flatback90 Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 i'm in the middle of building a series 3 with a 200tdi disco lump and an defender lt77 behind it. my intention is to put free wheeling hubs on the front so that the front driveshaft knuckles are not under load for road use, however in a rare moment of clarity i relaised that the lt77 would have to be in difflock all the time..... what are the long term effects of running in difflock all the time? are there any? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 the LT77 doesn't have a difflock, it's in the transfer box LT230, you could keep the Series transferbox & the existing 2wd/4wd system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmattley Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 You could get a kit from Ashcroft that changes the central diff from locking to 2wd and 4wd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatback90 Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 sorry should have been more clear it also has the lt230 on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 I wouldn't run a LT230 in difflock all the time, the kit mentioned above would remove the problem or keep the front axle & find out if fit 90 or 110 driveshafts/CV joints will fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Dont run it that way as its horrible, loads of back lash from the center diff, i tried it and resorted to a stage 1 v8 axle. Alternatively buy an ashcroft kit or do it yourself by some welding and machine work. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 At least one person on here running an LT230 in full-time 4x4 with Series axles quite happily. I fitted the 2WD kit to mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Use the Series box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Use the Series box? It's much weaker than the LT230 and requires an expensive adapter kit to make it fit an LT77/R380. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 I run the LT230 in full time 4wd with a standard series front axle. You get a small amount of kick back through the steering when at full lock on the road but thats all. IMHO free wheeling hubs have no place on a landrover. Take them off and throw them away. I've been through the Ashcroft etc kits using the series transfer box and the LT230 is a far and away better unit - fit and forget. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatback90 Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 think i'll try it with the lt230 and see what happens thanks for the informative replies lads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 Any pictures you can post would be most appreciated as I'm planning on going down a similar route, so just seeing how the gearbox fits etc would be great! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Nothing to do with me, but is this any interest : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Land-Rover-Series-3-Stage-1-Front-Axle-/150480512502?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handy_Andy Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Has anyone got any pictures of an lt77 gear box in a series 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jericho Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Has anyone got any pictures of an lt77 gear box in a series 3? lt77 in a 2a - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difflock Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Did you move the entire engine and gearbox assembly forward Jericho? Or did you settle for a shorter rear propshaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon White Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 That'll be shorter rear prop as the gear levers come out in exactly the same place in mine. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difflock Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Is yours a SWB or LWB... Because I was told that in a SWB the rear propshaft becomes too short... Or is it OK as long as you have wide angle UJ's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 It's much weaker than the LT230 and requires an expensive adapter kit to make it fit an LT77/R380. The Series gear box is certainly weaker than the LT77 or R380, but I have never heard of a broken Series transfer box, regardless of what engine is turning it or what idiot is driving it. I don't think transfer box reliability is a problem, but your point about the expense of the adaptor kit is entirely accurate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difflock Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 I think the point of the adaptor kit to mate the series transfer box to a LT77 is so you retain the 2wd, the 4 high and 4 low as the vehicle was designed for. I know many run the series front axle on the LT230 transfer box in 4wd, and have no issues. But no one can argue really that the series front axle (excluding the Stage 1 axle) was not designed to run permanent 4wd. Thats why the later axles and the stage one had CV's not UJ's. And I know you can convert a LT230 to 2wd and then 4wd difflocked. Its what I would be tempted to do, if I pop my gearbox behind the 200TDI.... Does that kit then give you 2 low? And are the kits improved from when there was a thread on this forum about the quality of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobotMan Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 The Series gear box is certainly weaker than the LT77 or R380, but I have never heard of a broken Series transfer box, regardless of what engine is turning it or what idiot is driving it. I don't think transfer box reliability is a problem, but your point about the expense of the adaptor kit is entirely accurate! I can describe the kind of idiot lol! I was doing donuts in 2wd with the back axle ARB locked and Special Tracks. Stripped the input and intermediate gears! It was however one of Ashcrofts Hi-Ratio units. Strangely he wouldn't replace it under warranty, something to do with it being 14 years old lol! I would like to run 2wd or 4wd in mine when I finally get it done but I won't as permanent 4wd makes it less likely I'll pop something in a moment of madness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 And I know you can convert a LT230 to 2wd and then 4wd difflocked. Its what I would be tempted to do, if I pop my gearbox behind the 200TDI.... Does that kit then give you 2 low? And are the kits improved from when there was a thread on this forum about the quality of it? The LT230 2x4 kit gives you the same setup as the Series box - the hi/low works the same and the difflock (side to side lever) becomes RWD/4WD. Works nicely, I've done thousands of miles and a few donuts on mine now behind the 4.6 and it hasn't complained. I may be swapping transfer boxes shortly, so if I do a stripdown I'll post anything interesting. The kit is irritating mainly because you're paying for a couple of free-wheeling hubs you don't need. You could DIY it for very cheap by welding an output gear to the central spider and sourcing a bearing or bushing for the front output shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difflock Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Will Ashcroft sell just the conversion parts, without the hubs? Because that would be cheaper.... I will see how my series box holds up, but if it breaks, I will most likely get a LT77 with LT230 transfer and then convert to 2wd/4wd... Am I right in thinking that it gives you: 2wd High 2wd Low 4wd high difflocked 4wd low difflocked (So basically a series setup with 2wd low added?) Its the defender 200tdi lt77 I would need, isnt it? For the shorter bell housing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 You can't buy just the conversion bits separately, believe me, I had even less use for them as I'm not even running LR axles Am I right in thinking that it gives you: 2wd High 2wd Low 4wd high difflocked 4wd low difflocked Yep. Its the defender 200tdi lt77 I would need, isnt it? For the shorter bell housing? If you're fitting a 200TDi then yes. Gear shifter in correct place & bellhousing / input gear correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
difflock Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Thats annoying... And a bit unfair really.... Oh well. Thought I was right with which lt77 and what the conversion gives you... I must admit, the 2wd low is a tempting idea No idea why, probably wouldnt get used much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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