hello people, i currently have a jag irs for my van project... after much thought im thinking that i need to sell the irs and go for a solid axle like a ford etc.
Mainly due to how much i would need to shorten by and the stresses placed on it.
What axles would you recomend? Needs to be easy to source/ find parts for, as i am going to shorten it i would prefer one that doesnt need new spines cutting if at all possable?
greased-up-deaf-guy wrote:hello people, i currently have a jag irs for my van project... after much thought im thinking that i need to sell the irs and go for a solid axle like a ford etc.
Mainly due to how much i would need to shorten by and the stresses placed on it.
What axles would you recomend? Needs to be easy to source/ find parts for, as i am going to shorten it i would prefer one that doesnt need new spines cutting if at all possable?
Thanks in advance for any help
Might help if you stated what you need.
What car, what usage, what power, what width do you need etc etc ?
Sorry for lack of details, going into a space framed caddy van. For use on road and the odd 1/4 mile. Running 190hp at first then 500-600 max. Need to narrow to 37-40inches.
greased-up-deaf-guy wrote:Sorry for lack of details, going into a space framed caddy van. For use on road and the odd 1/4 mile. Running 190hp at first then 500-600 max. Need to narrow to 37-40inches.
What weight is the vehicle ?
Shortening an axle ( or widening ) isnt a huge task. Custom shafts are pretty easy to get too, and not overly expensive.
A Ford 8.8 would be overkill, not sure how readily available they are in the UK though.
Tony/Coops had his 8.8 done by Andy Robinson Race cars
I just did mine all myself...and amazingly it still works lol
UK Sources of an 8.8" are Ford Explorer jeeps, although not sure how common those are to find.
Over on Pistonheads/Holden section there is a guy selling a Camaro 10 bolt axle. Not the strongest thing around for a 500bhp Camaro, but if the vehicle was very light it would be a decent unit, and probably not that expensive.
Or would an IRS of some form be an option ? Any idea what sort of diff ratio you need or want ?
Something from an old Volvo might be an affordable and strong option.
I think some members here have used a Toyota axle, although not sure from what vehicle.
the big names...
Ford 9" ( American, expensive, serious overkill )
Ford 8.8" ( mostly American, slightly less expensive, serious overkill )
Volvo ? Dana ? Toyota ?
Ford 8" ?
IRS options.
Well, most modern performance rwd cars will have a decent rear axle setup. Some easier to retrofit than others.
Toyota Supra...strong
Nissan Skyline...strong
BMW's ? go for bigger engined models Although I think the BM's use short ratio diffs, so maybe not good for everyone
If a very short diff is suitable....large rwd vans ? Transit ? Sprinter ?
Maybe not a lot of LSD options for them though.
I think there are hotrod type forums about, they might yield more info as it's more about chassis build than anything.
Possibly scimitar axle could be a suitable item, they are essentially british made dana 60 with 114.4 pcd hubs and also are effectively jag IRS diffs in live axle form 4HA being a solid axle and a 4HU being a irs
se5a axles are 54" wide and se6 ones are 56"
with a crownwheel spacer ring and half shaft wheel bearing preload piece fitted into a jag power lock diff it can be transplanted into a live axle version
and all the different ratios from 2.88 to 5:1 utilised iirc
Hi
I think for 190 BHP pretty well anything american would be a degree of overkill, I would seriously consider an MGB, rover SD1, sherpa (though the ratios can be a bit low, ford transit, range rover, merc sprinter, maybe volvo, anything bigger will take too much power.
Best regrads
Mike
Hi Stevie
True, he did but I would still start with one of the lighter axels and upgrade when the engine mods are done that take him to the 5 or 600BHP. If you only have 190bhp to start with and use an axel that takes 30 to 35bhp to drive it (say a 10 bolt, 8.8" of 9") then it is a big hit as opposed to an MGB axel that will take only 15 or 20 to drive it. If he can get a 10 bolt cheap (and they generally are when they come up) then by all means buy it and prepare it by cleaning everything painting it and cutting the casing to width and adding all the brackets but then stick it in the corner and save it until the other mods come in . With all the aftermarket stuff for the 10 bolt they are good for a lot more than 5 or 600 bhp with just shafts, a bit of bracing and an aftermarket crown wheel and pinion.
Best regards
Mike
Thanks for the replys guys,
I've got my eye on a couple of axles... a sd1 and a 10 bolt which both seem cheap. Just the drum brakes putting me off.
Im guessing discs are easy to retro fit if needs be?
Im looking into gear boxes too, could you suggest a manual box capable of handling my final power figure thats available for sub £500... if thats even possable?
I'd like to have this on my rv8 then a sbc, building a chassis so it would be nice to have the final box to build the tunnel around.
Finally what diff ratio do i want for a good motorway cruise but still good pick up?
sorry for all the questions!
37-40 inches wide is pretty narrow, I doubt that you can find anything even close. I am using a TR7 axle which is more or less the same as SD1, only a bit narrower. If I would build another RWD car I would use a Ford 8" axle (used in early Mustangs, Falcons etc.). It is fairly light, ratios are easy to change, lots of aftermarket parts and so on. Nowadays you can buy DIY casings from USA, i.e, you can weld it to whatever width you want (or buy a complete casing any width you want.
At 37-40 width you basically need either resplined halfshafts or custom made. TR7 / SD1 shafts had enough material but were hardened more or less through the shaft so I had big problems locating a machine shop that could machine new splines.
Diff ratio is a bit different, you need to factor in the weight of the car, tire size (diameter) and box ratios. My car is about 2000 lbs, has LT77 box and 3,08 ratio. Wheels are 15" and tyre size is 195/50. Revs are about 1800 at 50 mph and 2100+ at 65 mph. I have run 13,04 at 1/4 mile with traction problems at the lauch. You need to factor in how much street and how much strip but I would choose something like 3,50:1 if you have reasonable gearbox ratios.
Hi
Can I ask, if you want to go SBC why you are starting out tuning a rover, for the money you would spend building a refreshed 190 bhp rover you could buy a 230bhp SBC all don, ok not a new one, but a good second hand 350 4 bold chevy off Eurodragster/Ebay carb to oil pan would be under £1500, getting a doggy old rover, stripping and rebuilding it and adding stage 1 heads, cam and 4 barrel and manifold is going to cost you more than that. If you went for a 327 SBC, less popular size and a 2 bolt block, you would get a low milage runner for about £850, probably have to buy a carb but still get you over 220BHP with factory heads.
As for box, if it is to be an auto then a TH400 would be best with a 2500 ish stall converter and a rear ratio in the region of 3.4:1 and 28" tyres, that would see you to about 550 bhp as is, add a performance rebuild kit and you would be looking at about 750 bhp capacity the box would be in budget, the converter would be about £350, a 'glide would be more money, but uprated it can handle big power, even a sstreet strip spec box for under $800 will handle 750 bhp, again about £350 for the converter (unless you find a £50 bargin on ebay. . . I did a few years ago, 2800 stall and 3200 stall both in good condition and not ballooned sold on now unfortunatly. One of the modern electronic 3 + overdrive autos 4L60 E for instance would be a good option, but a controller is not cheep (unless you are going MSQ injection, then you can use an add on board) but very strong and meant to be very good boxes
As for manual boxes, you will have a job finding anything in good condition that will handle the torque of a 350 chevy for your budget, a 327, 305 or 307 would be ok with a T5 if you don't go mad on the tuning (keep it below 360 ftlb of torque)
If you must have manual then really the T5/6, TKO 500 and TKO 600 are about your main potions, but none of them are in your budget.
Best regards
Mike
