The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Take the stub axels out of a 5spd parttime gearbox and put them into a rear diff.

The object of this excercise is to have a rear diff with 25spline stubs instead of the usual 23spline items. Obviously I will need a donor gearbox which has the 25spline stubs.

Does anybody know if this is possible? Are the stubs the same?

I know the diffs are completely different... Also the front stubs are held in with circlips while the rear ones with E10 Torx bolts.

No worries, sounds like it's gonna be easier for me to get 23spline front inner CV cups instead then.

What for are you doing this?

I think he wants to put a rear diff up front...

why? cheap LSD center?

yeah, this is for possible future transfer case conversion. I would mount a rear diff up front of the car and use that to drive the front wheels instead of the front diff in the gearbox - this would go unused.
Yes I would likely run a clutch LSD diff up front then.

As in have a part time 4wd that uses rear wheels all the time, then selects front wheels upon engaging? A-LA-big fourbi?

yeah, I plan to weld the centre of an RS turbo AWD gearbox and remove it's front diff to convert it to RWD only.
Then fit a transfer case from a big 4x4 behind it. The transfer case will drive my standard rear diff at the rear, and another rear diff I will mount backwards at the front of the car.
Selectable as 4x4-hi, 4x4-low and RWD-hi.
Probably gonna use a Suzuki Vitara transfer case but still undecided.

Makes sense now! Problem is as Phiz said - the torx bolt system to retain the stub axle in the rear diff, then you gotta look at the shape - I don't know if they differ between front and rear.

I think the easier option would be to run the carbie driveshafts up front, that way you'll have 23 spline all round...

If you use an EJ dual range with the L series low range installed + a dual range transfer case out the back of the gearbox, you would have:

4x4 hi/hi
4x4 hi/low
4x4 low/low - should be a good crawler gear or bring to back to almost normal L series low
2x4 low/hi (why you'd use this I don't know)
2x4 hi/hi (everyday use)

Cheers

Bennie

Yeah I could do that but too much trouble and don't really need the double low range. Too much trouble to make a EJ gearbox with L low range - my existing EJ dual range isn't suitable for that being a later model Outback one, only option is getting a custom gearset which is expensive. I'd have to source an early Lib dual range box and put 1.5low into that. For now I'd prefer running a proper turbo gearbox with pull clutch to match the EJ20turbo engine. Getting an old RS turbo gearbox welded to be RWD is easy.

is there a reason not to change the whole gearbox? The Subaru 'box is a known weak link, and you're not going to use the front drive, so why not put in for example a celica/supra box? chances are you could even get a toyota transfer case to bolt on the end of it too....

I'm going to be using a divorced transfer case, not one that bolts directly to the gearbox - it will be linked with a simple short tailshaft.
I'm not expecting a EJ20turbo gearbox bolted to an bog standard EJ20turbo engine to be a weak link, especially with me at the wheel - it's not exactly going to be getting rev limiter launches etc. Personally I've never had a Subaru gearbox fail on me at all.
I want to use a Subaru gearbox in this case for simplicity. I will be using a totally stock standard clutch, and it will bolt up without the requirement for any adaptor plates etc.
I did have ideas about adapting a 4x4 gearbox and matching transfer both from a donor "big 4x4" but the method I've arrived at seems alot easier and I think it should be okay. Kindof unexplorered territry tho so I guess I will find out if changes need to be made!

Well, plenty of guys in the US on the USMB forum have put transfer cases in L series...but as far as I can tell they are all just using the original EA82 engines and gearboxes - they just put the gearbox in 4x4 mode and leave the front driveshafts off. With my engine I'm not happy with using an EA82 gearbox.

I'm curious to know where there would be space to hang the front R160 and how to get the driveshaft under the middle to drive it .

Um also your going to find that those rear shaft joints are not designed to take the scope of movement that the steering will require .

Interesting project though .

read his signature - 6" lift kit

the front diff thing has been done plenty of times in the states. the shafts obviously work

Yeah, 6" lift - trust me there is a cavernous amount of room under my car. The front shafts are going to be every day normal RS turbo front driveshafts as they are right now, but I will just have to work out how to get 23spline inner cups onto them to suit the 23spline stubs on the R160. Obviously I won't use rear shaft joints, 23spline front joints are not scarce! (almost every L series has them). Shouldn't be too hard, I'll likely give that job to my local CV/driveshaft place to arrange.

ahh, I like this little world of subaru here on AUSubaru, people don't seem to get out and look what's been going on else where so big lifts and t-case mods seem so amazing.

Nope , when you see 4WD trucks (12 tonners) getting their chassis cut in half to accept bogie drive rear sections uni body changes are not so shocking .
Correct me if i'm wrong but haven't people had live axles under MY/L's at USMB ?

Really Lives make it easy because the diff is supported by the axles and housing and the whole lot hangs off the suspension location points .
The axle housings obviously have swivels and internal joints for steering .

A LOT of work but is there any full chassis 4WD type basis you could throw your body over , thats been done before with some success .
Provided you could find something with a similar track and wheelbase it could work . The short ~ 2.5 cylinders long engine bay could be a challenge if you wanted to run an inline 4 in it .

Who knows , maybe a very early shorty Hilux chassis may go under an MY or L .

A .

Yer - My job here really isn't that exciting, certainly not full chassis like that. I'm still going to think of my car as a Subaru as it will still retain Subaru suspension, hubs, brakes, driveshafts, gearbox, diffs, engine etc etc. Only foreign thing I'm really introducing now is a transfer case, probably from a Suzuki...oh well it starts with S. If Subaru made one I'd use it

The reason these sort of mods don't interest me is thay are not registerable.
I've no interest in towing my offroader around.
Daza.