Vendor Source for Rear Axle half shafts

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firemanshort
Posts: 378
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Loudoun County, VA - near Wash DC

Vendor Source for Rear Axle half shafts

Post by firemanshort »

I am need of rear half shafts for my Stage One w/Salisbury 24 spline

I am looking for each standard axles or maybe something that claims to be heavy duty.

Is there a vendor that is really good for heavy duty axles?

Thanks!
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Cliff4WD
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Re: Vendor Source for Rear Axle half shafts

Post by Cliff4WD »

I was thinking Ashcroft Transmissions here in UK might do them but could only see rear shafts for 90/110s. I don't know if these are compatible, probably not, but might be worth contacting them for a steer in the right direction though. Then there's DDE where Bryan is busy making various parts for Stage 1s, he might have an answer.
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map1275
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Re: Vendor Source for Rear Axle half shafts

Post by map1275 »

There's not that much point or benefit. The weak points are at either end where you must narrow to meet the diff or flange. A thicker shaft (which most of the 'stronger' aftermarket items profess) still has the same weak spots. The metalergy difference of some non-standards can be a plus. However genuine part will usually suffice for most applications. Eliminating as much backlash as possible will have a greater effect on component longevity.
Glen
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Re: Vendor Source for Rear Axle half shafts

Post by Glen »

Someone like P A Blanchard are probubly a good source for genuine shafts and if they are new old stock from the MOD they are probubly as good as they ever were - buy them before Blanchard close down for good :(

Pattern shafts are easy to find for not much money from the usual scumbags though they probubly are inferior - I know the new pattern rover shafts are way easier to break than old ones! Salsburys aren’t too known for shaft failures unless abused or fitting with massive power or huge tyres, they are a fair bit thicker than the 10 spline ones. Compared to your average defender the series shafts are a bit shorter (a bit less torsion bar effect), don’t have the issue of thinner drive flanges made of cheese and no lubrication that strips the splines on later defenders (by far the most common cause of shaft failure on a 110) and are generally probubly not as abused as much as the stiffer suspension promotes less aggressive driving which all should make theme more reliable - some people like to publish all over the internet how many parts they’ve broken so they can win a medal but it’s always worth remembering most people don’t shout about a stock truck working fine and that’s the silent majority - most things aren’t as week as the internet says.

Stronger shafts from better metal are stronger (Ashcroft have a page explaining it, though of course it’s also marketing) but they are also massively more expencive so you could break several normal ones before it’s cost effective (though it would reduce failures in use and thus saucing/carrying spares or if you have a fancy expencive diff centre the risk of killing it with fragments, so that’s all worth considering).

I did once approach Ashcroft about some halfshafts they didn’t currently make and they were surprisingly unhelpful, you may have better luck but it seemed at the time they weren’t interested in making a new product (they are usally really busy doing what they already do so I guess it’s not worth the hassle/resources - this was expressed bluntly) or reveal whoever actually makes their shafts for them.

Worth noting too that though people make 24 spline rover shafts for a series, I believe the shaft lengths on a Salisbury are slightly different as the bigger pinion/crown wheel offsets the middle of the diff slightly so they won’t be compatable.
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