is fitted but is not long enough.

post-2702-128025044791_thumb.jpg

So far the supplier did offer me a refund on the casing, supplying the right part is probably to difficult or to expensive. A refund is however not my preferred solution as I planned a quick axle swap using my existing axle parts. Now I might have to search for an alternative casing or try to fit this axle using some extra bits like the wider radius arms...

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Marco

D2 radius arm to axle bolts are M16 x 100mm part ANR5804

the nuts are M16 Nyloc ANR3140

HTH :D

Thanks. I checked the bolt length needed just now but 100mm is to short (100mm = standard length for radius arm bolt, see my picture). Guess it should be a M16 x 110-120 mm but so far I can not find a LR parts shop listing that length.

Cheers

Marco

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Tha is the only number for D2 radius arms to axle bolts, no alternatives given in microcat for D2 with or without air suspension.

radius arm to chassis bolt is --- BOLT - SPECIAL - Part No. RDI100031, but I can't find a length for it.

maybe these are what you need

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That is the only number for D2 radius arms to axle bolts, no alternatives given in microcat for D2 with or without air suspension.

radius arm to chassis bolt is --- BOLT - SPECIAL - Part No. RDI100031, but I can't find a length for it.

maybe these are what you need

Thanks again, guess it's a bit of an obsolete part... searching the part number does not show size etc. Not sure if any standard 8.8 gauge steel M16 x 110/112 bolt will be strong enough for this application... my 'Paddocks' bolt do not have a rating. So to be continued... next weekend I might start on the front axle project incl. the wide radius arms...

Cheers

Marco

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RDI100031 is for the chassis end of the radius arms on a D2, they're different to Discos/Defenders, in that they attach like the rear trailing arms.

There is a BX116221 listed for RRC 1992-1994 only, doesnt have a length, but the description says "long"

(edit: another website says the BX116221 is M16x110, so its probably the one you need)

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RDI100031 is for the chassis end of the radius arms on a D2, they're different to Discos/Defenders, in that they attach like the rear trailing arms.

There is a BX116221 listed for RRC 1992-1994 only, doesnt have a length, but the description says "long"

(edit: another website says the BX116221 is M16x110, so its probably the one you need)

That does sound like the right part number and part... found this one listing M16x110 Land Rover Classic Parts

Thanks

Marco

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