Volvo LSD

As some of you know... I have rear end problems with the Colt, in that... when in gear, only the driveshaft spins and the car doesn't move.

In talking with IWE (Rear ends only), up here in the great white north, they tell me it's either a broken axle or the welds on the welded diff have cracked / busted.

Originally i had planned on doing the work myself, but i'm not really set up for it (woodworker). Then I was going to do it at my friends place (snowmobile/jet skit nut case) because his garage is set up with a compressor, air tools, etc... But with all the rain we've had... The grass going to his garage is saturated with water and pushing a trailer with a car over it or just a car for that matter is well... not going to happen.

I had started a thread on SS and got opinions on a Torsen diff vs LSD vs welded diff.

The torsen diff was quickly shot down, and the general consensus was that I use a volvo LSD if the problem is not the axle.

But when I called IWE today to make arrangements to have the car towed in, they told me that the Volvo LSD's for the Dana 30 are weak and break all the time even in street use.

The next logical step was to call Pacific Rim auto in Seattle, but the guy I needed to talk wasn't there and wouldn't be back until monday.

Are there certain Volvo LSD's for the Dana 30 that are stronger than others ?

I'm told there is 2 different types of Volvo LSD's.

I'm kind of shitting bricks here and not sure which direction to go.

Please help...

John will probably answer this, but, why not a Ford 7.5" or 8.8"? It's the same thang as a Dana basically; the axles aren't tapered so you could get any complete rear and have it cut to length. Way more common ( I trip over them in the J/Y and used to have a couple laying around the back yard at the house) then even the Dana. But I'm a Ford guy so that might explain me seeing them everywere.

They commit two sins to strength... the axle bearings ride directly on the shafts, wearing them, and the axles are retained solely by C-clips in the differential, so *when* an axle breaks, you lose a wheel and half of your brakes. You can cut the ends off and put decent (bearing-retention) ends on the housings, and get custom axles, but by the time you do all that work you could have just got something decent in the first place. Often several times over.

You could just life the axles, of course, but still all of the side hits are being handled directly by hammering the axle against diff's cross shaft, or hammering the C-clip against the carrier with the wee little nub on the end of the axle.

Well Morten I suggest that you call the local Seattle Volvo Junkyard (206-789-7004) and tell them to fix you up with a 4.1 ratio differential that can be welded up and should not have an issue in the forseeable future.

If you are going to insist on spending stupid money then the limited slip you WANT is the BIG ZF unit that Volvo fitted at the dealership from the dawn of time for obscene money. It was fitted in the 240's and 700 series cars.

I am the guy at Pacific Rim. Fifty cents says that my compatriots at work will not have a message for me Monday.

I'm reachable via Cell phone on (425)260-7746.
I currently live here in Lynden and may if suitably encouraged be willing to bring a differential up here and weld it up with my Tres Bitchin' welder.
I'm not a cheap whore but am worth it. Then you will not have to go sooo far to fetch it.

Good points about those shitty Ford Diffs. C-Clips and bearings riding on axles.... EWE!! When you see a Ford or a Chevy on the side of the road with a missing axle it is due to the C-clippie having taken leave or the axle breaking. Scary.

The used Volvo diffs are inexpensive and will live forever with under 300 horsies.

John Lane



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2006 05:44PM by JohnLane.

Or just buy c-clip eliminators. Of course with an IRS, I don't really have to think about it.

Of course with a Volvo rear axle one need not worry about C-Clippies either.

Scott Manley Wrote:
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> Or just buy c-clip eliminators.

Those aren't designed to handle *any* side loading. Dragstrip use only, not even weenie putt putt drive around on the street.

People do it (drive 'em on the street) anyway of course but they have to press the axles back in periodically.

Theoretically you could machine a half inch or so off of the mating surface of the eliminator so you could push the axle inboard enough to put the C-clips in, then pull it back out and slip a 2 piece spacer in there, but it's soooo much easier to just use something that doesn't have a boneheaded setup in the first place.

Ok you guys have me, I've never taken apart a Volvo diff to look. What holds them in? Maybe a trip to the J/Y is in order.

bolts on ends of the axle tubes keep the axles from falling out. they bolt into a flange-type thingy.

The flange type thingy supports the nice big tapered roller bearings used for wheel bearings. The tapered roller bearing is pressed onto the axle and a collar is pressed on along with so that the bearing won't just slide on off of there in turns and the like.
Works good.

JL

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JohnLane

Volvo 260turbo AKA The Fire Breathing Monster
Overkill is consistently more fun

howdy morten,
this is from the fella that busted his oil pan at the ubc rally cross.

I just got the volvo 240 rear axle tech book off of ebay.
it has some good directions in it.
47 pages , but i can scan some of the more interesting stuff. (diff spreader??)

here in b'ham there is a fella by the name of rainbow larry. he's in the yellow pages. lord knows he has a ton of volvos out in the county.
Mr lane, ever deal w/ the fellow?

I have(built) a corolla w/ the escort style rear suspension, when the toyota rear end goes,
(just got a 4 pinion LSD for it from a pal'o'mine, is it worth replacing all bearings and seals when it goes in?)
I plan on upgrading to this axle. a short look'see on the internets tells me that volvos went up to 4.1:1
this pains me, the gts comes stock w 4.3:1

these are apples, taste the apples.

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"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

Hi Adam,

I hope you got home okay with the Rally X gravel lot temporary oil pan repair. Presumably you did so because the car didn't end up in my backyard until you could come back for it.

I finally fixed the diff, and decided to go with the welded diff again. Mr. Lane, thanks for the advice !

Good luck to you, and hope to see you up in our next of the woods again.

From the factory, they came with 3.31 to 4.1. Ring and pinion sets are available in various ratios as low as 5.38.
Here is one potential supplier:
http://www.samsteffansson.se/products/index.asp?name=VOLVO+200&language=en#1169

Also, since they are Dana 30 axles, ring and pinion sets are also available from most 4x4 shops, too.

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Monika Hawkinson
Seattle, WA

Sofa King Wrote:
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> From the factory, they came with 3.31 to 4.1. Ring
> and pinion sets are available in various ratios as
> low as 5.38.
> Here is one potential supplier:
>
>

>
> Kevin Hawkinson
> Seattle, WA
> 83 Volvo 240 Gp5 (in progress)
> 31 YO!

Yeah that's ticket!!!!!
Send for them overseas, they must be so much better and cheaper to do thyat than just drive 14 miles up the Randy's Ring in Pinion in Ever-rot where I've only posted about a thousand times that all ratios are about USD 130 fuckin retail.
Brilliant, pay nearly that much for sure as simple postage, and the delay would be perfect too.

> Also, since they are Dana 30 axles, ring and
> pinion sets are also available from most 4x4
> shops, too.

As I said Sofa-King, I've only suggested Randy's Ring and Pinion, 1000 times.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

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CALL +1 206 431-9696
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Get the bat

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