Let's talk about welded differentials...

But let's not debate the pros and cons of having a welded diff or open diff or some perfect $3000 trick WRC diff. As a grassroots ralliest I am a poor bastard and even if I wasn't I am still a cheap bastard. So let's talk about techniques. What parts do you weld? How do you weld it? What have you seen prove to be bullet proof? What have you seen fail specatularly?

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

We welded my spare for fun. Never got around to putting it back together or cleaning it up. May do so depending upon how the Supra diff deal comes along. Just do the Supra diff if you're looking long term. Once we get really moving on the car we'll do so. Already have a spare rear beam for the mocking of mounting.

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Grant Hughes

First:
rear cover off and clean the hell outa everythinmg you can see.
Then: oil up everyting but the spider and side gears. (so the sparklie things from weld operations don't stick!!!!)
Leave the stub axles in.
Get .035 wire.
Weld one spider to a side gear, rotate and do another, rotate and do the next.
Then weld the side gears to the diff carrier etc.

CLEAN.
LOOK FOR CLING-ons

But Matt, seriously start looking for a Supra diff.
They're out there, and if you get a Non-turbo manual or a turbo auto-tragic youn get a free 4.3 ratio with every LSD ya buy and these ARE STOUT 4 pinion thangs, unlike the Ford which uses only 2 pinions and has such horrible ratio.

It is worth fucking with even from the cheap ass point of view.
I'm the way cheapest guy out there, this is a good buy.
Last one I got for $29.75.
But even $150 is a deal.

They're stronger, and better and cheap.

How can ya beat that.

(And with 4.3 the car will rocket in 4th and even 5th.)

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

But how long until we can attach these stupra things to the XR?

What Paddy said. I am looking at welding a stock diff as a quick fix until JV gets the rear beams ready. Speaking of.....will the modified rear berm clear the stock gas tank?

Cheap bastard (even by XR standards)

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

jeeeezus I'm fixing stuff as fast as babysitting and welding up suspension will allow.
Haven't had a day off since we were stuck in the desert and had to hike 16-18 miles, nice vacation.

I'll let you know progress.
Should clear a stock tank as well as a stock diff.
GO GET ONE! Didya see the link????????

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

FYI, welder's anti-splatter spray is essentially cooking spray, so if you've got some PAM handy, it works pretty well

Clears the gas tank...that was what I was waiting to hear. I'll add it to the scavengers list....So that is n/a manual or turbo automatic.

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

I found that with a welded diff it was difficult to be precise. Others love them. If you have a RWD rig you can get a good diff reeel cheap though.

Welded diffs are also great on Toyota woods trucks.

Do some searches for lsd's and final drives for the xr4ti....If there was a cheap simple solution JV wouldn't being trying to swap in a supra diff. The xr is no mustang when it comes to parts support.

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

I welded up a diff in a Turbo Volvo, it worked good.

Remove cover, spray many cans of brake clean in to remove oil, Weld as John Said.

I found the car fun to drive but it needs faster steering cause I have a habbit of ending up pointed the wrong way.

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In the long run reality always wins.

My welded diff is going in Saturday if I'm not too hung over.

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Grant Hughes

My recently welded diff is sitting on the shelf. Life is busy these days. What little car time I have has been spent on solving a crank case pressurization problem. Hope to have the welded diff in for testing before Rally WV in June.

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Matt Smith

Racing in glorious black and red

My daily life is a Saab story (sold!)

I cleaned my welded diff case yesterday only to realize I didn't have the right sized torx wrench to take the backing off and the stub shafts wouldn't come out. So I couldn't do much, so looks like Saturday will be spent finishing the diff, reinforcing my rear beam, looking at the required mods to the beam for the Supra diff, and maybe starting on the Saab radiator and Cossie intercooler.

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Grant Hughes