Drive hub/flange/member

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

^^

Then those shafts are early RR ones non oil seal 978 and 703mm

Too long, dependant on your axle you can't fit the wide hubs that should be with the

shafts, the type of flange you have are poor, better to use a Ashcroft Hubs, then you don't need

the circlip groove, and you can machine down with lathe.

Make sure you have enough spline in the diff fully engaged, and you may need to pack the inside of the hubs (ashcroifts)

to stop the shafts "Floating" and thus moving out of diffs with lower amounts of engagement

HTH

Nige

[Chrissyg]

^^

Then those shafts are early RR ones non oil seal 978 and 703mm

Too long, dependant on your axle you can't fit the wide hubs that should be with the

shafts, the type of flange you have are poor, better to use a Ashcroft Hubs, then you don't need

the circlip groove, and you can machine down with lathe.

Make sure you have enough spline in the diff fully engaged, and you may need to pack the inside of the hubs (ashcroifts)

to stop the shafts "Floating" and thus moving out of diffs with lower amounts of engagement

HTH

Nige

Now that Nige, is a plan! I can't afford the Ashcroft ones, would these do the job instead:

http://www.paddockspares.com/pp/DEFENDER/Axle/Heavy_duty_drive_flanges_-_pair_-_front_axle_from_LA930456.html

Could you explain why I wouldn't need the circlip groove? Surely it's there to stop the shaft going too far into the diff and without it, the shaft could move into the diff too far?

EDIT: The other issue is that I can't get the hub close enough to the axle as the splines end before the hub can make contact with the axle face. As a result, either the splines at the hub end need extending, or the diff end needs shortening. I don't see how shortening the hub end will cure this?

Thank you very much for the tips!

Edited February 2, 2011 by Chrissyg

[Bowie69]

Don't muck about with fancy machining... if the splines on the diff end are long enough (you should be able to see how far they went in from a wear marking), lop ~15mm off with an angle grinder, smooth it off nicely and fettle the splines with a file if needed

Honestly, they are big lumps of metal, not precision engineering, I wouldn't get too pretty about making sure they are lathed off neatly.

Bodger?

Me?

Nah

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Yes, those would do but are poorer metal / treatment so expect spline engagement wear

Shafts - you need to see if you can reduce the spline length at the diff end so the shaft

moves in further, dependant on the length of the splines (they vary from manufactuer to manufactuer)

eventually you run out of splines and thus the shfats won't go in any further, reducing the length

at that end then means less engagement and gains nothing.

At the flange end same applies, reduce length but ensure flange will fully touch hub etc, the circlip

is not crucial, if the shaft can't move further into the diff then thats fine, and with a billet type cap shimmed it can't float out too much either

You just need to be sure that there is enough spline(s) to be removed to get it all to fit at diff and flange end, the other option is to go wide

drive flange type ends, and drill out the PCD slightly to allow them to fit metric hubs

Nige

[Bowie69]

I was very much under the impression that wide flanges will NOT fit, not just because of the PCD, but the fitment into the hub, they are also as hard a heat treated unobtanium...

Simplest solution, keep what you have, and chop the shaft down a bit. Given the gap you have, take 10 mm off and see how you get on, ideally you want it so that the flange sits home fully, and there's not too much of a gap between circlip and flange that needs shimming -my axles have no shims on the rear at all.

If you want to know how much spare spline you have to chop off at the diff end, then put some paint on a spline and push it home, should give a good indication

[Chrissyg]

I was very much under the impression that wide flanges will NOT fit, not just because of the PCD, but the fitment into the hub, they are also as hard a heat treated unobtanium...

Simplest solution, keep what you have, and chop the shaft down a bit. Given the gap you have, take 10 mm off and see how you get on, ideally you want it so that the flange sits home fully, and there's not too much of a gap between circlip and flange that needs shimming -my axles have no shims on the rear at all.

If you want to know how much spare spline you have to chop off at the diff end, then put some paint on a spline and push it home, should give a good indication

Thanks to both of you for your excellent advice. Can always count on a Landy owner to help you out when stuck eh?!

I think what I'll do for now is stick with the genuine hubs that I recently purchased, and take the new shaft to the University workshop tomorrow and see how I get on. There are some clear marks on the diff end to give an indication of how far I need to shorten it by, and it seems to be around 10mm. I'll take 5mm off, and see how I go. I'll report back. Thanks once again chaps!

[Chrissyg]

Well the Uni workshops were absolutely useless. Only had a hacksaw so it looks like I've got three options as far as I can see;

1. Nip to a tool shop and get a cutting disc for my angle grinder, cut the shaft down a bit and see how it fits - risk of ruining the shaft and £20 down the drain and yet more money on the disc.

2. Dismantle what I've got and replace them with Disco/Range Rover one piece shafts (yet more money on what SHOULD have been a simple cheap job, silly me - it's a Landy!).

3. Run the risk of my current half shaft splines going at the hub end, and replace with a new axle over the summer sometime.

What would you do?

Cheers

[Bowie69]

Cut it down by 10mm

If you run with a worn shaft and new flange, you run the risk of ruining the new flange... the shafts you have look very good, so £20 well spent, a cutting disc will only be another £1....