:bounce: :bounce2: :bounce: :bounce2: :bounce: :bounce2:

Unbelievable!!!!!

Went a saw an importer today (mostly ex army stuff) to look at some rockwell 2.5 tonne axles. He thought he had a couple of the rockwells but only had one front steer that already had the third member pulled.

The rockwell is an absolutely sweet axle. Man Im gonna get me some of these. You see them in the pics and think they are big and ugly but see one for real and they are the ultimate. Hes getting some more in 8 weeks so Ill get some then (they will cost me $1250AUS each for a steering axles). Also got some bitchen 20in tyres, some would be about 44in, next size up he had would be 48s and then he had some absolute monsters which would be 54s. Talk about tempting. Can buy the 48s for about $500 each (the 42 swampers cost $900) , shiat I might almost go for them and ditch the swampers.

But anyway I was looking for some more rockwells cause he was sure he had more of them (he would have about 100 complete axles all laying on the ground and the rockwells would be about the smallest axle he had there (OR SO I THOUGHT)

And what should I trip over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bloody front open knuckle Dana 60. HOLY SHIT. I couldnt believe my eyes.

The thing looked so tiny lying amoungst all the other monster axles (There was also a Rockwell 5 tonne rear axle and it looked small compared to the rest. Man he had some bloody huge axles there). So I say to him.

"how much do you want for that. Fair bit smaller than the rockwell but I could almost use it"

he says "what is it"

I say "dunno but it looks a bit bigger than the axles that I already got"

he says " oh its one of them salisbury axles"

I think "hes a rover dude" and say "oh yea, how much"

he says "$500"

I say "Ill take it!!!!"

he says "its got a brand new mate over here in a crate"

I say "really, I would take two of em if you got em"

So I have a look and its a 6 stud D44 front.

so i say "nah its smaller than the salisbury Ill just take it."

So heres some pics anyone know what it is, I think its got 4.56 gears (from counting turns) and its BLOODY BEWDIFUL.

So anyone got any ideas on what I should do now

ROCKWELLS - VS - DANA 60.

Think I will still so the rockwells and put the d60 under the front of my F250 (its currently 2wd) or something, I dunno??

So what do you guys reckon. Remembering that the tyres I got are in 15in rims.

:bounce: :bounce2: :bounce: :bounce2: :bounce: :bounce2:

Sam

See that tyre in the back ground. THATS THE SHIAT WE SHOULD BE RUNNING. Not this winnie 42in crap.

Bloody hell it looks bigger than a 54in. The FUKERS huge.

OK Ive settled down a bit heres another pic.

Last pic. some numbers on the cast housing.

Anyone??????

I think the d60 is about 69in WMS - WMS.

Just read my posts, seems like I swear a bit when Im excited.

Think I might get a lottery ticket. I mean shiat, whats the odds of finding this axle 30min drive from my home in a country that never got any trucks with factory d60fronts from a US importer that doesent know what hes got.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

:beer: :beer::beer:

Sam

You would have to be the luckiest man in Oz!!!
Does this mean the 44's are for sale? How much?
Cheers
Daryl.

You got it made now my friend! Congrats!

Looks like a Chev King-Pin front! Same thing I've got!

I wouldn't worry about the Rockwell's now. Put those under you F250....Shave the 60...Use CTM's and while your at it get some 35 splined 4140 inners from Jack (CTM) as well ....I've got a line on CHEAP 35 spline outers (won't mention price here) and your DONE! Even with 44's my friend you'll be FINE.
Check E-bay for all the re-build crap you'll need...I've seen complete king-pin, seal and bearing kit's go for $85 US....Can't beat that! Same goes for 30 spline warn hubs...You'll need Dana 70 hubs if you want to run with the 35 spline outers, but I can help you there too!

Welcome to the dark side man! (Like you need to hear that!).

--D

kick ass sam. i would pass on the rockwells tho. they would be a fawking HUGE PITA to fit. thats what i realized too taking some measurements. plus, the only time you will break that 60 frontend is if you swapped in a big block and some 48s and gassed the living shit out of it all the time. but with the rover 3.5 you will be FINE.

and even if you DID swap to a big block and 48s, you could always add some CTMs and some alloy shafts for more beef than you need!

remember, K.I.S.S.!!!

