101 Double Carden Front Driveshaft

[garrycol]

Hi,

Has anyone fitted a double carden front driveshaft to their 101. If so what was the impact on noise and vibration.

Thanks

Garry

[bill van snorkle]

Gary, theoretically if a propshaft has a double cardan, or any other type of cv joint at only one end, then the single U joint at the other end should be within 3 degrees of straight or you won't get constant velocity. This is not possible with a 101 front without pulling the axle tubes and tilting the diff up. If you are going to that trouble you may just as well tilt it up 17 degrees so that you can then run a standard propshaft with a single UJ at each end with the yokes out of phase as on coil Defenders, RRC's and Disco's.

IMO a propshaft with a double Cardan at both ends would quickly wear out the equalising ball and sockets when running at the severe angles that a standard 101 front propshaft does.

[garrycol]

Bill I hear and understand what you say but Disco 2s and Stage 1s do not have tilted front diffs and they have DC front shafts so maybe the reality vs the theory is something different.

Hence my post asking whether anyone with a 101 has put one in and what are their experiences.

If it was a simple matter of rotating the front diff I would try it but the cost of paying someone who knows what they are doing to do this is just not cost effective.

Cheers

Garry

[bill van snorkle]

My Stage One has 45 series Toyota diffs fitted, so unfortunately I can't confirm it, but I vaguely recall that Stage One front diffs were in fact tilted up when compared to 4 and 6 cyl Series front diffs.

I have personally done the diff tilting on 101's. that is how I came up with the 17 degree value. It's far from a simple job in practice, but I can assure you that it works.

[garrycol]

The stage 1 bit came up in discussion the other day and I asked a friend to climb under his stage 1 and Disco 2 to confirm. Interestingly his Stage 1 has the DC at the diff end and not the normal tfr case end.

Garry

[bill van snorkle]

The stage 1 bit came up in discussion the other day and I asked a friend to climb under his stage 1 and Disco 2 to confirm. Interestingly his Stage 1 has the DC at the diff end and not the normal tfr case end.

Garry

I'm theorising that with constant 4wd, having the double cardan joint at the diff end may have some merit. The theory being that the single UJ at the transfercase delivers drive to the double cardan joint at a non constant velocity, and the Double Cardan corrects that before drive reaches the diff.

I take it your friends front propshaft is fitted with a modified hilux Double Cardan, as the Stage one version require a much larger drive flange.

[garrycol]

I have no idea - but I assume not. I assume you are getting at that the normal LT95 end has a larger drive shaft flange where the front Rover diff end has a smaller drive shaft flange.

[bill van snorkle]

I have no idea - but I assume not. I assume you are getting at that the normal LT95 end has a larger drive shaft flange where the front Rover diff end has a smaller drive shaft flange.

Yes, the front transfercase output flange on a stage one t/case is much larger in diameter than for the RangeRover and 101 version. The front output shaft and housing are also a different length. I'm guessing your friends transmission has been fitted with a RangeRover transmissio at some stage, found there wasn't sufficient space for the Double Cardan, due to the longer front output, and decided to fit one to the diff end instead.