ok, i was thinking about this the other day, and have come up with what i feel is a killer plan for a front axle.

Rover housing
Jack McNamara Toyota 8" center section
Toy 8" 30 spline ARB
custom inner axleshafts (warn)
CTM u joints
custom 30spline outer axleshafts
GBR/Summers Bros 30spl drive flanges with bored out splindle to accomodate 30spl shafts

how do you guys feel this would hold up? it has some tremendous advantages, like keeping the rover housing, disk brakes, and bolt pattern. plus, you would have a beef front axle that would look stock.

i think that this front axle setup would be as strong as swapping a D44 into the front, at least for our application. and it would be all BOLT IN!!!

comments???

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I thought you owned a welder. Why not use it and make a better set-up. Width is a good thing as well. I thought you were going to go big with tire size. I think you would be happier with easy to get cheap replacements for a dana axle vs. dealing with the rover stuff. I know I like my disc brakes up front way better than the rover ones. One idea if you have a hard time fabricating is to weld on the rover mounts (suggestion is to use a plasma cutter) and weld them on a dana 60.

Way

Originally posted by Way
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I thought you owned a welder. Why not use it and make a better set-up. Width is a good thing as well. I thought you were going to go big with tire size. I think you would be happier with easy to get cheap replacements for a dana axle vs. dealing with the rover stuff. I know I like my disc brakes up front way better than the rover ones. One idea if you have a hard time fabricating is to weld on the rover mounts (suggestion is to use a plasma cutter) and weld them on a dana 60.

Way

i know what youre saying, but i was suggesting this as a solution for people who dont want to have to deal with all the fabbing.

this is NOT how i am solving the problem in my rig, but it could solve the problem for others.

Talk to Serious One, what you are describing is close to what he has in his '53. With the exception of the shafts and stup axel bushings, his truly is a bolt on conversion.

The more I think of it, isn't your truck on and early bronco frame/suspension. If so why worry about a rover axels.

-Jeff

yeah pretty cool idea if you got the cash would make it easy but would cost a fortune.

I was going to do just that...But I was going to use stock Spicer blanks and a 30 spline RD56 (ARB). Would have been cake...

Yeah, good idea but pricey. You would have to rework the 3-link rockguard since the Jack Mac diffs are hypoid diffs and sit lower than the stock 3rd member. Nothing major though.

Johnathan

RD56 ARB is 24 splines not 30, but the toyota third member may work. Euro knuckle would solve the tie rod problem (moving forward), but would further add to a cost. For that price you could have a major axle manufacturer build a custom axle (with five on big) to your liking.

Doug, brings up a really good point about ordering a blank axle. I am sure that if dimensions or a good axle could be sent to moser or similar, that they could copy it and make a nice less expensive U.S. source for rover axles. Any body ever call on this. If I break a 24 spline GBR rear axle, I think this is what I would pursue first, then a D60.

Way

If anyone is interested, i've located a brand new salisbury front axle, for 110 or 90. i've got to check if it has the BIG vented brakes on it or just solid rotors.

price is £800 UKP, plus shipping. not cheap, i know, but a beefy set of ring gear and strong casing.

Jamie

Well, in fact, the standard Rover 30 spline ARB (forget the number designation) is a RD56 with 30 spline side gears....$530...If you can talk Chris Woods out of a pair of 30 spline side gears you could save a few hundred.

The 297x U-joint and axle yokes fit inside our swivel housings....With Mosser shafts...$340

The spindle would have to be bored out very slightly....$50 (generous there).

Machine work to the stub shaft...??? I've talked with Timm about this in length, and it's not that big of a deal....He wouldn't tell me exactly what I needed done...So what I was going to do was simply take a Rover CV bell and a 30 spline stub shaft to a machine shop, and say " here, make this look like this but with a 1.31 diameter axle shaft"...Shouldn't cost over $150....

I also found inner axle seals that would work perfectly with a 30 spline shaft and our housings (not that you need them but I was going to make a kit at one point....).

So this supper high dollar axle conversion really only sets us back $1100 or so WITH arb (assuming you can set up the ARB). Not all that bad considering that most of this is a sunk cost for what you would have to buy anyway...Be it Dana 44 or 60.

--D

ARBs cost more like $600, and GBR sells the side gears for an additional $300 to modify the ARB RD56 locker (which is a 24 spline 1.25" locker) to a 30 spline compliant locker that can be modified with different side gears.

Regardless, this would be substantially stronger than the much more expensive GBR extreme kit. Doug, get this going and get a domain name on the web, and I will build you a professional website in trade for a few of your junk rover parts laying around. You could even have it be a 3-4 week prepay only order basis so there would be no cash outlay. Go ahead with your business idea. I am sure several would buy this "kit". I would recommend a bunch of people to you.

Way

The 30 spline ARB locker is actually a RD 76. I have one coming for the 110 right now (rear installation with the Maxi' 30 spline rear axles).

