martyuk · Jan 5, 2018

wammers said:
Four pin front diffs were fitted to 4.6 models with four wheel TC.

Which is exactly what I have. 2001 4.6 Vogue, with 4 wheel ETC... and I can categorically tell you that it didn't have a 4 pin front diff in it when I took it out. Given it took nearly 4 hours of bashing to get the N/S/F hub out aswell, I'm certain it had never been apart (that and there were no notes on any of the service receipts for diff replacement, or even hub oil seals).

I know of other late model P38 owners (with 4.6's - mostly Vogues, and one Vogue SE) who also have had the front apart and found 2 pin diffs - so I'm doubtful they were ever fitted as standard. I've never seen a picture or other forum posting from someone who has actually removed a factory fitted 4 pin front diff from a P38 either.

Grrrrrr · Jan 5, 2018

martyuk said:
Which is exactly what I have. 2001 4.6 Vogue, with 4 wheel ETC... and I can categorically tell you that it didn't have a 4 pin front diff in it when I took it out. Given it took nearly 4 hours of bashing to get the N/S/F hub out aswell, I'm certain it had never been apart (that and there were no notes on any of the service receipts for diff replacement, or even hub oil seals).

I know of other late model P38 owners (with 4.6's - mostly Vogues, and one Vogue SE) who also have had the front apart and found 2 pin diffs - so I'm doubtful they were ever fitted as standard. I've never seen a picture or other forum posting from someone who has actually removed a factory fitted 4 pin front diff from a P38 either.

Yes, you're not the first to find that. I think the only way to be sure is to pull it and check what you have. There was a big discussion on it ages ago.

I also remember a long (heated) discussion on whether it was safe to swap rear to front. Someone mentioned the teeth wore asymetrically so it might be worth doing it anyway and then someone else said they were designed to only go one way. I just don't know enough about it but I trust James (Martin)'s judgement on the matter.

frog hopper · Jan 5, 2018

This may not be relevant to the RR but when I got my 200Tdi 90 some years ago I was given a spare diff as the PO thought the rear was noisy. Never bothered to fit it and in fact the noise went away when I swapped the tranny box for a disco one.
Last year (2016) I had a bearing problem with the front diff so chucked in the spare, no clue wether it's for front or rear but no probs so far and it has a good bit of action off road. Can't tell if it makes a noise, but certainly no worse than the original.

martyuk

Well-Known Member

Grrrrrr

Technician, Bodgit & Scarper Ltd

frog hopper

Well-Known Member

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