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Axles and Diffs

cheekychimp

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Well my car is slowly trying to own me. It is as if it doesn't want to run or is resisting every USDM part that I throw at it.

Here are pictures of the chromoly driveshaftshop front axles and the OEM axles that came with my 4-Bolt rear: -



Now, I tried to fit the OEM USDM axles with my ATS carbon rear lsd and they DON'T ... 'fit' that is. This photo shows the USDM axles next to my original JDM VR4 rear axles: -



Notice how both the JDM axles are the same length at the ends whilst the TEL ones are different, one considerably longer than the other. Here are some photos with a ruler. The JDM axles are 3 inches each. The TEL ones are shy of 3" on the Left axle and over 4" on the right!



I am shooting in the dark here but I guess that this may be an issue with the ATS diff seeing as it is Japanese in origin. I have heard of some diffs requiring some special parts to make them work with US axles. I PM'd Alex and he said that the different length rear axles are consistent with a viscous rear diff.

The good news is that the JDM axles fit. The bad news is I am betting my driveshaftshop rear axles are the same as the TEL ones above and won't work with the ATS diff. Can anyone confirm this?

I am also worried about the DSS fronts now. Is this likely to be an issue with a front diff as well? Am I going to have to use stock JDM axles from now on? The driveshaftshop stuff makes expensive paperweights if I can't make it work!
 

I think all you have to do is run two of the shorter usdm axles. the dsm limited slip uses that longer axle to engage the diff.

Whoops didnt look close enough. try this pop the inboard cv housing off your old jdm axle & swap it to the usdm one.

The inbord joint is much simpler to deal with. it's just a tripod housing & slips right out once the boot is removed. best case the tripods are the same size & you can just swap the housing.

worser case, the tripod is a different size & you have to swap them as well. Just an external snap ring.

worstest (heh he, new word /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) case, even the splines on the end of the axel are different. Got nothing for you on that one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
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Brianawd

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You can donate the paper weights to me if you would like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But any way that sucks that you can't use the DSS back ones. I think you will be fine with the fronts. I did a engine swap one time and the engine came with the tranny, transfer case and two front axles and they worked fine.
 

Brianawd

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Quote:
I think all you have to do is run two of the shorter usdm axles. the dsm limited slip uses that longer axle to engage the diff



this should work. You may be able to send the longer one back to DSS and have them send you the shorter one
 

Rausch

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Quote:
You may be able to send the longer one back to DSS and have them send you the shorter one

that would suck too....shipping would be retarded.......i'm hoping you can just swap inboard CV's. edit: my other bad idea seems impossible after looking at the pics more closely....damn, Paul, you are not getting much love with this thing..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
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cheekychimp

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Thanks guys! But do you think there will be a problem with the shorter USDM axle not 'fully engaging' all of the splines. If you look at the photos above the JDM axles are almost half an inch longer than the shorter USDM axle. Surely that means a significant amount of the splines aren't going to be properly engaged inside the diff?
 

Brianawd

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Quote:
that would suck too....shipping would be retarded.



Ok then let just put them aside and forget about them. Lets just waste all the money he spent on them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 

Rausch

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make a few paint or chalk marks or something on the splines, install them, and turn the assembly some, you should be able to see where the "edges of engagement" are on the splines. hopefully the shorter axle splines will just not hang over the gear on the inner edge as much...

Quote:
Ok then let just put them aside and forget about them. Lets just waste all the money he spent on them.

that would indeed be a waste, but if he can get something to work in the interim....
 
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Brianawd

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I think you are right about the usdm axle not being long enough.
 

Brianawd

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Rausch

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^^^ eesh, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif i think he may be right....didn't even think of that.
 

^^I don't think so, both sets of axles have the tripod cup on the diff end of them.

It looks like you have a set of vicsous LSD axles (the ones with the extra spline), and a set of open/plate LSD axles.

I had a similar situation with my original (non RS) VR4 Evo. It had a viscous LSD from factory, with the tripods with the extra splines. When I purchased the Evo2 LSD, I was lucky that it had the tripods with it. It was simply a case of swapping the tripods over.

Edit: Paul PM Nick "NZ VR4 RS", as he has a set of ATS diffs fitted or ready to go into his RS (4bolt), so he may have sussed it out already.
 
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Brianawd

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^^I don't think so, both sets of axles have the tripod cup on the diff end of them.



What the hell are you talking about? The shape of the cup does not say if its a 4bolt or a
3bolt

Edit: My bad have not been around a 3bolt on a long time I forgot what it looked like. You win

 
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Damn! I was just about to hit you with a pic and smart-ass comment..LOL!...no worries!
 

Since were on the topic if I upgrade to 4 bolt axles will my vr4 be able to handle hard launching without the fear of me breaking axles?
 

One axle, I believe it is the passenger's side, ALWAYS will have that 2-step spline, no matter whether it is a 3-bolt LSD or a 4-bolt LSD. So, I agree that what you have there is a non-LSD DSM set of axles. As long as the axles that you have coming are for the same vintage LSD as your diff (3-bolt or 4-bolt) they should work.
 

Brianawd

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Damn! I was just about to hit you with a pic and smart-ass comment..LOL!...no worries!



Still can. I have it coming. I don't think I have looked at a 3bolt rear end in over a year and even at that I just pulled and tossed did not even look at what it was. I am so used to just seeing 4bolt sh*t or broke 4bolt sh*t /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

supervr4

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I may be going the wrong way here but your JDM axles are for a plate lsd and you TEL ones are for a viscous LSD. The question is what is the ATS diff plate or viscous? and what did you order from DSS.

From memory Nick nzvr4rs had a plate LSD as a factory option in his RS thats why his ATS fitted with out any issues as he allready had the plate lsd axles.
 
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