Solid Axle Swap!!!

[dilmah]

Ive changed my mind about steering, was gonna use MQ ends but I think ill use 1.25"chromoly rod ends. Ill need some 32ID tubing i think. Using a GU box has crossed my mind, I don't wanna go full hydro as that will add another $3K to the build and a GU box will handle 37" treps.

 

[Lawry]

dilmah, would you happpen to still have the the 4.88 R180 diff?

 

[joshy]

Ive changed my mind about steering, was gonna use MQ ends but I think ill use 1.25"chromoly rod ends. Ill need some 32ID tubing i think. Using a GU box has crossed my mind, I don't wanna go full hydro as that will add another $3K to the build and a GU box will handle 37" treps.

Getting it engineered? They will prob want you to use tapered balljoints. Also can't go full hydro on road. But yeah gu box can handle 42s so you won't have a problem.

 

[dilmah]

Not even gonna try and get it engineered, just drive it till it gets stickered then hand the plates in. Thats when il 4 link the rear and set it up for winch events

 

[dilmah]

Yeah I still have it but it won't be for sale until the end of the year

 

[dilmah]

Made a bit of progress today, pressed out all of the old wheel bearings and put the new ones in, also did the needle bearings on the axle spindle and put new seals on. I get paid tomorrow so Im going to order the 4.88 ring and pinion from roadrunner offroad and a bearing kit for the H223B. I guess over the Easter weekend Ill pull the diff apart and start building that.

 

[dilmah]

Thought Id add a few pic as most of my write up has been text

First pic is of the housing with one knuckle in. If anyone does this do NOT remove the knuckles! Once you get them loose just rotate them 180 degrees. They are absolute buggers to get back in.

Second pic is of the stub axles, one of the knuckles not in the axle MQ knuckles, kingpin bearings and hub assemblies all with new bearing and seals pressed in

Third pic is all of the bolts and free wheeling hubs in their respective containers. Still need to soak them in petrol to clean them up.

Should be welding on Sunday but don't hold my word to it, my mate has a tendency to go fishing......

 

[dilmah]

Made some progress yesterday!Diff gears came on tuesday so I pulled the old ones out and put the new ones in to check the contact pattern. To my surprise it was almost perfect. Ill tear it down again this weekend and put new bearings through it. Still need to save for my E locker, Im guessing the diff will be fully built by the end of May.

 

[dilmah]

And another Torsion bar mount bites the dust, 4th one Ive done now. all the more reason to get the solid axle swap done! Lucky I was only 15kms from home and it was at night. Was able to limp home on the bump stops after chucking the 30" on and sitting on 40km/hr

 

[ben85]

was it the adjuster bolt that broke or another part?

i've never had a problem with any of mine.

 

[dilmah]

Nah it was the other end. Still working on it now. I had a spare torsion bar holder (A arm end) so I got the old one off real quick but getting the new one on has turned into a marathon. I cannot get the splines to match up. Ive tried drilling out the 3 bolt holes to get more movement and filed deeper grooves into the splines but no luck. My next option is to just hammer it on and do the bolts up real tight with the rattle gun. Dunno why Nissan couldn't have just had coils on the front end like a patrol, would have been so much easier..........

 

[dilmah]

Bit of an update: E Locker arrived today so thats another expensive purchase ticked off the list. Will have to wait till next payday to buy a diff bearing kit then ill get the diff built and hopefully find someone to weld the knuckles on. My mate always has an excuse when I ask him to do it so ill see if a local fab company can do it as a cashy. Progress should pick up in the next month, stay tuned for some pics!

 

[dilmah]

Diff and knuckles are ready to be welded! I also bought an 18mm HT bolt and 16.5mm drill bit that I'm gonna use as a diff plug. I already have an 18mm tap. Its gonna cost me $100+ for a 26mm tap to put the nissan plug in. This options cost me half of that. Still waiting on a reply from a fabricator on welding the diff

 

[joshy]

Buy a bsp socket to suit Nissan plug, oxy cut a hole in the housing, weld socket in, done for a lot less.

 

[dilmah]

Dont have an oxy or welder yet Joshy. Ill see how the bolt goes and if its not suitable Ill try that. Already bought all the parts aswell

 

[joshy]

Fill plug or drain plug? A bolt won't seal as well. Time consuming but you could drill out the circle with a smaller drill bit and then knock it out and get old mate that's weldin the rest for u to do it.

 

[dilmah]

Drain plug, ill see how I go tomoz. Got a rubber washer and some thread tape. If that doesn't work ill put a tapered nissan plug in

 

[dilmah]

Made some progress today, drilled and tapped the drain plug and breather hose. Also lined up a fabricator to do the diff welding for less that $200
I will be shortening the drain plug bolt, its still double the length it needs to be

 

[dilmah]

The bearing kit for the diff and the carrier adjuster tool came on Tuesday morning so over the last 2 mornings I have set up the diff and did a bit of an axle mock up today to see how things are looking. Im hoping by the end of the weekend Ill have most of the axle built, still need to find a MQ/MK brake caliper and get a set of those GU locking rings for the wheel bearings. Few more photos for those following at home.

 

[dilmah]

Im hoping to have some more progress on friday as its my RDO. Stay tuned