opinions on my series build.

[I Leak Oil]

Availability is another matter of consideration when choosing axles. It would be stupid to try and use some Russian truck axles for instance..

Can't agree more!

Mike, I've thought about the Ford 9" also. More than adequate for a rover, light, tons of various parts available, still gives you good ground clearance, easy to work on in the driveway.

But in the end that is still more money and effort than building a rover axle to be adequate for 99% of the rovers out there.

Can still dream though right?!

 

[frans]

Personally I think alloy 'yota wheels look pretty stupid on a series rover. Add 5 steelies to the list of needs.

I agree! However these came to me cheap and had the size tires I wanted. For me, my idea of a rover is a working vehicle that is competent on and off road and is made of readily available parts. Down the road when I stumble upon some steel rims I will snatch them up.
With the help of a friend of mine this rover is coming along and I hope to have a vehicle that I can do some road trips with. Just have to sort out the rest of the electrical and then paint it.
The toyota truck axles did not come with rear disk brakes so we put on chevy calipers. All in all it really was not that big of a deal to do and the overall cost was way below what ROAM charges. Not to say that brake conversion is not great quality, but using the common parts ensures I can go into any parts house and pick up what I need on the spot. My reasoning is that if I am going to be driving around the U.S. with this vehicle chances are that I can get the parts I need much easier than rover parts. I picture going into some parts house in some small town and be able to walk out with the parts I need. Thats critical to me. Stuff never breaks down in convenient areas and I would rather be driving and enjoying my vehicle than waiting for a parts delivery from UPS.

 

[Alaska Mike]

That was my line of thinking. If you don't have to have the Toyota e-lockers, the mini truck axles have a lot going for them, and are readily available for less than $800 a set. Disc brakes on the front, 4.10 gearing, parts availability... Weld on the perches and sort out the steering, and you're pretty much done.

I like a lot of what I see on Rover axles, particularly the full-floater rear, but there are some drawbacks as well (like the 10 spline axles). When you're talking about building what is already going to be a mish-mash of marques, the whole "correct" thing goes out the window. Make it functional, durable, and sustainable, but most of all make it something that you're going to love. That will sustain you through the other bumps in the road.

 

[Michele]

For me, my idea of a rover is a working vehicle that is competent on and off road and is made of readily available parts. (...)
With the help of a friend of mine this rover is coming along

I like it

At the moment I'm trying to bring my 109" IIA back on the road (I'll give the rear section of the chassis a 2nd lick of paint in the following days),
and I've been dreaming of SPOA & engine swap for years.
Given the country I live in and the lack of freedom when it comes to vehicles modification, I don't know if I'll ever do all I have in mind (if I want to be allowed to drive on public road),
but the ROAM upgrades are sure a great product if you can afford them. I'd love non-Rovers axles any day :drool:

 

[aka rover]

Some very good info. here for sure, all this depends on farication skills as stated above. That said I pretty much could have went with any axle combo out there as I have the skills to install whatever.

I choose to go with Rover axles due to the availablity of parts these days, ROAM offroad has made it easy to beef up a rover axle for some money and little effort and all the replacement parts are standard Rover and easy to get. They have Super10 spline axles and 24 splines which is what I went with as well as a rear detroit and a set 4.75 gears so you dont need to run a spacer. I think the toyota swap was a great solution to a problem when there was no support for the rover axle, but now thats not the case.


As for the front axle it is still in the works of what axle shafts I will run on the front probably going to run a air locker with a set of 24 spline inners to finish it off. And at the End of the day its still bolt in components that any garage mechanic can handle. Besides one of the coolest things about a Rover is its 5 on 6.5 bolt pattern!.. if this is your thing!!!:drool:

 

[killahaas@gmail.com]

its not that i dont have the fabrication skills, because i know i do, but its the time and the space that i dont have so i can't have everything laying around for two weeks start working a little bit and than wait a week. i dont have the work space for that. and i am doing exactly what i am akarover said, which is how its totally different today with the aftermarket support for rover axles, i want something i can do in a weekends time. which pretty much can.
Dylan

 

[DividingCreek]

My friend has a 300TDI and getting parts (without paying a ridiculous premium) all have to come from England...his truck has been down from the count for most of this year.