9-Volt,

I agree. What is the story with the "banned" under neith your name??? How are you still able to post?

Way

P.S. Does this mean that on your project you will be doing a 60 front then and your 70 rear???

Doug, Strange Rover, R.Hills, 9-Volt, others doing custom mods now. Lets see some pictures!!!!

Originally posted by Way
9-Volt,

I agree. What is the story with the "banned" under neith your name??? How are you still able to post?

Way

P.S. Does this mean that on your project you will be doing a 60 front then and your 70 rear???

Doug, Strange Rover, R.Hills, 9-Volt, others doing custom mods now. Lets see some pictures!!!!

hehe custom user titles kick ass. confuse everyone :p

60 front yes, 70 rear but not mine. mine is 64" WMS and would be too much of a PITA to get to be the same width as the front, or vice versa. i have a line on a 1979 ford F250 extended cab, but i gotta check and see if it has the plowing package or not, which would mean it had the HP60 front. only $500 in the local paper :flipoff2:

pictures when there is something to see. hopefully by next week as i have this whole week off :D

so sam there should be a cheap 44 around for the front end of a hilux/4 runner >

500 AU = less than 250 US!

Ha

Run the 60 and a 14 bolt (did you all have eatons or offset 60s/70s?)

Ron

Originally posted by derangedrover
You would have to be the luckiest man in Oz!!!
Does this mean the 44's are for sale? How much?
Cheers
Daryl.


Nah, Gonna keep the d44s and put them into a bobtailed rangie ute (with a style side rear) and put on a set of 35in MT or 37in maybe if I can get them. This will be my road car/tow rig cause the way my hybred is going Ill never drive it on the road again.

Sam

Originally posted by bubs
so sam there should be a cheap 44 around for the front end of a hilux/4 runner >

Sorry Bubs I got plans!!!

:flipoff2:


But the guy has got a brand new d44 front think its 3.07 ratio on a 6 stud (6 on 5.5in I would guess) with a WMS - WMS of about 65inches with a RHS drop. He wants $500 for it as well. You should build it although it be a fair bit of work (and money) to put it under your hilux.

Sam

Like the idea of a 14 bolt I can get one with 4.56 gears for about $800AUS out of a chev c30 I guess. Anyone know if this would have the same WMS as the d60 front I got. The d60 is about 69in WMS-WMS.

It would be a bloody good setup except................

My tyres mount on 15in rims and not 16.5in rims, this is going to be a major PITA to get em to fit.

Any one got any really good ideas on how to go about this. And yes I have done a search and know of a few good ways and a lot of really bad ways but the few good ways require spindle and hub swaps with stuff that is just as inpossible to find in Oz as a front d60.

The other thing I really want to go for rear steer as well and I dont like my chances of falling over another one of these axles.

Also I think that 4.56 gears arnt nearly low enough. I really need to be a lot lower. Something closer to 6.72 would be really nice.

So I still think I am leaning towards the twin steer rockwells with the wheel brakes. Worked out a better way to do the wheel brakes. Here it is.......

Get the disks and calipers of the rear of an early range rover (and guess what I have lots of these) Now these are a small enough diameter to run inside the smallest part of a steel 15in rim (ie the part of the rim that necks down). Now the ID of the rotor is about 5mm bigger than the OD of the rockwell hub. So machine the rockwell hub down a bit and also take a bit off the inside end and then bolt the rotor on and mount the caliper. Run the hubs flipped out and run the 10in rims with about 9in backspacing so that the wheel is in the same position as a rockwell with the hubs flipped in (70in WMS) and 3.5in back space. I can do all this with just a little bit of machining and no extra cost or rooting around.

Ill do up a cad drawing and post it so you can see what i mean. So just hang on a sec, Ill be right back.

