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Thanks Harv Job for tomorrow weather health & energy level permitting

With the Covid lockdowns in place, the work to replace the busted diff ground to a halt. Restrictions have now eased a bit, so the diff got done. Picked it up today, hopefully throw it in over the weekend.

Number 1 Son had snapped the shortened axle right at the recut spline toes. The old 28 spline axles are now replaced with the beefier 31 splines. The old VP slippery centre got replaced with a Harrop TruTrac (the VP unit wouldn't suit 31 splines anyway... at least that's my excuse ). Put a TA Performance girdle into it while we were there.

The diff had been shortened a long time ago by V6 Conversions in Moree. When I first fitted it to the wagon and filled it with oil, it leaked on the drivers side. Hard to see, but looked like a crook weld. The leak stopped dripping, and I forgot about it... figured it was a leaking seal that had taken up. When I stripped down the busted diff a few months back the driver's side axle tube and the handbrake shoes were oily. Looks like it had still been leaking, just not enough to drip. Bugger.

Craft Diffs had a good look at the welds, and all looked good. Hmmmmm. A long, hard look at the seal showed the culprit. Looks like V6 Conversions had resplined the standard Commodore axle on the passenger's side, but had used a HQ axle on the longer side. A spacer is used to let the Commodore seals seat to the HQ axle. The axle/spacer dimensions are poor - feels tight when first put on, but once seated the seal is a horrible sloppy fit on the spacer. The poor fit lets oil slowly weep out. Can't say I'm overly impressed with the use of HQ stud pattern either.

Cheers,
Harv

Dodgy pricks. That's rough as guts.

FB ute driver, EK van project

Detail on the new axles Harv. Are they custom jobs?

FB ute driver, EK van project

I suspect that the 31 spline axles are off the shelf in a variety of widths, as the upgrade to 31 splines is pretty common. The Harrop guts means that the axles run all the way through the centre. The axles come in slightly long - they touch in the middle before they are in far enough. They are then cut with a dropsaw so that they have about 5mm gap in the middle. Not cheap ($800 a pair) but pretty hardy... Number 1 Son (known at the diff shop as The Wheelie King) hasn't managed to break the 31 spline's in his VL yet.

Cheers,
Harv

Thanks harv

FB ute driver, EK van project

plenty of 9sec vls running around on 28 spline axles.

there are a lot of cut down short axles.

they should only be used with spools.

not lsds.

due to spline differences.

Fraud 9 inch with custom made 31spline axles and giant wheel bearings, unbreakable !!!!

I don't care if it weighs an extra 300grams either, its been under 2 cars and copped a hiding. You can't kill them.

Greg

gpi wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:48 pm plenty of 9sec vls running around on 28 spline axles.

there are a lot of cut down short axles.

they should only be used with spools.

not lsds.

due to spline differences.

Yep. VLGOD did 9's with a mini-spooled 28 spline.

Not sure about your comment on LSDs though... both 1TUFRB and JETF18 ran slippery centres on 28 splines into the 9's.

Cheers,
Harv

EK283 wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:09 pm Fraud 9 inch with custom made 31spline axles and giant wheel bearings, unbreakable !!!!

I don't care if it weighs an extra 300grams either, it been under 2 cars and copped a hiding. You can't kill them.

Greg

Bit like the 'Glide. If it's built well, they are bulletproof (poor man's Lenco).

Cheers,
Harv

The wheelie king, proud dad no doubt.

FB ute driver, EK van project

So far he owes me two BW78s, two RB30s, a Jatco 4-speed, a grey motor head gasket, a set of VL front rotors, a set of crashbox synchros and associated odds and ends. The kid is hard on the gear.

... no idea where he gets that from

Cheers,
Harv

Harv wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:41 pm

gpi wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:48 pm plenty of 9sec vls running around on 28 spline axles.

there are a lot of cut down short axles.

they should only be used with spools.

not lsds.

due to spline differences.

Yep. VLGOD did 9's with a mini-spooled 28 spline.

Not sure about your comment on LSDs though... both 1TUFRB and JETF18 ran slippery centres on 28 splines into the 9's.

Cheers,
Harv

cut down axles are fine for spools but not lsds.

It appears he owes me a litre of LSD gear oil too... found the cupboard bare today.

Cheers,
Harv