CIG locker tips n hints....WANTED!

[IN 05 NT]

everyones got there own way, own tips, own tricks and experience,

post them here....coz i wanna know

ive only had one diff welded before, that was just welding the spider gears together.....that lasted a whole 5 days, and a wsid meet...
(sent the smashed spider gears thought the rear case on the way home from a wsid meet! )

so far ive got....

1) weld the spider gears together where they meet, at all 8 points of contact (either side of centre carrier)

2) weld the spider gears as above but also weld the gears to the carrier housing

3) have the centre carrier filled with lead.... ( i wouldnt think lead would be hard enuf )

4) have the centre carrier alloy cast (taken from welding ma61 diff )

plus ive heard of tips, welding on a hot day is the best....

im no welder... nor am i very experenced,

so what have you found to be the best, your tips and experience rewarded

NO LSD REFERENCE HERE...JUST LOCKERS!

blake

[18rc turbo]

2) weld the spider gears as above but also weld the gears to the carrier housing

That way works good.

Another thing you can do is take the side gears out and weld a piece of pipe between the two axle gears (cant remember what they are called) with the drive pin through it, it effectively does the same thing, but isn't quite as messy.
It doesnt work for all diffs though, some don't physicallly have the room to get in there and use this method. I'd just go with your number two.

And make sure you thoroughly preheat the carrier before you start welding, and allow it to air cool after welding. This greatly reduces the chance of the carrier cracking.

And i've never had a problem with welds/spider gears breaking in a locker, i just snap axles and shear pinion gears (and one crown wheel, very bad)

[CLG]

I'v e always made a "window" to sit in the spidergears and then welded that in. Regardless of what you choose to weld, my tips are:

1: While welding, turn the centre regularly - to make sure it still turns. I had an aquaintance once who welded up a centre, finished the job, then found out he'd welded the whole centre solid (welding dags and drips)

2: Place the centre on it's flange, and place a rag around, in, through it to catch splatter.

3: Fill the centre up with water to dissipate heat from the bearings etal (those of you who laugh at adding water to a centre can rethink your thoughts while you realise you reading a thread about welding a centre anyway?!)

[3sgte]

I pulled a pumpkin out of a 1982 Tercel, (AL12) for welding.
A couple of the bodyshop guys next door just poured a bunch of mig on the spider gears. The main focus seemed to be welding the gears to each other, as opposed to the case.

It was destined for ice racing, it made it through the season without a problem. Ice is a bit more forgiving than ashphalt...
It was FWD, and didn't have power steering, you should have seen that steering return to center on dry ashphalt! Never before, never since have I seen a steering wheel move that fast!

[IN 05 NT]

sweet!, thanks guys, keep them coming!

the 240 series diff (what i have in the 23) has massive fat axles, and 27 or 28 splines....

so its just the centre which is the weakest link,

its amazing how the tinniest splatter on the crown or pinnion will cause a tight spot!

blake

[EVOSTi]

you definately want to weld the side gears to the carrier. i mentioned it in the members ride section under the thread for mine and chrizers AE71, it was the first time i ever welded anything let alone a diff and i just welded the side gears to the pinion gears. it lasted 3 drift meets at oran park but shit itself later on the street, the pinion gears completely shat themselves. luckily the side gears were still intact so i welded them to the carrier and the rolla lives to fight another day

[jonra23]

If you can get your hands on a mig weld the spider gears and side gears together, no real need to weld to housing as all your are trying to do is tie the side gears together, drive is transfered through the spider gear trunions as in normal diff setup.
If you can pre heat dif before welding, doesnt have to be hot just take chill out, houshold oven will do the trick if you dont get caught.
Always make sure you have earth clamp on hemisphere or will stuff your carrier bearings.
Have welded up a fair few speedway and mud racer diffs this way.

[18rc turbo]

If you can get your hands on a mig weld the spider gears and side gears together, no real need to weld to housing as all your are trying to do is tie the side gears together, drive is transfered through the spider gear trunions as in normal diff setup.
If you can pre heat dif before welding, doesnt have to be hot just take chill out, houshold oven will do the trick if you dont get caught.
Always make sure you have earth clamp on hemisphere or will stuff your carrier bearings.
Have welded up a fair few speedway and mud racer diffs this way.

with all due respect, speedway/mud racer diffs are under a lot less stress than a street car diff that drives on ashpalt. I would strongly recomend welding both side gears and pinion gears to the carrier, otherwise you will be buying another diff within a month.

Ashphalt + locked diff + slow corners = HEAPS of stress.

EDIT: the trouble isn't in the drive, its when you corner, and one axle trys to accelarate faster than the other. On dirt it is fine, because the tyre can easily slip. On a grippy surface however, the tyre has a lot more trouble, and the axle's tourqeing up can literally rip the spider gears apart.

[IN 05 NT]

hahaha sweet,

keep the goods coming!

[IN 05 NT]

If you can get your hands on a mig weld the spider gears and side gears together, no real need to weld to housing as all your are trying to do is tie the side gears together, drive is transfered through the spider gear trunions as in normal diff setup.
If you can pre heat dif before welding, doesnt have to be hot just take chill out, houshold oven will do the trick if you dont get caught.
Always make sure you have earth clamp on hemisphere or will stuff your carrier bearings.
Have welded up a fair few speedway and mud racer diffs this way.

ive got access to all now.....im working in an exhaust shopa and theres a pretty damn good fitter there with perfect welds,

what have people found with vibrations?....fron the centre not being balanced? anyone had an major probs like that?

[jonra23]

with all due respect, speedway/mud racer diffs are under a lot less stress than a street car diff that drives on ashpalt. I would strongly recomend welding both side gears and pinion gears to the carrier, otherwise you will be buying another diff within a month.

Ashphalt + locked diff + slow corners = HEAPS of stress.

EDIT: the trouble isn't in the drive, its when you corner, and one axle trys to accelarate faster than the other. On dirt it is fine, because the tyre can easily slip. On a grippy surface however, the tyre has a lot more trouble, and the axle's tourqeing up can literally rip the spider gears apart.

Obviously never driven on a properly prepared speedway track, will give as much drive as you will get on tar.

As you say is the corner loading with different tyre speeds that is the issue, all you are trying to do is to stop the side gears being able to turn relative to each other, it does not take al lot of "decent" weld to do this.

[18rc turbo]

fair enough, speedway track in bendigo is pretty average, wasn't having a go at you or anything...

i've welded 4 centres and never had any out of balance issues with them, i might have just been lucky though...

and especially with slow left hand corners, which are usually performed under brakes, it puts a lot of stress on the side gears...

[IN 05 NT]

and especially with slow left hand corners, which are usually performed under brakes, it puts a lot of stress on the side gears...

why more so on slow lefter than righters?

[18rc turbo]

because left hand turns are usually done in a tighter arc than right handers, and are usually slower as well. It just loads up the axle more, because of the slow speed and tight arc.

[IN 05 NT]

because left hand turns are usually done in a tighter arc than right handers, and are usually slower as well. It just loads up the axle more, because of the slow speed and tight arc.

hahaha yeah that makes sense!