salisbury gear ratio

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wrickm

Active Member
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106
Location
Virginia, USA
With my 200tdi '78 109 up and running well i am looking for a bit easier time at highway speeds so i wanted to know if there are gear ratio options/ research say the Salisbury rear is 4.7:1 which feels pretty ahort for the 200tdi. I know i would have to switch the front as well to keep 4x4 capability, but is there a more reasonable compromise out there like 3.9:1 or thel ike?
 
Well that seems easy enough. I assume since that was the strock config for the Defender that it works well enough?
I wish the Defender had been sold in the U.S. as it is is am sure i will have to find diffs in the U.K. and have them shipped over if i make this switch. I admit to knowing very little about this. I am self taught and most engine issues are withing reach but i have never had opportunity to work on and axle. Does the whole Diff need to be replaced or just a portion?
Any further thoughts or resources are welcome.
 
i would expect any 3.9 or 4.3 salisbury diff (for a landrover) to be a custom machined one. the only ratios i've heard of are the Series at 4.7 or the early 110 at 3.54 (although Salisbury were fitted to other makes of car but i've no idea if those would fit in your case)

if both axles were Rover it is a little easier to find 4.3 diffs and occaisionally (rear pretty infrequently) 3.9 diffs that both just slot straight in from the old Rover P4 car of the 50s-60s, obviously you need to find 2 cars that are being broken with the same ratio diffs in them which isn't that easy even here in England now

your other option might be to get in touch with Kam Differentials or Crown Differentials to see if they can supply you with the parts, but be prepared to have your wallet raped, ring and pinion gears don't come cheap

your cheapest option might be to find a Rover 109 rear axle rather than the salisbury or finally buy a 3.54 salisbury diff on it's own from someone over here and match it up with an early disco/range rover diff for the front axle

the front diff is an easy plug and play job, halfshafts pulled out 3 inches or so and the diff will drop out, i just unbolted the swivels from the axle tube and supported them with axle stands (another pair supporting the chassis)

Picture088.jpg


the rear salisbury diff from what i've read isn't that difficult and you generally don't need a spreader for the case but you'll need to read up on that from someone that's done it themself

i certainly wouldn't be worried about swapping diffs if you've swapped in the TDI yourself
 
I will try the "buy a 3.54 salisbury diff on it's own from someone over here and match it up with an early disco/range rover diff for the front axle" option. Seems like the simplest and cheapest even if i may have a longish hunt for the parts.
I just don't really know the language when it comes to axles and suspension.


So, anyone got a used 3.54 diff from there pre '93 110 rock crawler project? :D
 
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wrickm said:
Well that seems easy enough. I assume since that was the strock config for the Defender that it works well enough?
I wish the Defender had been sold in the U.S. as it is is am sure i will have to find diffs in the U.K. and have them shipped over if i make this switch. I admit to knowing very little about this. I am self taught and most engine issues are withing reach but i have never had opportunity to work on and axle. Does the whole Diff need to be replaced or just a portion?
Any further thoughts or resources are welcome.
Click to expand...

youd need pinion and diff carrier, then set up in your axle case
 
wrickm said:
I will try the "buy a 3.54 salisbury diff on it's own from someone over here and match it up with an early disco/range rover diff for the front axle" option. Seems like the simplest and cheapest even if i may have a longish hunt for the parts.
I just don't really know the language when it comes to axles and suspension.


So, anyone got a used 3.54 diff from there pre '93 110 rock crawler project? :D
Click to expand...


I have a 3.54 pinion and a crownwheel removed because i swapped a detroit locker out and changed to a 4.7 axle instead. the pinion is still in the axle case in the shed and the matching crownwheel is still on the diff carrier is next to the lathe wrapped up at my dads house. I could remove pinion and ship the crown wheel and carrier. Not sure how much it would be to ship. Jai
 
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I believe that the Dana axle is the equivalent to a salisbury axle also Mk 2 jaguars have salisbury axles
 
Looks like i have a line on the Salisbury 3.54 rear parts i need. So now i need the front Rover 3.54 parts.