/QUOTE]

Something is very wrong with this statement. Any part can be had in three days from the UK which is how long it takes for Atlantic British or Rovers North etc to get a part to me. There is no part of a 300 tdi that cannot readily be had immediately. The engine is dirt simple.

Robert Davis in Virginia has engineered an adapter kit to put the 617 engine in a series or defender utilizing an r380 short bellhousing 5 speed. I drove his truck 35 miles through the mountains @ the recent Conclave event in Va @ speeds up to 75mph. Great setup and Merc 617 engines are everywhere for short money.

 

[ArmyRover]

Does Davis have a site or something with more details, I wouldn't mind putting a om617 in. I'd like to find out more like cost of kit, what it includes etc. I was following the thread he had on pirate for awhile but it seemed to fall apart.

 

[aka rover]

I put a OM-617 into my 109 this last winter and it was a pretty straight forward install, with Advanced adapters and 4X4LABS it was a breeze. I only had to build motor mounts for motor, of course mine is a NADA model 6cly. bulkhead. I just bought another 300D to shoe horn one into a 4 cyl. 88 it will be tight but doable.

Ed

there are several others out there making Adapters for these motors as well, plenty of support if you choose this route over the LR diesel.

 

[frans]

just thought I would say that no matter what conversion is done, remember that you will be converting a vehicle to a different system. NOT for the faint of heart. No matter what, these conversions are profound. If you think that changing a manifold or a head or some other part is 'being a mechanic', you have another think coming. Doing a parts replacement is a walk in the park compared to a conversion. Be prepared and make sure you have the resources and the expert help on hand. Also be prepared to not be able to drive your vehicle for some time. All too often I read these internet stories about a conversion and it looks easy. This is because the people have years of training and experience and the tools and a high level of skill. If you don't have that, make sure you have someone who does. And have an unreasonable amount of cash you are willing and ready to spend without question.
Also, when doing these conversions it is far too easy to fall into the 'shipfitters disease'. That condition where you don't know when to stop. Do your conversion and stick to the plan until finished. Then work on the other stuff. Otherwise you will end up ripping apart your vehicle down to the frame. It is common to see a vehicle for sale that is partly done but the owner has hit their limit and just wants to get rid of it. And that is sad, rovers were meant to be driven and worked.

 

[aka rover]

Does Davis have a site or something with more details, I wouldn't mind putting a om617 in. I'd like to find out more like cost of kit, what it includes etc. I was following the thread he had on pirate for awhile but it seemed to fall apart.

He is on ebay and will email you back with picks and a description of the conversion. I think he maybe the guy on Land Rover Exchange selling the conversions over there.

 

[ArmyRover]

I'll have to keep an eye open I didn't see anything on ebay or LRX

 

[aka rover]

I'll have to keep an eye open I didn't see anything on ebay or LRX

If you PM me your email I will forward a email from R Davis over to you with pics he sent me. I was curious on what he did on his conversion since I just finished one up. I like mine better but don't tell anyone I said that.

 

[acmech]

Hi all, I am a "new kid on the block". I have a 1995 disco with manual 5-speed and have recently acquired a 1974 series III. I love driving the disco, but at about 12 miles to the gallon it is getting dismal. I think that the om616/617 swap makes sense. I have Mig,Tig etc welding gear, a fairly big mill,drill and so on. There have been some superb conversions depicted on this site,with impeccable workmanship. My biggest problem is that when so many have done the adapter plate for the engine to transmission and figured out the thickness of the plate and made a template for the bolt pattern do I have to reinvent the wheel ,so to speak, and figure this out again?
I am wondering if someone might be kind enough to share their expertise and provide a template, say in mylar, for this plate? I would be willing to pay for the privilege of using this time saving device. I am fully aware that the adapter is not the only problem that needs to be addressed,ie pilot bush,oil filter etc. But the adapter is the biggest and most easily remedied,via a template,of all the problems. Keep up the great work. Allan