welded diffs

[maker]

Plz don't shout at me but I'm going to weld my rear diff up! BUT what I'm asking is can I do my front as well? I've done the power steering convention already but if I drive it in 2 wheel drive 2 the pit I shouldn't have any trouble steering??? All info would b great! Thanks Dave

[Hodgie812]

Welded front diff will be fine if you have manual free wheel hubs to disconnect the drive from the wheels to the half shafts and diff.

[Anton]

I'd say weld up the front, sure - but try to save up for one of these for the rear:

http://www.rsmfg.co.uk/page19.html

or

http://www.jimnybits.co.uk/shop/sj-/-sa ... _1076.html

That is, assuming you have a Sammy...

If you've got a 410 or a Vit, those won't fit.

[turbo-tom]

if you weld up both of the diffs and dont have front free wheeling hubs fitted well your steering will be interesting!!!

Also if its a road legal truck you need to tell your MOT man. (not sure even if there road legal tho)

[ScottieJ]

I would never weld the front, in 4wd all it'll want to do is pull in a straight line and your turning circle will suck! I don't know about you but I don't fancy having to get out and unlock hubs everytime i can't get around a tight corner offroad

Much better to weld the rear and fit a lock rite or selectable locker up front.

[Anton]

I would never weld the front, in 4wd all it'll want to do is pull in a straight line and your turning circle will suck! I don't know about you but I don't fancy having to get out and unlock hubs everytime i can't get around a tight corner offroad

Much better to weld the rear and fit a lock rite or selectable locker up front.

From what Mike has said about his lockrites, I'm not sure that they don't ruin your turning circle too. I think that, under "normal" power, they should be ok, but if you have to floor it, they'll lock and you won't turn like you should.

I'm hoping that I can eventually afford line locks on the front, and use my rover calipers at the rear as fiddles. The plan is that on very tight corners, I lock the inner side up with one of the line locks and one of the fiddles, and then skid steer around the corner.

You can't do that without open diffs. And while open diffs won't get you out of trouble as often, if you have fiddles/line locks, you can always utilise them to force more power into the tyres that have traction, creating a "virtual" spool scenario.

So I'd recommend leaving the diffs open, and getting line locks/fiddles instead - but that's just my preference for *my* truck.

[ScottieJ]

Yes under power it would be the same but at least you can back off the throttle to regain 'some' turning circle.

Line locks as fiddles are too complicated to use in my opinion and the results would not be as good as traditional fiddles. There is also no need for a system on the front as you need both front wheels to drag it around the corner. Have you ever seen a trialler/challenge truck with fiddles on the front axle?

The best way to run fiddles is with an extra set of calipers on the rear plumbed into their own system, if you remove the levers so that there's no way of operating them on road then it could also be road legal. Using the cable operated handbrake on rover calipers for fiddles is a waste of time, I've not heard of one person who has tried it with good results.

[Edweird]

I'm hoping that I can eventually afford line locks on the front, and use my rover calipers at the rear as fiddles. The plan is that on very tight corners, I lock the inner side up with one of the line locks and one of the fiddles, and then skid steer around the corner.

You can't do that without open diffs. And while open diffs won't get you out of trouble as often, if you have fiddles/line locks, you can always utilise them to force more power into the tyres that have traction, creating a "virtual" spool scenario.

So I'd recommend leaving the diffs open, and getting line locks/fiddles instead - but that's just my preference for *my* truck.

You should just do away with the front axle and fit tracks.

[Anton]

Using the cable operated handbrake on rover calipers for fiddles is a waste of time, I've not heard of one person who has tried it with good results.

Hmmm...

I have considered gutting them, removing everything that has anything to do with the handbrake, and welding shut the bolt hole on the back where the spring for the handbrake pushes the handbrake "corkscrew" thing inside the caliper around.

Every single Rover forum I've seen the rear brakes talked about has always talked about this system failing, sticking, and generally just causing trouble. It's caused me a fair bit of grief.

If I removed all the handbrake crap, then they'd just be plain, simple calipers. No more or less likely to cause problems than any other.

You should just do away with the front axle and fit tracks.

Click Here for Youtube Video

[Edweird]

They're good, but I was thinking if you're planning on having fiddle brakes at the rear and skid steering you could do away with the front axle and have full length tracks. Or you could put the fiddle brakes in pairs on both axles I suppose. I reckon an SJ with full length tracks would be an amazing off road vehicle. The contact area versus weight would mean you'd float over soft terrain easily.