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Differential Blues


Marten

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HO Hum! Disco 1 rebuild going well but sadly discovered rear axle diff pinion tail bearing has failed. I really don't have the time or equipment to rebuild a diff. Does anyone know if a later, used, 24 spline diff will fit my 1992 "10 spline" axle case and more importantly whether the 24 spline half shafts will fit my fully refitted "10 spline" hubs without modification? Cheers!

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Do your 10 spline shafts have an oil seal race about 4 or so inches inboard of the drive flange? if yes then 24 spline shafts should fit, if the answer is no then you would be needing to change you hub assemblies because they're different lenghths and the stubs are different bore.

Hope this helps, Steve

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Hmm! Conflicting advice!

Most of the components for Early/Late hubs are identical and stub shaft outer diameters are the same (same bearings). Only the hub oil sealing arrangement was changed as I understand it. There can only be a problem with the later halfshafts if the diameter has been increased and exceeds the early stub axle bore at any point or if the overall length is different. If it has been done successfully as suggested then I'm inclined to go for it.

My 10 spline (damaged) halfshafts are parallel for the whole length. No oil seal surface, but no corresponding halfshaft oil seal is shown on the parts list for the 24 spline axle. Are we talking about different things here?

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Hmm! Conflicting advice!

Most of the components for Early/Late hubs are identical and stub shaft outer diameters are the same (same bearings). Only the hub oil sealing arrangement was changed as I understand it. There can only be a problem with the later halfshafts if the diameter has been increased and exceeds the early stub axle bore at any point or if the overall length is different. If it has been done successfully as suggested then I'm inclined to go for it.

My 10 spline (damaged) halfshafts are parallel for the whole length. No oil seal surface, but no corresponding halfshaft oil seal is shown on the parts list for the 24 spline axle. Are we talking about different things here?

Then you have early Non Oil seal shafts, and as such the later oil seal type shafts are too short. This is becuase you have wide stub axles not short type, you also will have imperial Hubs with wide flanges. These liong shafts were only made as 10 spline from the factory, you can get after marker shafts the longer lengths you need but 24/24 each end spline wise

Nige

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Early and late Hub assemblies are very different. Early stub axles are alot wider than late and some have a smaller internal diameter as i said earlier ie the 'bore'. wheel bearings are further apart. If you wanna go ahead and shove some shafts in coz someone else has managed it then go for it! but if you have a different configuration (as you have comfirmed) then you run the risk of the oil seal race on the 24 spline shafts friction welding itself to the inside of the stub axle, if of course you can get the splines engaged due to the length difference.

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Well, many thanks to all those who replied and it gave me enough confidence to go ahead and procure a 24 spline Diff and matching half shafts.

Here are the relevant facts.

The 24 spline half shafts are 3mm shorter than the 10 spline half shafts. Spline engagement at the Diff is just over 30mm so about 10% reduction in engagement length & a proportionate reduction in maximum torque transmission. I suspect Landrover designed in a large safety factor so probably ok for "normal" use.

The outside diameter of the half shafts is the same except where the 24 spline halfshaft diameter is increased locally to suit the stub shaft oil seal. This measures 32mm o/d. The early stub shaft bore measures 31.5mm i/d, so the later half shafts will not fit the early stub shaft without modification. I will carefully grind the stubshaft oilseal collar on the 24 spline halfshafts to reduce the diameter so that they are clear of the early stub shaft bores.

The drive flanges on the 24 spline half shafts are 5mm thinner than the 10 spline flanges, so flange bolts need to be 5mm shorter to suit.

The later Diff will probably have a three flange Diff to Propshaft fitting to suit the later rubber coupling. Choice is to backfit the four bolt flange from the early diff (oil seal and all other relevant bits are common), or go the whole hog and fit a later propshaft with the rubber joint. I plan to do the latter.

Job done! My thanks again to all!

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Well, many thanks to all those who replied and it gave me enough confidence to go ahead and procure a 24 spline Diff and matching half shafts.

Here are the relevant facts.

The 24 spline half shafts are 3mm shorter than the 10 spline half shafts. Spline engagement at the Diff is just over 30mm so about 10% reduction in engagement length & a proportionate reduction in maximum torque transmission. I suspect Landrover designed in a large safety factor so probably ok for "normal" use.

The outside diameter of the half shafts is the same except where the 24 spline halfshaft diameter is increased locally to suit the stub shaft oil seal. This measures 32mm o/d. The early stub shaft bore measures 31.5mm i/d, so the later half shafts will not fit the early stub shaft without modification. I will carefully grind the stubshaft oilseal collar on the 24 spline halfshafts to reduce the diameter so that they are clear of the early stub shaft bores.

The drive flanges on the 24 spline half shafts are 5mm thinner than the 10 spline flanges, so flange bolts need to be 5mm shorter to suit.

The later Diff will probably have a three flange Diff to Propshaft fitting to suit the later rubber coupling. Choice is to backfit the four bolt flange from the early diff (oil seal and all other relevant bits are common), or go the whole hog and fit a later propshaft with the rubber joint. I plan to do the latter.

Job done! My thanks again to all!

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Not quite sure why my last post is shown twice, but it just goes to show that you can easily be doubly wrong!

It's humble pie time! After carefully grinding the 24 tooth half shaft so that it fits through the early stub shaft bore it is immediately obvious that the later half shaft drive flange is too shallow to accomodate the protruding end of the early stub shaft. The 10 spline flange is much deeper.

So, it doesn't matter about any of the other variables. It is impossible to backfit a late 24 spline Diff to an early 10 spline axle. Anyone want a useless butchered 24 spline halfshaft? End of saga!

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Having been thwarted at evey turn so far, I imagined that a straight stub-shaft change would bring in another set of problems. Interesting that you think it is possible. Having welded a long list of new brackets to my early case, and having installed it in the vehicle (just for moral support- the back end welding/panel replacement is done and I just have bodywork forward of the footwells to go!)it would be nice just to swop the stubshafts and hubs and keep the case in place.

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