 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Axle refurb or swap - what would you do? |
 
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841  
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Hi guys,
I touched on this in another recent thread (about a cracked axle case) but thought I'd ask the question more fully. In the distant past my Tdi-era vehicle had a Td5 front axle case fitted. It's likely that the original had been a little close to the sea too often. I'm now about to do a refurb on the axle (Ashcroft ATB diff, new swivels, refurbed swivel housings, new discs, stub axles, CV joints and drive flanges, seals and bearings etc etc). I now also have another spare 300Tdi axle casing although with a dented diff pan. I had thought the easiest/quickest approach would be to weld on a HD diff pan, then get the casing blasted and painted and build it up with all the new components. Then I could 'simply' roll out the old axle and roll in the new. However I hadn't realised about the difference in panhard rods and brackets, and now I'm slightly concerned that maybe there are other differences I'm not aware of yet either. Getting hold of an earlier, cranked panhard rod isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I could do the refurb using the 'current' Td5 casing, but that would make the job a bit longer, as I would need to strip the axle first before sending it for blasting and coating. Are there any pros and cons I haven't thought of? I don't know the age of the Td5 casing; believe the Tdi one is 1996 - if that makes any difference. If the only significant difference is the panhard rods, is there any difference in performance/robust-ness between the earlier or later ones? Any advice gratefully received! Ta. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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29th Sep 2020 9:23pm |
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| Oldowner Member Since: 26 Dec 2018 Location: South west Posts: 623  
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Measure the axle panhard rod bracket bolt hole - 14mm is early (300tdi) axle, 16mm is late axle
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30th Sep 2020 1:49pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thank you. 14mm it is - well 14.69mm to be more precise, but certainly not 16mm.
But just to put another twist in the tale, I had a look under, the front of the car at lunchtime and I've got the cranked panhard rod under there. Presumably unnecessarily, but just what was to hand when the axle was swapped all those years ago. Apart from the panhard rod, is there anything else I ought to consider? Any other material differences which might upset Plan A, which is just to build up the spare axle and slot it in? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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30th Sep 2020 4:59pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thanks Ed. I think what I'll do is press on prepping the Tdi axle, and also get hold of a straight panhard rod for comparison.
Then at swap time I can compare and contrast and decide which seems to be best. No other differences that you know of? Shock mountings, or swivel to axle bolt spacings? Anti roll bar holes in the same place? I've been assuming there aren't as the car has gone Tdi to Td5, so it should be easy enough to go the other way, ut I didn't do that job so I don't really know if other things were changed over. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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1st Oct 2020 7:22am |
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| sako243 Member Since: 08 Jul 2014 Location: Wales Posts: 1218  
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Don't think so. Not sure if all Tdi front axles had the anti-roll bar mounts, they didn't all come with one fitted certainly. My Defender was originally a top of the line CSW and that hasn't had one fitted from factory. Ed
82 Hotspur Sandringham 6x6 95 Defender 110 300Tdi |
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1st Oct 2020 7:27am |
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| Mo Murphy Member Since: 01 Jun 2008 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts Posts: 2227 
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I'd take a forged panhard rod over a welded light tube one any day ! Just my preference.
Though a welded one did get me home from a laning trip last year after I knackered a panhard bush in mine (a laning chum always carries a spare after a similar problem) Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen. 50 Shades of Pennine Grey |
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1st Oct 2020 8:51am |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1841
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Thanks Ed - the Tdi axle does have anti roll bar mounts. My car's a poverty spec SW, initially for a 'utility' customer so it didn't leave the factory with any bars installed, but the mounts are there. I put anti roll bars onto it earlier this year and am quite happy with the way it handles. I also did my most significant off-roading in August there, and the bars didn't compromise that at all either, so I'm happy with them - though in future I might pull them off for offroad adventures just to avoid the trailing links getting clobbered.
Mo - thanks too - I didn't realise there was such a fundamental difference between the panhard rods, apart from just shape. I'd read that the straight rod was 'welded' - but I assumed that referred to the eyes being welded onto the bar, and not that the bar was in fact a tube! And in fact that makes things even easier for me. I've obviously got a cranked (forged!) panhard rod on the car at the moment, with new bushes and 16mm bolts, so all I'll need to do is drill out the Tdi axle mounts to take the bigger bolts and its a straight swap. Taking the Tdi axle and a HD Gwyn Lewis diff pan away tomorrow to get welded together, so the job's underway at least. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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1st Oct 2020 10:00am |
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