using landcruiser front diffs for celica rear diff conversions.

[barned01]

now from all the 4x4 sites i have gone to, it mentions the landcruiser front diff is a g series BUT its crown wheel and pinion are manufacutred in a mirror configuration. so as to accomodate for the front wheel drivingness or something to that effect.
Apparently the casing is mounted in such a way that it sits high as well.
Taking these things into consideration, is it possible to use one of these complete centres for a celica rear diff conversion or will the whole "made for driving the front of a landcruiser" thing make this impossible.
I only ask as there is a bunch of landcruiser diff's (in 4.1 ratio no less) at the wreckers yet no hilux difffs (in any ratio).
Is this diff useable or am i still on the hunt for my elusive hilux diff.
Cheers
Damien

[Jonny Rochester]

If it is a mirror of the rear, then you may find you drive backwards, but I don't think so. Not sure. You would be the first to try, let us know how it goes.

[Starfire]

If a diff turns the wrong way for a particular application you can turn it over (right axle becomes left and so on) to have it go the right way.

[Jonny Rochester]

This is true, but no one is going to do that because the tailshaft would come too close to the floor. But I don't think this would be the problem, as a front diff in a 4WD looks like a rear diff up-side-down.

[oldcorollas]

diffs often have a bearing oil feed/return channel at the base, between the bearings and main chamber.. and also breather at the top..

do they really spin backwards? i suppose easiest way would be to ask you local soccer mum to roll the car forward and see if the driveshafts spin in opposite directions?

thinking about it a bit, it would totally change the pinions loading if it was just turning backwards without being mirrored... let us know how it goes (rip one out and see )

actually, if you can take some nice clear pics of the casing (and look thru the filler hole) you should be able to work it out, ie is the crown on the LHS or RHS....

[Cool1]

No they dont spin backwards. The transfer case does the special stuff.

[crostek]

No they dont spin backwards. The transfer case does the special stuff.

Unfortunately they do spin backwards the transfer case rotates the front and back shaft the same way eg if you are standing at the front of the car looking at both shafts spin clockwise (I know this having raced and owned 4X4’s for may years)
I was going to try this setup myself to get CV joints on the ends of the diff and fit Camber wedges to the live axle ends (same as V8 super car) but will need to get the rear diff center fitted into the front housing.

[Cool1]

Well I can tell you now that our 100 series does not spin backwards.

[Rodger]

I have just jacked up the front of our 80 series Landcruiser:

Rotating the front left wheel anti-clockwise (forwards) results in the front tailshaft rotating anti-clockwise when viewed from the rear (gearbox).

If the diff housing is rotated to make the center face forward (as for a rear set up) , the pinion is down and to the right hand side of the ring gear.

This makes the front diff of the Landcruiser the opposite to any rear diff as far as rotation and direction go. Rears have the pinion on the left hand side of the ring gear, rotating clockwise to turn the rear wheels in the forwards direction.

This then means for the Landcrusier, they both rotate the same way as the engine, to make all wheels go forwards.

Diffs are not made to run in reverse rotation at any great speed anyway. The gears are cut to be quiet and smooth in one direction (ie forwards). So mounting a front Landcrusier centre into a rear drive position and then turn the gears in the opposite direction to the way they were cut and designed would not be good practice.

Regards

Rodger