Tyres wearing unevenly:- Axle ends out of alignment

Hi all, hope you're having a good (late) spring. Something's (one of the things) been bothering me since I rebuilt my truck using a discovery 1 axle. I was pleased at the time to be "upgrading" to rear disc brakes!


My truck wears rear tyres out unevenly, and it's not due to incorrect tyre pressures or driving style. Its a discovery 1 300tdi axle on a 90. The problem is worse on the nearside wheel, where the inside of the tread is satisfactory when the outside gets worn bald.


I've stripped off the rear hubs and stub axles as the latter were worn, and so its new stubs and bearings coming. I've had a problem with the calipers wearing out pads on the fluid pipe side, and so I'm gonna have to be vigilant with monitoring pad wear and see that the system is fully bled on a regular basis.


Reaching this stage has given me the opportunity to offer up a straight edge and check the axle ends for squareness. As I hope the photo evidences, the ends have been attached off square, presumably at birth. The offside end is set off by almost a degree, while the nearside end is off by nearly 2 degrees, such that any fitted stub axle is going to point slightly downwards!


It's about 30 years too late to take the issue up with Land Rover, so what can I do about it?


Refitting the nearside axle end (cutting and welding) is out of the question, so I'm thinking of some kind of machined spacer cut to the shape of the gasket from say, 3 mm mild steel plate, ground flat but at an angle to leave 3mm at bottom and 1mm at top, and sandwich it behind the stub axle using a gasket both sides... Can't muck around with the geometry too much as there's the caliper position to consider..


But I'm determined to do something other than refitting tyres in reverse in order to get more use out of tyres.


I will also consider getting a used disco 2 (td5?) rear axle if it will fit, as I gather they come with calipers that "float" on sliding pins...


Any helpful ideas appreciated.

Can you fit a D2 axle to a Ninety?
Buy another axle casing.

I've just been looking on eBay, it seems the mounting brackets are very different on the disco 2's. The 2000's defender axles look fairly similar, are they compatible? Stiff prices on all things defender, but I'm seeing it as an option

Axle casing must be less than a pair of good tyres?
Though to be honest I haven't looked. Still got your original axle?

Mm

Anaconda said:

Axle casing must be less than a pair of good tyres?
Though to be honest I haven't looked. Still got your original axle?

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Yes, I still have the early model with the drum brakes, just needs refurbishment. Also an option. Drum brakes are adequate for the size of vehicle and trailer loads I pull

Was the disco that the axle from involved in an accident before being stripped? Might explain if there is any damage to mountings meaning it doesn’t sit quite straight, although this would probably be picked up when fitting?

Hammer'n'tongs said:

Yes, I still have the early model with the drum brakes, just needs refurbishment. Also an option. Drum brakes are adequate for the size of vehicle and trailer loads I pull

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That explains why you wanted to change it. I find the rear drums are quite good if adjusted correctly.

Knappster said:

Was the disco that the axle from involved in an accident before being stripped? Might explain if there is any damage to mountings meaning it doesn’t sit quite straight, although this would probably be picked up when fitting?

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Possible but unlikely. I say that firstly because I stripped the disco in its entirety, and no damage (other than corrosion) was observed anywhere. Everything seemed original and unmolested.

Furthermore, there is no deformity or damage to any part of the axle, I would think there would be signs of bulging or kinking at the weld point or axle tube, where there is only a well formed joint that looks like it should. I honestly believe it to be an oversight or shoddy workmanship at the factory, like he was maybe a junior fabricator, or vexed and had a hangover, pressured to build x number of axles before lunch. I know ho easy it is to weld one side of a joint and have a slight gap open up on the other side. Even if a jig was used, there are probably various ways that could lead to a slightly distorted joint

Also it occurs on both sides which both point slightly down, though its worse on one side

I have made a spacer, cut from 3mm steel sheet with a metal cutting jigsaw. It took a couple of hours to grind it evenly from 3mm up to 1mm. It should sandwich fairly flat. I think I'll seal it both sides with rtv silicone and screw the stub axle down on to it, and worry about the caliper position afterwards.