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foxhound

Member Since: 02 Mar 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 363

1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi SW Alpine White

Cracked Axle Casing Advice Needed Please

Hi All,

I have a fine crack in the front axle casing of my 300tdi 110 near the passener side spring and a slow leak from it.

Do I weld it --can it be welded in situ or does it need to come off and be cleared inside as well as out? i know nothing about welding! and do welds hold good on the casing?

OR do I find a good used casing? Are 200/300 tdi and TD5 front axles the same? Are any disco axles the same?

Or do I spend more to get a reconditioned casing?

Is there anything else obvious I should be looking at at the same time?

Any ideas how many hours it take to remove and replace a casing if you know what you're doing?

thanks in advance. 110 Defender 300tdi & Penman trailer with ally exped top and roof tent

27th Sep 2020 11:31am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17369

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

Is it a similar crack to the one discussed in this thread ?

There is in principle no reason why it couldn't be welded, but how difficult it would be and the preparation required (including the decision about removal etc) would depend on the nature and position of the crack.

Any chance on a photo or two? It would make it easier to provide advice.

Swapping a casing, if you know what you're doing and have the toosl etc to had, maybe a couple of hours if everything undoes without too much difficulty. Allow a day if it's the first time you've done it.

27th Sep 2020 11:39am

foxhound

Member Since: 02 Mar 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 363

many thanks for this. I'll get some photos. I don't think that thread applies to me. 110 Defender 300tdi & Penman trailer with ally exped top and roof tent

27th Sep 2020 12:07pm

Oldowner

Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 620

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green

Get a 300tdi disco front axle casing or axle. Exactly the same. Td5 use different pan hard rod mounting bracket, can be got around with new pan hard rod too but 300tdi disco is easiest swap.

27th Sep 2020 1:29pm

donmacn

Member Since: 06 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1841

^^^^ Hope this isn't considered a thread hijack - but it might help Foxhound anyway.

Can you explain more on the difference between panhard brackets Td5 vs Tdi axle?? And how would I know what's on my car?

The story is that at some point in the past, due to the first owners having a tendency to leave the car in the sea.... (maybe a slight exaggeration, but it was permanently hitched to a rescue boat at an island airport) the front axle was corroding away around the spring and radius arm mounts. It was replaced, and I think it might be a Td5 casing.

Now, I have a Tdi casing which I'm about to get blasted and painted, and then I'll build it up with new parts for a swap.

However I didn't know about the panhard rod differences... 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...

27th Sep 2020 4:05pm

Mo Murphy

Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2227

1984 Defender 90 BMW M57 3.0 Diesel HT Auto Pennine Grey

The earlier panhard rod is a forged one piece bar with a kick in it around the diff pan. The later rods are a straight welded tube assembly.
HTH
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.

50 Shades of Pennine Grey

27th Sep 2020 5:18pm

donmacn

Member Since: 06 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1841

Thanks Mo, that certainly does help me. I'm pretty sure I have the later/straight one at the moment so will need to get hold of a cranked one when I get to that stage. I wonder if there was any other reason behind changing the bracket on the newer axles, beyond not having manufacture cranked panhard rods?

Foxhound - sorry for the sidetracking.

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...

27th Sep 2020 5:48pm

Retroanaconda

Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2641

Cost-driven decision I am sure. But the later ones do have a slightly heavier bush I think.

The change was for the 2002 model year, so early Td5s had the older setup.

27th Sep 2020 6:22pm

cee-b

Member Since: 25 Jan 2018
Location: South West
Posts: 117

Re: Cracked Axle Casing Advice Needed Please

foxhound wrote:
Hi All,

I have a fine crack in the front axle casing of my 300tdi 110 near the passener side spring and a slow leak from it.

Do I weld it --can it be welded in situ or does it need to come off and be cleared inside as well as out? i know nothing about welding! and do welds hold good on the casing?

OR do I find a good used casing? Are 200/300 tdi and TD5 front axles the same? Are any disco axles the same?

Or do I spend more to get a reconditioned casing?

Is there anything else obvious I should be looking at at the same time?

Any ideas how many hours it take to remove and replace a casing if you know what you're doing?

thanks in advance.

I know that I'm bound to get a fair bit of stick for suggesting a 'bodge' but..... If it is a fine crack with a slow weep, I would be tempted to stop-drill it so it doesn't grow, clean it up thoroughly from the outside and then repair it with JB Weld.

27th Sep 2020 6:32pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17369

You'd knowingly drive with a cracked front axle case? Wow.

If it subsequently fails and you kill someone, you'd be ok with that?

27th Sep 2020 6:41pm

cee-b

Member Since: 25 Jan 2018
Location: South West
Posts: 117

I think maybe the difference between our viewpoints is experience blackwolf.

I spent my working life as an Aviation Engineer. You'd be surprised how many aircraft you've flown in that had cracks in them that have been stop-drilled and repaired. Or even just stop-drilled and left unrepaired, depending on location.

Obviously, it is a judgement call depending on severity but, if it is a small, fine crack in what is a very rugged piece of the vehicle with very few shear forces on it, why would it fail?

27th Sep 2020 6:53pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17369

Indeed we have different views, that much is clear. Furthermore, with respect, you have absolutely no idea what experience I have nor my background.

I can however categorically assure you that I would not knowingly drive a vehicle with a cracked axle case, nor, for that matter, operate nor allow to be operated an aeroplane with a crack in a component of equivalent importance to airworthiness as a front axle is to road-worthiness, and that is all I shall say on this matter.

We will continue to have differing views, I am sure.

27th Sep 2020 9:51pm

Mo Murphy

Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2227

Quote:

I know that I'm bound to get a fair bit of stick for suggesting a 'bodge' but..... If it is a fine crack with a slow weep, I would be tempted to stop-drill it so it doesn't grow, clean it up thoroughly from the outside and then repair it with JB Weld.

Dear

God, I've heard it all now !
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.

50 Shades of Pennine Grey

28th Sep 2020 12:55am

foxhound

Member Since: 02 Mar 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 363

thanks all, my crack is weldable (my local LR expert has now been able to look at it) and he'll do that tomorrow but I've been offered a decent casing free which I'll collect and swap over in the next few weeks.

How does a casing crack? I've not heard of that happening before. I am wondering what the cause could be. 110 Defender 300tdi & Penman trailer with ally exped top and roof tent

28th Sep 2020 9:55am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17369

A latent defect or stress.

28th Sep 2020 11:37am

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