ra40 axles into t-series

[eightsixboy]

I have bought a diff which i think is either from a jdm ae86 or maybe a te series corolla, anywayz it came with axles and centre from a ra40 and when i bolt the axle up on the rhs the bearing will almost seize, i put the same axle in the lhs and its fine. They have both been shaved down but one has been shaved more than the other and its actually been shaved on a angle lol.

I have replcaced both bearings, checked in the housings for any obstructions and it all looks good.

I have been told that i will have to grind 10mm of the original length of the axles for it to fit cause the ra40 diff's were like 20mm longer than other t-series.

It makes sense that the axle would have to be shorter on the pinion side of the diff, but how much should i take of, i don't know what the original length of the shafts were.

Has anyone has had any experience with this before? Or maybe used ra40 axles in a ae86 housing?

Cheers.

[Hen is a total nutcase]

Yes, been discussed a lot.

10mm off each axle using RA40, RA60, RT132 axles in TE72 housing. Worked a treat for the last 4 years or so.

Hen

[Gilly]

i concur

10mm of length removed from both axles = success!!

[eightsixboy]

hey i also found out that you have to lenghthen the splines or it'll bottom out. :2thumbs:

[Hen is a total nutcase]

Really???

I've never run into that problem and I've had probably 10 axles and 5 centres through my T18 housing.

Could it possibly be an RA23/28 housing?

[federal]

with the T18 housing and RA40 axles 8mm is sufficient, and no, you do NOT need to lengthen the splines....

[choom78]

Shaving the axles doesn't alter the original track of the axles? It just lets the axles fit into the lsd?

[federal]

correct....the ra40 housing is wider, so the axle is shorten to suit the narrower housing...

[eightsixboy]

i actually had to lenghten the splines on the rh axle cause the wheel bearing would seize when i did up the bolts :huh: . I checked everything out, measured and re-measured everything and i had to lengthen the splines about 1mm so it wouldn't bottom out in the diff. When i mean lenghten i just cut a ridge were the splines ended so it would slide further into the diff.

After i did that it was fine, although there is a bees dick of endfloat, were as the lhs axle is completly solid.

Maybe i do have a ra28 housing? But that would'nt bolt in anyway cause arnt the mounts for the arms in different places? I was told the it had a ra40 centre and axles.

[Hen is a total nutcase]

If you cut a groove around the end of the splines I'd be worried. This is exactly where the axle breaks normally. Plus you will have cut through the outer heat treated layer, which helps with its strength.

Hen

[rthy]

how do yo guys normally shorten your axles without heating them up too much? I was thinking of small cuts at a time with a grinder packing a slitting disk

[Gilly]

i didn't have a cutting disc last time i did it so i just ground it down with a grinding disc.

didn't pay much attention to heat, stopped pretty frequently anyway to ensure it was all still level (ish)

[RobertoX]

Hack saw with some lubrication, it's not that hard... then a touch up with a file or a grinder. I found that it needed a bit more than 10mm (maybe 13 or something) but when I took off 10mm the RA40 axle touched the the spider.

[slydar]

the problem you may be having is that you might have an early style trd lsd. which requires a short axle on one side, even if you put it into a normal x7/x8 housing with its stock axles.

hows that for drunken info'.

[RobertoX]

Not too bad, but it was for an open centre (ra40)...

How's that for a drunken reply? :P

Just out of interest, which side?

[rthy]

I am guessing the ra40 and the TE72 housing use the same bearings yes?