I do appreciate all the help i am getting here. I know only the things i have owned before. My father was blind so not much of a mechanic. I mean, based on this idea, i went and looked up differential just so i could know what the hell a pinion was lol This is why i enjoy getting "new" vehicles. Replacing the steering box on the landy was a class in pittman arms and relays etc. . Anyway end sob story, thanks guys,
 
wrickm said:
Looks like i have a line on the Salisbury 3.54 rear parts i need. So now i need the front Rover 3.54 parts.

I do appreciate all the help i am getting here. I know only the things i have owned before. My father was blind so not much of a mechanic. I mean, based on this idea, i went and looked up differential just so i could know what the hell a pinion was lol This is why i enjoy getting "new" vehicles. Replacing the steering box on the landy was a class in pittman arms and relays etc. . Anyway end sob story, thanks guys,
Click to expand...

you want complete diff as a unit for the front , unless you can be sure you get 3.54 diff carrier with the early 41045 bearings as fitted to early rrc as others wont fit though any 10 spline rover complete unit will
 
jamesmartin said:
you want complete diff as a unit for the front , unless you can be sure you get 3.54 diff carrier with the early 41045 bearings as fitted to early rrc as others wont fit though any 10 spline rover complete unit will
Click to expand...

i have swapped an early Rover (1950s) 4.3 pinion and crownwheel onto a late 4.7 metric carrier when the need arose, the problem with early parts is mostly to do with bearings being imperial and the case being machined to suit the smaller bearings

so i'd still check out Crown Differentials website as the chap that owns it has set up a nice explanatory page on parts/building and swapping/adapting the Rover internals to fit the different cases

Rover diff pinions are shimmed to set the height so possibly be prepared to at least buy shims if you build your own Rover diff rather than buy one complete ready to just plug in

a little extra that you might want to know is the 4x4 ability can still be used even with odd ratio diffs as long as you are on a loose or slippery surface (not hard packed or metalled) as the loose slippery surfaces allow the wheels to spin up freely as needed to keep away the transmission wind-up, i still have a 4.7 diff in the front of my 109 and have used 4x4 without the world exploding a couple of times, i've even used low ratio on the road a couple of times but with my FWHs set to freewheel to let the front halfshafts spin free of the wheels (DO ENSURE they're set to freewheel on metalled/hardpack as i won't be held responsible if you break something by following my experiences)

you can also run with the hubs engaged to lube the swivel pins regardless of the surface as long as you DO NOT engage low box or 4x4

i hope i've made the distinctions clear enough ;)
 
NiteMare said:
i have swapped an early Rover (1950s) 4.3 pinion and crownwheel onto a late 4.7 metric carrier when the need arose, the problem with early parts is mostly to do with bearings being imperial and the case being machined to suit the smaller bearings

so i'd still check out Crown Differentials website as the chap that owns it has set up a nice explanatory page on parts/building and swapping/adapting the Rover internals to fit the different cases

Rover diff pinions are shimmed to set the height so possibly be prepared to at least buy shims if you build your own Rover diff rather than buy one complete ready to just plug in

a little extra that you might want to know is the 4x4 ability can still be used even with odd ratio diffs as long as you are on a loose or slippery surface (not hard packed or metalled) as the loose slippery surfaces allow the wheels to spin up freely as needed to keep away the transmission wind-up, i still have a 4.7 diff in the front of my 109 and have used 4x4 without the world exploding a couple of times, i've even used low ratio on the road a couple of times but with my FWHs set to freewheel to let the front halfshafts spin free of the wheels (DO ENSURE they're set to freewheel on metalled/hardpack as i won't be held responsible if you break something by following my experiences)

you can also run with the hubs engaged to lube the swivel pins regardless of the surface as long as you DO NOT engage low box or 4x4

i hope i've made the distinctions clear enough ;)
Click to expand...

think i mentioned the bearings ,and you cant fit a 3.54 crown wheel on a 4.7 carrier though you can fit a spacer to fit 4.7 crown wheel on a 3.54 carrier
 
Well i was able to find a 10 spline Range Rover classic complete front diff for $150 about £95. Seem pretty fair.
Just waiting on news for the pinion and carrier for the Salisbury rear.
 
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