High ratio solid rear axles

[Xenocide]

I'm struggling to find an early enough Volvo 1030 axle that I can put a high ratio gear set in (2.7 or higher) so I'm considering my options. I can convert another rear axle to go on the back of my Volvo easy enough but I'll be buggered if I can find one which either has the correct ratio; or one which I can swap the ring an pinion to find the ratio I want.

So if anyone knows of a Volvo 1030 rear axle OR can think of a high ratio rear axle which might be suitable, I'm open to suggestions!

(High ratio being 2.3:1 to about 3.0:1. Anything out of that range will probably be a bit useless for this application).

Many thanks for your thoughts

[crogthomas]

What is the ultimate aim for the car?
Both the Toyota HiLux and the Nissan Terrano have axles with approximately the right dimensions and both have plenty of alternative ratios available as they share the diffs with other vehicles (Toyota Supra and 200sx for example). They also nearly always come ready fitted with a LSD if that is of any interest.

[healeyneil]

I'm told you can fit Jaguar diffs ( so 2.8 and powerlok ) in a Scimitar axle

[giuliettaevo]

How handy are you?

We have found out that the splines on the volvo 240 axle fits a bmw 188 diff.

Our plan is to take an E34 or E36 tds diff, take the short stubaxles out and then cut the middle section out of a volvo axle. Make up a few adapting bushes and weld the axle tubes to the bmw diff flanges. Maybe add some bracing from tube to tube.

We'll probably try this in a few months for my friends Volvo 240.

[Xenocide]

Nov 25, 2020 11:31:00 GMT crogthomas said:

What is the ultimate aim for the car?
Both the Toyota HiLux and the Nissan Terrano have axles with approximately the right dimensions and both have plenty of alternative ratios available as they share the diffs with other vehicles (Toyota Supra and 200sx for example). They also nearly always come ready fitted with a LSD if that is of any interest.

Thank you. Do you have a link for somewhere where I might be able to find the ring and pinion in a suitable ratio. I can't find anywhere.

Cheers!

[Xenocide]

Nov 25, 2020 20:05:26 GMT giuliettaevo said:

How handy are you?

We have found out that the splines on the volvo 240 axle fits a bmw 188 diff.

Our plan is to take an E34 or E36 tds diff, take the short stubaxles out and then cut the middle section out of a volvo axle. Make up a few adapting bushes and weld the axle tubes to the bmw diff flanges. Maybe add some bracing from tube to tube.

We'll probably try this in a few months for my friends Volvo 240.

Sounds interesting. The engine came out a BMW with a high final gear ratio so that sounds about right. I know someone with a big enough lathe to turn an axle so might be able to come up with something.

[crogthomas]

Nov 25, 2020 20:11:41 GMT Xenocide said:

Thank you. Do you have a link for somewhere where I might be able to find the ring and pinion in a suitable ratio. I can't find anywhere.

Cheers!

Sorry, I've got no idea. Just throwing it out there as an idea for some further research. I suppose most 4x4 type vehicles would probably offer a similar axle casing, the trick will be to find a ring and pinion. Obviously most people go the opposite way, but there must be some 2wd automatic pickup with a really high ratio, or perhaps a weird 1980's JDM saloon. A quick look on google suggests there was a 2.9 and a 3.1 ratio available in the US for the C200 differential, which axle (with a lower ratio) can be found in later UK Terranos (earlier models had a H233). The Terrano C200 measures nearly the same as the 240 axle hub to hub and comes with a LSD. You would of course need to re-drill the hubs to take normal wheels and make up the necessary brackets for brakes and suspension mounting points.

www.thenewx.org/threads/how-to-determine-rear-gear-ratio.90609/

[crogthomas]

Another option is the Ford Explorer 8.8 axle. Quite a few use them on 240s in the US, but obviously not as easy to come by over here. It's a offset differential, so one side has to be shortened and a second short axle used. I should imagine there are loads of ratios available, in the US.

[scimjim]

Nov 25, 2020 17:08:42 GMT healeyneil said:

I'm told you can fit Jaguar diffs ( so 2.8 and powerlok ) in a Scimitar axle

Yep, I have a Jag 2.88 LSD in one of my scimitars (Salisbury 4HA). Standard on many scimitars is 3.07:1.