CylinderHead Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 will be asking lots of question on here soon, getting ready for my next project. so anyways can you shorten the axels on a diff, i.e to be fitted to a narrower car, how easy is this to do/ how much does it cost to take to an engineering shop? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewGuy Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Sounds pretty intense i hae always thought about this myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxtoy Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 its not easy, shortening the housing isn't that hard but with most axles you need to cut them down and then have them resplined. if you have a look on trademe there's a couple of advertisements to do this, one is around $1200 and the other one $1650, both for hilux diff's where you supply the diff and brake conversion stuff. alternatively Diffs R Us in Auckland has a really good reputation, not sure how much they are though. would be interested to hear how you go with this, i'm currently stripping a hilux diff down for shortening to fit my celica with some superwide rear wheels. cheers Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoozin Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Any decent maching shop worth their salt should be able to shorten and respline the axles. To suit a shortened housing of course. A friend of mine here does his own (qualified fitter and turner) and has never had any issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CylinderHead Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 wow, might be expensive. i'll have to do some more research. will explain my project later, but my idea requires the diff to be off center. so hopefully would just be shortening one of the axels by quite a bit and leaving the other one as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 its not easy, shortening the housing isn't that hard but with most axles you need to cut them down and then have them resplined.alternatively Diffs R Us in Auckland has a really good reputation, not sure how much they are though. They are about the same as trademe going by your figures above. You could also do it the rugged way and make a jig and weld them up yourself. This was done to a diff I had and it ran 500hp without breaking. Guess depends if the weld fully penertrates etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CylinderHead Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 i wont be running huge horse power, probably close to 100, so doesn't need to be insanely strong. so what do you do if you do it your self? cut the housing, cut the axel, weld together, put housing back on and hope its straight??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 I would imagine that most diffs should be able to hold up to 100hp. I wouldn't worry about it too much until you know for sure if you heve to do it... save yourself some money. But in saying that, Steelie Gears in Otahuhu do this, last time I was there he showed me a hilux diff with R31 brakes on it which had been shortened. Now I'm pretty sure the sxel was actaully cut and welded back together but it was crazy cause you couldn't see the weld. I much better like the idea of cutting and resplining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CylinderHead Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 definitely will have to have it shortened to achieve an off center diff. just how i go about it will be the question. since it wont be taking huge horse power mite see if i can manage to weld it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpr Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 on some diffs, if you dont need to shorten it much. you may get away with just triming the ends off the axles. my hilux diff i shortend the housing about 20mm each side. there was enough spline cut up the axles, that wasnt being used. for me to cut 20mm of the end of each axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejake Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Lots of 4x4s have off centre diffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteretep Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 you'd have to have some mean machines to be able to do it yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CylinderHead Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share Posted October 5, 2007 yeah, i know that lots of 4x4s have off center diffs, but if i used one of them i would have to cut each side anyway, so if i get standard diff and just shorten one side alot it will be nicely off center. was thinking too, if i took it to a engineering shop and got it cut and welded rather than resplined how much do you reakon it would cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Best bet is to ring and ask. None on here has had it done as far as I know. Id say wioth all the setup work etc itd be at least 4 spot. Thats if ya can find someone willing to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sholdowa Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Hey SpecialT why do you want it offcentre? I'd've thought the opposite would be best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burntrubber Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 A place here in Whangarei cuts and re-welds them for between $100-150 per axle. Housings cost from $600-800 to shorten including axles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vvega Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 when we do them we bore teh flange cut the axle to suit shrink teh flange .3-.5 interferance onto teh axel and put a weld back in teh factory location done man high hp cars like this and it has a few benfits like renewing one of the most stressed parts of the axel with new less fatigued steel and while were there we true up your flange and bearing surface spline cutting is dam expensive but works....though you still have the old flange joint and with a shorter axel it will now see more stress cuting and joining in the middle.....well that can be ok but there are very few people in the country that can do it well make sure they re temper and stress realive/polish there weld and have it crack tested afterwards diff housings are eazy to do on teh otherhand...just make sure tehy sigot them and teh hold teh hubs true afterwars or you will end up with a car that crabs and never handles quite right hope that helps you with your chosen method wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testament Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Whats it for? I'm guessing not the 124 with this off set diff nugget idea. suzuki jeep or something like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CylinderHead Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share Posted October 6, 2007 want to put a bike engine into a bambina, most likely a 750 or similar. figured out a drive system that will need the diff to be off center. i'll put up some sketches and get some feedback on what you guys think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testament Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 but arent they IRS? be easier to go with some kind of transaxle setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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