I know the 10 spline axle in the back of my Rangie is a pos but I don't use it as my hardcore wheeler so I don't want to have to spend 1700 bucks on heavy duty axles or swap in a complete new Dana axle. Don't know why I went through all of that to ask, what is the thickness of the front and rear axle shafts in a 90 Rover? I could pull an axle and look, but it is much easier to ask yous guys.

IIRC 1.21"

Front,rear stock 24 spline is 1.25" at the spines. Front inner necks down to ~1.030" at the CV end. Here is a pic of a broken rear.

Johnathan

That's not horrible but it isn't very good either. The thickness isn't bad but the spline count is what kills you, I guess. A Dana 60 is only .25 inch thicker. I guess I'll be safe with my 32-33" tires as long as I'm not crazy with the go pedal.

Crappy pic, but you get the idea...

i dont ven trust my 10 splines with 31s. what you are forgetting is that although phsyically not INCREDIBLY smaller than a D60 (although the difference is rather significant), the crappy british metallurgy and low spline count make it very weak. although, i do have a friend with a very hot JE 4.5 rover V8 that puts out over 300hp and 325 ft lbs shatter differentials left and right but ive only known that he has broken a halfshaft (10 spline) in this truck once. he runs stock 3.54 gears and 265/75 mud terrains on an 88 range rover.

I just got on GBR's website and checked out their Heavy Duty axles and their prices are high but not too insane when compared to swapping out housings. I might just go with those axles and call it a day. Is there anyone else out there that makes a heavy duty axle shaft for the 90 RRC?

Before you spend $400 on HD 10 splines, check around and see if you can come up with a cheap 24 spline carrier(you can find them for $75 or less easily). They are crap, but will allow you to go to a 24 spline HD rear axle and do the locker later.

Johnathan

The GBR rear Heavy duty aren't terribly expensive. I think the axles are $599 and maybe $150 for drive flanges. This is assuming you have 24-spline side gears and a locker that can have the side gears changed. BTW the side gears for an ARB are ~$200 through GBR, but I have heard you can go to just about any Driveline shop and order side gears for our diffs.

Now the fronts are a different story. I just ordered his "Extreme Duty" inner axles and am waiting on his new and improved CV's for the front. Total cost on that was around $2000, again not including side gears. This stuff had better be bulletproof for that money.

Originally posted by lwg
This stuff had better be bulletproof for that money.

jesus, for that money it had better be able to get you high, fawk you, and get you a beer from the fridge whenever you want one!!! :eek:

Just how "bolt in" is a 24 spline rear axle from a Disco? If its pretty easy then I don't mind doing it but I don't want too much of a pain in the a**.

Sorry, I'm a bit of a dumass every not and then. You are saying that a 24 spline carrier will bolt on to my axle housing. Are the Disco and RRC housings the same? Everything alike except for the carriers?

Originally posted by lwg
The GBR rear Heavy duty aren't terribly expensive. I think the axles are $599 and maybe $150 for drive flanges. This is assuming you have 24-spline side gears and a locker that can have the side gears changed. BTW the side gears for an ARB are ~$200 through GBR, but I have heard you can go to just about any Driveline shop and order side gears for our diffs.

Now the fronts are a different story. I just ordered his "Extreme Duty" inner axles and am waiting on his new and improved CV's for the front. Total cost on that was around $2000, again not including side gears. This stuff had better be bulletproof for that money.

$599 gets you the rear w/flanges...yes high $ but if he is considering the HD 10 spines these aren't much more(reference my earlier post regarding carrier).

Hold on for the front end stuff. Ron's got his CVs sent to Bobby, I talked to another vendor yesturday that is working on something, but was asked to keep it quiet until they are done and trail tested. They monitor this board so they may chime in.

If I had to do it over, I think I"d go with the part time conversion and get some custom shafts made to run unis and probably use CTMs. I bet it would be close in cost to the extreme kit and if I break one of these "extreme duty" front half shafts/CVs it definately would have been less long term.


Johnathan

PS-What exactly is Bills new front kit? All I've got is 3rd hand info.

Originally posted by tblackj
Sorry, I'm a bit of a dumass every not and then. You are saying that a 24 spline carrier will bolt on to my axle housing. Are the Disco and RRC housings the same? Everything alike except for the carriers?

Simply unbolt the axle flange bolts on the axle ends, remove both axle shafts.
then you take the 3rd member(the lump the driveshaft bolts to) out of the axle housing by removing the 10 or so nuts around its circumference. The carrier is held in by the two main caps and is bolted to the ring gear. If you don't know how to check run out, backlash or run a pattern, take the whole third member to a gear shop and they should be able to swap carriers for you without much expense. Since you are going to have the carrier out anyway, it is worth considering putting a locker in. The traction benefits are obvious but stock carriers have known to go :nuke: without much warning(ask Troy about his highway ride home from Tellico, yes spider gears can pierce casing)

Johnathan

This stuff had better be bulletproof for that money.

Broke the same kit in my rangie in a month or so of wheeling. Hope you have better luck than I did. I was running 31" tires for the majority of the time and then stepped up to 33" and broke both sides.

