10-Spline heavy-duty rear axle shafts are coming!

[Mercedesrover]

I talked about these axles a few weeks ago...They'll be ready soon. They fix for good, the most common problem with Series Land Rovers, broken axle shafts.

These are a direct replacement to your original Land Rover 10-spline rear axle shafts and will require no modifications. They are made from thru-hardened 4340 chrome-molly alloy and are machined to a new factory side gear and drive flange for an accurate fit with little back-lash.

Destructive testing is underway of both the stock Land Rover axles and these new alloy axles but expect a shaft 2-3 times stronger than stock with the elimination of the biggest problem with stock shafts, breakage from fatuige.

Pre-orders at a reduces price are being taken now. $625.00 per pair including shipping to the lower 48. After the initial run they will be $650.00 plus shipping. Expect the first orders to be shipped on or around February 5th.

Email for details. pbs@mohawk.net

http://www.seriestrek.com

Jim

[J!m]

Great Basin Rovers has had these available since 2001.

How do I know? I tested the prototypes in my '71 IIa in North Africa with no problems at all. (I had a spare set just in case)

Well, there WAS the ring gear I shattered because the axle shaft didn't break... So remember you will move the stress to another part when you fix the "fuse" Rover installed...

[Mercedesrover]

Great Basin had them since the late 90's but hasn't been able to get them for two years or so now. They were Maxi-Drive axles made in Australia. Those were good shafts though. Maxi-Drive isn't doing much anymore and rumor has it the company is for sale. Between that and the American dollar against the Australian dollar, heavy duty 10-spline axles are no longer available in the states. Not until now anyway.

Land Rover drivetrains have always been notoriously week with the rear axle shafts being the biggest fault, but the myth that Land Rover made the axles week on purpose is just that...A myth. Installing improved axles will not eliminate all drivetrain problems but will cure the biggest, and for most people will make their trucks reliable in most terrain. Land Rover diffentials have their problems as well, which can also be solved, but that's a different conversation.

Jim

[yorker]

I tried on and off for the last year to get a set of 10 spline HD axles from GBR all to no avail. When I last heard Bill at GBR was looking into having some made here in the US, presumably by Moser or Dutchman.

Since he hasn't been able to supply HD 10 splines Jim has decided to step in and offer them. Way to go Jim!

I think for 85% of LR people a better 10 spline axle made to fit right in the place of a stock shaft is the way to go, possibly with a Truetrac if they want to get a better diff than the 2 pinion stock Rover diff. Since these are 4340 they should be better than some of the "hardened" stock shafts formerly offered by some vendors. If they break they should break clean yet the yield strength of the shaft should be significantly higher than the stock shaft, it should be more resistant to fatigue failure in particular...

If you frequently do anything really ******** then the Toyota conversion or at least the 24 spline conversion would be the way to go.

Whatever way people go I'd highly recommend replacing their drive flanges. I had a lot of problems with stock axles and later found out that it was likely due to a worn drive flange. When I swapped it for an unworn flange my problems were greatly reduced.

[TeriAnn]

Since these are 4340 they should be better than some of the "hardened" stock shafts formerly offered by some vendors. If they break they should break clean yet the yield strength of the shaft should be significantly higher than the stock shaft, it should be more resistant to fatigue failure in particular...

I should hope so. I had a set of special "unbreakable" 10 spline axles under the rear of my 109 during the 1980's. I found they lasted me about twice as long as the factory axles tended to but when one broke there were lots of big chunks that got between the diff gears.

Being a slow learner I didn't get around to installing a Salisbury until after I broke my sixth 10 spline rear axle.

I think 10 spline set ups need all the help they can get

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[yorker]

I think 10 spline set ups need all the help they can get

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WHAT!? do you mean it wasn't intentionally under engineered to serve as a fuse for the driveline? heh heh...

Which HD axles did you get? I know some people experimented with standard axles that were differently heat treated and or cryo treated. I don't know of any of those that really worked out in the end.

It will be interesting to see the results of Jim's tests, I'd like to know what material the stock axles are made from too...

[TeriAnn]

WHAT!? do you mean it wasn't intentionally under engineered to serve as a fuse for the driveline? heh heh...

No, thats what the gearbox was for. Actually I should not say that. It was considered quite strong and advanced when the design was introduced in 1934.

Which HD axles did you get?

Golly, that was a good 20 years ago. I don't remember who made them. I bought them from Scotty. I do remember that they are not a normal steel colour. If memory serves they were a dull green grayish colour or just a dull gray. They were not a normal steel or iron colour.

[yorker]

sounds like they may have been carburized?

I think Cornflakes still sells something similar.

[Leslie]

I think Cornflakes still sells something similar.

I know who you're talkin' about! And why!

[J!m]

They were Maxi-Drive axles made in Australia.
Jim

Actually, the first ones were not maxi-drive axles, they were supplied by a US manufacturer. I know this because I contacted that manufacturer directly myself to have some made for me, and they informed me they could not make them for me because Great Basin was getting them made (exclusivity). That is when I contacted Great Basin and found that they had the first prototype set only in stock (under test), and I had to wait another month to get the first (and second) production set of axles. These first production axles are what I tested in North Africa.

If something happened between 2001 and now where he had to change manufacturers, I am not aware of it, as I have not needed to change the axles again. I only know where the first ones came from.