Differential

[ASNU]

This is what has happened to my diff after towing a duel axil trailer on the weekend.

Ford has put only a 8mm locating bolt under the diff houseing that holds all the leaf springs together.At some stage after towing on the weekend the left hand 8mm bolt has totally sheared off inside the leaf springs and caused my diff to move back about 1 inch on the left hand side causeing the steering wheel to go off centre plus as you could imagine not steering that well.All the bushes have been chopped out as well so some good aftermarket ones will be put in so it does not happen again.

I suggest to all you ute guys and girls get underneath your utes and make sure your 8mm bolt is dead centre in the hole underneath your diff houseing or the same thing will happen to you.I am going to modify in the future the size of the bolt as 8mm is just ridicules if your carrieing loads or giving your T abit of herbs.

Hard to describe the discussed feeling I have about the poor engineering put into this rear end set up.Such a good car with a little bolt fitted causeing problems.

[Cobra]

thanks mate ... take a look tonight

[camerooch]

Whatcha driving & more importantly,....... What were you towing ??

[ASNU]

Whatcha driving & more importantly,....... What were you towing ??

A duel axil trailer with brakes mate with about 500kg in it plus loaded in the back.I tow these loads in my ute all the time and does it quite easily,The diff houseing is supported either side with rubber bushes for sound dendening and smoothness of ride I assume but it really does not need much to move the diff and chop out the bushes if any load is put onto it.My old AU2 XR8 never had the problem and I would think maybe the old car had larger centreing bolts maybe.

I can just see everybodys ute having the same problem as the bushes play a important part in centreing the diff.Running this much power threw to a 8 mm bolt is only going to cause distress.

[Turbo6man]

ASNU> I think you're being a bit hard on the bolt - it is not meant to do anything more than hold the spring pack compressed together for assembly and to locate the lower (U-Bolt) clamping bracket - the U-Bolts take the load of holding the axle under lateral and longitudinal forces not the centre bolt. I would suggest your U-Bolts were not torqued to the correct tension and this allowed the beam axle to move and sheer the centre bolt.

[ASNU]

I think you're being a bit hard on the bolt -

Turbo6man.

When you have time if possible,Jump underneath your silver monarch and enlighten me what holds the leaf springs together under the 9 inch mate.The 8mm bolt is a combination of the failure which occured while under load when the bushes started to wear..Of course the bolt is not the pivot of all load as as you suggested and the U bolts were probley not tensioned properly or was it for say an example the bushes failing then leaving to much room for forward and backward movement.

Regardless I am going to modify the rear bolts with larger items and would like to persue the idea of a panhard rod fitted to the chassis somehow to stop flex.Maybe I should buy a rear half cut of a 351 XA-XB with a trusty old 9 inch with bar fitted already,Probley cheaper.

[Turbo6man]

ASNU> The leaf spring centre bolt under the LTD is about 3/8" dia from memory.

[ASNU]

The leaf spring centre bolt under the LTD is about 3/8" dia

Built properly from the start.The designs of the older cars with big heavy dutie diffs and suspension was so good,Inderstructable.

I was wondering last night if when they introduced the on the market with the 351 and 9 inch if the rear leaf springs were the same as today as the ute rear end has not changed since the .This might be a consideration if the diff pops in later life.

[Turbo6man]

ASNU> Well actually NO they weren't really built any better from the start - the Silver Monarch is constantly "walking" it's back axle around. It has a 350 HP Cleveland and when I'm towing it can go all-up weight of close to 4 tons. The U-bolts just can't seem to clamp down enough on the rubber bushes and I had to replace them with urethane. Haven't broken any centre bolts though.

[ASNU]

- the Silver Monarch is constantly "walking" it's back axle around. It has a 350 HP Cleveland and when I'm towing it can go all-up weight of close to 4 tons. The U-bolts just can't seem to clamp down enough on the rubber bushes and I had to replace them with urethane. Haven't broken any centre bolts though.

Where do you get the urethane bushes from mate?.I spose I could try Blueys ute world or something.

Do they seem to do a better job?.