Is it too late to cancel the order and see what comes of the other options here. I know we would love to help you out and for $2000, we could source you some superior products.

Way

speaking of axles
how come you're selling the 60 9v? or was it a spare?
or should I ask what's your latest plan:D

sorry but it's so entertaining to see what you're "building" each week.

sorry but it's so entertaining to see what you're "building" each week. [/B][/QUOTE]

Fcfred- ROTFLMAO:D :D :D

Johnathan

:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

call it the deisre for money :D

i can always buy two more for what this one will go for.

Originally posted by lwg
Total cost on that was around $2000, again not including side gears. This stuff had better be bulletproof for that money.

MY GEAWD! What the fawk is GBR smokin? $2k! :barf: :barf: :barf:

Just imagine the emotion you'll go through when that thing finally does pop! :barf: :mad3:

$300 in gas to get to/from Moab...
$450 for a week stay in a motel...
$300 for food (dining)...

Second day on the trail and CRUNNNCH! $1000 for a long side axle and CV...

Calling Bill at GBR to fed-ex you another CV only to find out that they are "two weeks out".

Priceless!


O'well...Live and learn!

--D

So what are everybodies recommendations as an alternative to the overpriced GBR axles? Preferably an alternative that can withstand the abuse of a 35" tire. Axle swaps are out of the question right now... But maybe not this winter.

I definitely agree $2000 for a front axle setup is steep, but I am unaware of too many alternatives other than carry many spare axles and CV's to change while on the trail. I have so far only purchased only the inner axles, drive flanges and 24-spline side gears for the locker. I could probably return all of this if I found a better alternative that I could get in the next few weeks.

My recomendation would be to buy the HD cages and run you stock star and bell. Carry a spare or two and run with it. A light foot and 35's you should be okay for a bunch of runs with your current set-up.

$2000 is getting very close to what a HD44 would cost to put under your rig...Especially if you off-set that with what you could sell your front complete for, you could have a major manufacture build you a bolt in 44.

--D

I'm a little slow sometimes so let me verify something before I do all of this. Discovery 24spline axles will fit in a 1990 RRC axle housing. Is this correct? I can buy alot of salvage axles shafts for 2 grand. I want to go to the 24spline axle if I can and if it will just bolt in then that would be the way to go. Oh yeah, I am going to run a 24 spline ARB so that will take care of changing the carrier. What about axle bearings?

Originally posted by tblackj
I'm a little slow sometimes so let me verify something before I do all of this. Discovery 24spline axles will fit in a 1990 RRC axle housing. Is this correct? I can buy alot of salvage axles shafts for 2 grand. I want to go to the 24spline axle if I can and if it will just bolt in then that would be the way to go. Oh yeah, I am going to run a 24 spline ARB so that will take care of changing the carrier. What about axle bearings?

yup, the disco shafts will fit the rangie casing, although some of them (the disco shafts) use a 17mm bolt instead of the smaller 9/16" that the rangie's used, so you might have to drill out and re-tap the hub.

better off to use the disco hub though, as whenever i've tried drilling out and re-tapping, the bolts always seem to come loose again. :(

axle bearings are the same.:)

Jamie

See what I mean, a little slow. My question had already been answered in one of the previous posts.
Fawkin Newbie!
:flipoff2:

I figured I'd do it before someone else does.

An alernative the GBR axles is ones from Ashcroft. ECR Carries them, or I beleive http://www.discountrovers.com does now as well. $325 or so for a rear pair, or so I am told.

By the way, I know sombody who has been running 235/85's with dual ARB's in a 10 spline rover for years. Been all over in it, just has a light foot.

Maybe he will chime in -- Ali?

Tom

I've got a hardcore rig to bash around in so I'm not going to be Bajaing this Rover in the rocks. I am going to use it for camping and light wheeling. I am putting the ARB's in because you never know what situations you can get into and it's easier to do it now while I am doing the ring and pinions than to do it later. Maybe I'll stick with the 10 spline and when I start breaking them then I'll look for something better.

With all of this talk about axle breakage, perhaps you fellas can enlighten me somewhat as I have yet to experience anything similar, other than watching my brother in law smoke the CVs in his Rangie...

Axle breakage: Is it always the halfshafts that break, or do the stub axles outboard of the CV joints break? I can envision many scenarios that could arise, but can't determine which would break first. If halfshafts, do they break at the carrier, or at the drive flange? If CV joint stub axles, do they break at the bell, or at the drive flanges?

Also, $350 from Discount Rovers for HD axles sounds pretty damn good!

Paul

With front axle failures it is usually the star,cage,or bell of the CV that breaks. This often results in buggered spines on the inner axle outer splines. Innner axle failures can happen, not usually though and stub axle failures, IMHO, would be rare.

Ashcroft axles are a bit cheaper but the heat treatment of the shafts stops just short of the splines. Those of us at the CC saw Bill R. break a shaft at this weakness. I think there have only been a handfull of GBR rear shafts tweaked/broken in the US and I know a few of them have been replaced by Bill.

Johnathan