Has anyone here built custom solid axles?

[rcx132]

Hey everyone,

I'm at the point in my 4x4 buggy build where I'm planning to build the custom axles. Has anyone here built custom solid axles? And be willing to answer questions or share experiences?

I started the build with stock Jimny axles because they are compatible with panhard bars. However they're too narrow to allow full suspension articulation and they're too weak to run bigger tyres. So, I'm planning to upgrade to Suzuki Samurai axles, modified to fit the panhard, widened, and upgraded with stronger shafts & CVs, and fully floating design.

The tricky part will be alignment, keeping everything in place while extending the axle. I think a lot of the work will involve building a jig?

Thanks!

 

[minimutly]

Spirit level is what pipe fitters use....

 

[sako243]

Big bit of (straight) pipe / scaffold bar / solid bar through the middle?

Surely the only thing that matters if you're going fully floating is that the half-shafts mate with the diff squarely (or close enough not to cause premature wear), and the end flanges are square to each other. Ideally everything is centred otherwise you'll run into alignment issues.

There's a chap Stephen (aka Stellaghost) over on LR4x4 who's built a couple of Unimog 404 axles (first pair for under his lightweight and a second for another forum member). The man is a certified lunatic but what he can do with metal is damn impressive.

https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/102886-mog-404-axles

 

[cheb]

With a suitable lathe and milling machine you could make a billet one. That would give you proper bragging rights

 

[Baloo]

have you considered toyota hilux or land cruiser axles, slightly wider than sammy a whole lot stronger and some come fitted with diff locks
or are you keen to keep it all suzuki

 

[rcx132]

have you considered toyota hilux or land cruiser axles, slightly wider than sammy a whole lot stronger and some come fitted with diff locks
or are you keen to keep it all suzuki

I did consider but they probably won't fit. At full bump the diff tucks behind the sump, the top suspension link fits in the space next to the engine. I'd have to jack up the car by 100mm to fit bigger axles. Plus I need quite a lot of extra width because of the massive suspension.

The Suzuki axles should be fine with uprated shafts. I've spoken to a couple of shops and they say the axles with custom shafts are good to 35" tyres.

 

[PhillipM]

Always just turned an ally spigot that went up the middle of the old axle and the extensions to centre the new tube, weld, let it cool slowly, knock plug out from the other side.

 

[addjunkie]

From a fabrication perspective, keeping tubes aligned is fairly straight forward using a jig, doesnt need to be anything that complex. The originals probably are not that accurate anyway. Lazer alignment from a level would probably sort alignment. Ive only shortened reliant ones.

 

[indy4x]

I have seen some Gaztube videos, they machine some round pieces to bolt into the diff carrier bearing brackets and another pair to bolt onto the ends of the axle and run a straight bar through to get it all aligned

Sleeving maybe another option

 

[minimutly]

I eventually persuaded myself to cut the tubes out of my first trikes Reliant axle. Bought some suitable tube, machined down and pressed into the diff. The wheel ends were machined and welded, checked with a spirit level and square. Don't overthink it...

 

[Kayos]

Big bit of (straight) pipe / scaffold bar / solid bar through the middle?

Surely the only thing that matters if you're going fully floating is that the half-shafts mate with the diff squarely (or close enough not to cause premature wear), and the end flanges are square to each other. Ideally everything is centred otherwise you'll run into alignment issues.

There's a chap Stephen (aka Stellaghost) over on LR4x4 who's built a couple of Unimog 404 axles (first pair for under his lightweight and a second for another forum member). The man is a certified lunatic but what he can do with metal is damn impressive.

https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/102886-mog-404-axles

That was a 200 page rabbit hole I didn't need to fall into

 

[bricol]

I think setting them straight is no problem - keeping them that way as you weld at full welly all the way around . . .

My trials car ran with considerable negative camber on the Ford english axle - but it did knock out the wheel bearings very very quickly - as evidenced by the lack of rear brakes due to the oil lubrication now being provided to them.

 

[Cobbler]

I think setting them straight is no problem - keeping them that way as you weld at full welly all the way around . . .

My trials car ran with considerable negative camber on the Ford english axle - but it did knock out the wheel bearings very very quickly - as evidenced by the lack of rear brakes due to the oil lubrication now being provided to them.

The Cannon trials car I had was the same, somehow the Ford 105e axle got bent. I could never work it out how an 7cwt car could bend an axle off a 15cwt car. It had never been shortened & welded crooked, happened in use somehow, it did get some stick though, happy memories.

 

[rcx132]

Big bit of (straight) pipe / scaffold bar / solid bar through the middle?

Surely the only thing that matters if you're going fully floating is that the half-shafts mate with the diff squarely (or close enough not to cause premature wear), and the end flanges are square to each other. Ideally everything is centred otherwise you'll run into alignment issues.

I think that the housing face that mates with the diff needs to be square with the housing ends that hold the bearings. Looking at the photo below, that seems to be what the jig is doing:

The feedback I'm seeing on this thread is not to worry too much about alignment. It's a buggy, it does a few hours driving a month, maybe it's not doing the mileage for alignment to matter. I extended my own prop shaft just to get the thing going, minimal alignment. I've had the buggy upto 40mph off road and no noticable vibrations.

 

[minimutly]

I think setting them straight is no problem - keeping them that way as you weld at full welly all the way around . . .

My trials car ran with considerable negative camber on the Ford english axle - but it did knock out the wheel bearings very very quickly - as evidenced by the lack of rear brakes due to the oil lubrication now being provided to them.

The circuit boys who had to keep solid rear axles used to cut and reweld them at the diff to get some camber...
Probably didn't do the shaft splines much good - thinking about this my Yamaha xj drive shaft has a shaped spline, to allow some movement at the other end..

 

[PhillipM]

The off road race guys do too they just life the axles for a year or so.

 

[addjunkie]

The circuit boys who had to keep solid rear axles used to cut and reweld them at the diff to get some camber...
Probably didn't do the shaft splines much good - thinking about this my Yamaha xj drive shaft has a shaped spline, to allow some movement at the other end..

Did you offset the diff to minimise joint angle..too steep they wear really quickly?