Blister

Bill,

Where are you getting your maxi axles from. Do they sell the 24 spline models also?

Way

Hey Bill,
Do you think that rover R&P is going to hold up in the rear of the 110? After killing a few R&P sets with my D90, I'd be worried that the gears won't hold up.

-John

They should hold up okay with my crawler driving style, "cryoed" and treated R+P's. We shall see. But you can bet I will have a spare built up 3rd member stuffed with 4.75's and an ARB (a regular cut r+p, 24 spline ARB - and some spare 24 spline rear axles - so I can use the diff in the front or rear).

Blister

whoa! i take off for a day and this is what i get! :D

but in my "kit" the whole thing revolved around the JM diff. that is because it is a helluva lot stronger than the rover style and has a lot more locker and gearing choices. so from there i figured 30 spline axles, CTMs, and then a 30 spline stub. it would be the same beef as a D44 for about the same or less cost, if you do the D44 yourself. if not, then its WAY cheaper.

hey doug, if you do this front axle "kit", be sure to count me in on it, cause i know there are a TON of east coast guys who would love it. if youre not up for it, way, talk to me. i have a parts range rover i would give you stuff from to do a professional website, and i could collect the measurements to have the shafts made with either the rover or toy diff.

goddam, i think i could sell a lot of these. POR guys get a 15% discount!!! :D

Easy boy's! Thanks for the part number Bill...The thing about the RD76 is that there was only 50 made. SG convinced Jim ? (pres. of ARB) and Chris Wood that there would be a high demand for the locker once Greg got the 30 splined Sumers Bro's axles built...Well there just wasn't the demand that Greg initially thought...So there was 40 unit's that ARB was sitting on. The result (a year ago) was that ARB North America was whiling to let them go for damn near cost...$515 each (if your a dealer). The thing is that they have no intention to build them again, unless your whiling to go in on 50 units. I believe as of this date there are 20 or so unit's left.

So that leads into 9-V's idea...Buy the JM housing ($280 + shipping) and plunk in a hypoid cut gear and a 30 spline standard toy ARB (or detroit). Then do the machine work on the stub shaft...Well make that a couple!

I did have a lot of interest in the idea and had a couple of people lining up for the "kit". I still have reservations on how strong the standard 297x u-joint is compared to a fresh CV. I'm not sure how many will want the upgrade to the CTM...A'la "what?s a CTM?" The other thing is that it's important to service your CTM...The constant oil bath in our housings would be good, but I'd be a little leery of running them with a full time case.

The thing I've discovered with Rover owners (speaking in mega-generalities here) is that they can be very fickle and tight assed bastards...Sure when they are ready, they will plunk down the serious coin, but until they are convinced that your part/product is worthy to be part of their ride, they will hit you with a billion questions, then go somewhere else. I suppose it's the same across the board, but outside the Rover world there are just more people whiling to take a chance.

So with all this said, I'm not sure about the profitability of this system...Sure it might be worth $300-500/ unit sold, but now you?re in the $1700 range for the product. You can buy GBR and Quattro's system for that. I dunno' guy's. I'm kinda' burnt on the product scene...I still do shock-mounts and bumperett's on a onezy twozy basis, but man it's can be a pain when you still have a day job. Hell, I have a hard enough time getting to UPS to ship Way and Sean their parts! :p

Originally posted by RockRover
but man it's can be a pain when you still have a day job. Hell, I have a hard enough time getting to UPS to ship Way and Sean their parts! :p

yeah i know what you mean, but i have the next three months off, and i am only away from the computer/shop from 7-3 the rest of the year! :D

ah, school... gotta love it gotta hate it! :p

RockRover,

Don't feel like you're 'copping out' by not being excited about doing 'product stuff'. Quite the contrary.

If you started doing the product thing your hobby would be ruined.

Do the occasional odd-job for people, but pick them based on fun factor and not $$$ factor. If you do it'll continue to be fun. (course this is probably preachin' to the choir)

Besides if everyone had your product, your own truck would be that much less unique.

I would like to see a set of external shock mounts though besides the MJ Lee ones. I plan to put air-springs in the front of the 145 as well as the rear, the tricky thing is the front shock. I think the MJ Lee mount is too damn bulky, and don't think I really NEED to run 2 front shocks. I'm not desert racing with the thing dammit.

So, take my advice for what it's worth (next to nothing probably)

babble babble babble...

Michael

hey mike KC makes some external front shock mounts too. I think that they are pretty similar to Doug's. I have them and so does Cliff Durrett (on the yahoo list) and they work really well. I guess just another option if you are considering external shock mounts

-ben

Yea, and next time you see that fawker KC, let him know I STILL want the $230 bucks he owes me for the bashers I sent to one of his customers. :mad3:

I had a lot of time in that pair...

--D