proto57
Member
- Posts
- 10
- Location
- New York State
This is on my 2009 LR2. I bought a replacement halfshaft/axle for the right front. But when I went to replace it, it would not go far enough into the support bearing clamp... the one which is integral with the rear right motor mount. The cap will not go on, as the bearing is too far to the right.
At first I thought maybe the axle was not going in the transmission far enough, but it slid in nicely. Then I thought maybe the factory pressed the bearing too far on the shaft, but there is no room to move it to the left... the circlip stops it, even if I could budge it.
So I measured the distance from the left end of the axle, to the face of the bearing... and it is at least 1/4" or more to the right, than original! There is NO way this new axle would ever fit in my LR2, as the axle bottoms out in the transmission long before the bearing lines up with the support bracket. Well, much of the 1/4" is taken up by the splines, but still it is off by 1/8" or more.
OK, so I looked around and found this spec for that distance, on an autoparts site... not the place I bought mine. So mine original axle, taken from my LR2, is... given a small discrepancy (3/32") due to the angle of my ruler... correct and proper:
So I felt that the new axle was machined incorrectly, that the seat for the bearing was 1/4" or more to the right. I instigated a return, and need to send it back. But that process would take a couple of days, so I bought a SECOND axle, from a different vendor, shipped from a different state. It might be made in the same Chinese factory, IDK, but the brand name and box is different. And it looks to be manufactured differently.
But LO and BEHOLD... I just measured this new axle, and it is the same as the OTHER axle I am returning! It's measurements are off both the Autozone site dimension image, AND my original axle, by the SAME amount as the first axle! I didn't try, but this will not install. Here is a comparison image by placing both axles against one another, "end to bearing face":
OK... so clearly I am missing something here, that maybe should be obvious to me, and will result in me being very embarrassed about all this. But for the love of god, I can't figure it out. Maybe someone else has a clue? Here are my thoughts so far:
1) Both new axles were machined incorrectly. Improbable, I think, as by now it would be obvious and all over the internet, and I've seen nothing when searching for this. Also, the first vendor was baffled, and didn't believe that it could be "defective", which tells me that no one else has had this problem. I strongly doubt I happen to be the ONE person who go the ONLY TWO axles machined incorrectly, and by the same amount, in the same way!
2) Some parts of my Land Rover were switched out... like maybe the rear motor mount, or transmission, is from an Evoke, or Volvo XC90, or whatever? Well, no, that can't be... because the measurements of my old axle MATCH the specs on the Autozone site. That is, my old axle measures to the original factory dimensions, it seems. It is the two axles I bought which do not match.
3) For anyone wondering, this section of the axle is solid... I mean, it does not compress. It is solid steel from the tranmission splines, all the way past this support bearing, and to the first CV carrier. It cannot be shortened.
Anyway, I am not sure what to do. I may return the second axle, too, and buy the Autozone axle... which is more than twice as much as the ones I bought. And if I do that, I can bring a tape measure, and refuse the axle on the counter, even before paying for it, if it has the bearing at the same point as these two. But then what?
Any ideas? What could I possibly be missing here? And thanks in advance for any help or advice... Rich.
At first I thought maybe the axle was not going in the transmission far enough, but it slid in nicely. Then I thought maybe the factory pressed the bearing too far on the shaft, but there is no room to move it to the left... the circlip stops it, even if I could budge it.
So I measured the distance from the left end of the axle, to the face of the bearing... and it is at least 1/4" or more to the right, than original! There is NO way this new axle would ever fit in my LR2, as the axle bottoms out in the transmission long before the bearing lines up with the support bracket. Well, much of the 1/4" is taken up by the splines, but still it is off by 1/8" or more.
OK, so I looked around and found this spec for that distance, on an autoparts site... not the place I bought mine. So mine original axle, taken from my LR2, is... given a small discrepancy (3/32") due to the angle of my ruler... correct and proper:
So I felt that the new axle was machined incorrectly, that the seat for the bearing was 1/4" or more to the right. I instigated a return, and need to send it back. But that process would take a couple of days, so I bought a SECOND axle, from a different vendor, shipped from a different state. It might be made in the same Chinese factory, IDK, but the brand name and box is different. And it looks to be manufactured differently.
But LO and BEHOLD... I just measured this new axle, and it is the same as the OTHER axle I am returning! It's measurements are off both the Autozone site dimension image, AND my original axle, by the SAME amount as the first axle! I didn't try, but this will not install. Here is a comparison image by placing both axles against one another, "end to bearing face":
OK... so clearly I am missing something here, that maybe should be obvious to me, and will result in me being very embarrassed about all this. But for the love of god, I can't figure it out. Maybe someone else has a clue? Here are my thoughts so far:
1) Both new axles were machined incorrectly. Improbable, I think, as by now it would be obvious and all over the internet, and I've seen nothing when searching for this. Also, the first vendor was baffled, and didn't believe that it could be "defective", which tells me that no one else has had this problem. I strongly doubt I happen to be the ONE person who go the ONLY TWO axles machined incorrectly, and by the same amount, in the same way!
2) Some parts of my Land Rover were switched out... like maybe the rear motor mount, or transmission, is from an Evoke, or Volvo XC90, or whatever? Well, no, that can't be... because the measurements of my old axle MATCH the specs on the Autozone site. That is, my old axle measures to the original factory dimensions, it seems. It is the two axles I bought which do not match.
3) For anyone wondering, this section of the axle is solid... I mean, it does not compress. It is solid steel from the tranmission splines, all the way past this support bearing, and to the first CV carrier. It cannot be shortened.
Anyway, I am not sure what to do. I may return the second axle, too, and buy the Autozone axle... which is more than twice as much as the ones I bought. And if I do that, I can bring a tape measure, and refuse the axle on the counter, even before paying for it, if it has the bearing at the same point as these two. But then what?
Any ideas? What could I possibly be missing here? And thanks in advance for any help or advice... Rich.