Sam

it was only an idea still $500 aus for one is not bad - i would have to have it cut down - $'s :(

Heres the CAD drawing. (the computer aided bit is how I got the drawing onto the internet :flipoff2: :flipoff2: )


Sam

Originally posted by bubs
it was only an idea still $500 aus for one is not bad - i would have to have it cut down - $'s :(

Better off with a scout d44 cause they are about 61in WMS (i think) so you wouldnt have to cut it. Would still need gears etc. and the bolt pattern is all wrong blah blah blah.......

Money and time is all it takes.

Sam

yeah i know


u mentioned cad - i expected a nice big screen shot of a cad drawing like back when i did cad in school or was that web surfing


for some reason they both seam the same :flipoff2: :D :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Strange Rover
Heres the CAD drawing. (the computer aided bit is how I got the drawing onto the internet :flipoff2: :flipoff2: )


Sam

So back to the drawing. Can see that the disk rotor is bolted to the inside of the hub and so the end of the hub is machined off a bit so that it can be bolted on. I would guess that the inner wheel bearing seal location may have to be delt with but it can probably sit in the rotor.

The OD of the hub and the ID of the rover disk rotor are very similar so I think that it will fit.

With the rockwells to get to a reasonably overall width a 15in rim must mounted as far inwards as possible (the determining factor is the rim hits the steering arm) So that with the hubs flipped in and no wheel brakes you run a 15in wheel with a 3.5in backspace and this will just clear the knuckle.

What I am proposing is to leave the hubs flipped out which moves the wheel mount surface a further 5inches out on each side so to keep the rim in the same position (hard up against the knuckle) I need 5+3.5 = 8.5in backspacing on my 9.5in rims. This is easily done. Now with the rover disk and caliper mounted this way the caliper will come very close to the necked down part of the rim. But the rear rover rotors and calipor are so small that they should still clear (and small means weak but its a trail only so it wont matter)

So the wheel brakes are easy.

As for getting them under my rig I will need about an extra 5 inches of lift to clear the top loaders as a worst case but if I move the oil filter and try to allow the top loader to move into the space between the motor and chassis then I can get away with less lift.

Did I mention that these have 6.72 gears. NICE!!!!!!!!!

:beer: :beer:

Still think the rockwells are the go.


Jeeze Doug its getting real dark over here where Im standing. Carnt even see my hand in front of my face. Although I can still see you.:vader2:

:flipoff2:

Sam

Hey Sam,

what are these axles going under? your 90? will the 6.72 R&P not be a bit low? unless you're running 48"'s of course! heh heh.

cool looking axles though, makes the salisbury look like the axle off my girlies nissan micra! :D

Jamie

Originally posted by Jamie Austin
Hey Sam,

what are these axles going under? your 90? will the 6.72 R&P not be a bit low? unless you're running 48"'s of course! heh heh.

cool looking axles though, makes the salisbury look like the axle off my girlies nissan micra! :D

Jamie

Almost a 90, its a Range Rover (100in) with a series 2a 88in body.

Its got 42in tyres on it now and yes the 48s will come :D but I dont think Ill ever need to drive this thing on the road. The 6.72s will give a crawl ratio of 90 to 1 which is getting where it needs to be and the hway gearing will sux but I think it will still go faster than I would want to drive it anyway.

:smokin:

Sam

http://www.twochefsracing.com/gallery/img/2318.jpg

Hey BJ42,

Cool pic, got any more.

Sam

yep, can get some, what you want them for?

just action ones?
is that your new tyre in front of the windscreen?
4 of them
hehehehe i WANT

Originally posted by bj42
yep, can get some, what you want them for?

just action ones?
is that your new tyre in front of the windscreen?
4 of them
hehehehe i WANT

Just any ones of ME. (not that im selfish I just like the look of my rig)

New tyres - nah have a look at

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49307

Thats the tyre thats in the background of the pic at the top of this thread. Can get them for $500AUS htey are bloody huge.

Sam

$500 sounds heaps better than a set of 38s or similar...DAMN
so you'll be running 54s eventually?


cant wait to see the looks on peoples faces :smokin:

Originally posted by bj42
$500 sounds heaps better than a set of 38s or similar...DAMN
so you'll be running 54s eventually?


cant wait to see the looks on peoples faces :smokin:

Nah - the 54 would be two big, but its a nice thought. Think ill stick with the 42s.

Sam