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Has anyone successfully used a Capri Axle
Mark Allanson - 14/10/02 at 10:10 PM

I have bought a Capri axle, but when positioned in the chassis, it has a wild amount of offset to the offside of the chassis.

I am sure I have read about members using this axle, perhaps they could help me out?
What did you do with the propshaft? Do I need to use the centre bearing? Is a propshaft offset from the centreline of the car acceptable to the nice chaps at the SVA? Do I need to move the tranny tunnel over to the right and have the engine biased to the right as well?

I think that is enough questions to be getting on with (!!!), there are some images in the photo section to clarify my absurd ramblings.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Mark

Liam - 14/10/02 at 11:17 PM

Er, that's wierd. My mate used a capri axle and I'm sure the propshaft went in the middle! All I can say is are you sure you got it in the right place? Sorry I can't help. Hmmm.

Liam

Macca - 14/10/02 at 11:20 PM

May sound silly, but its not upsidedown is it? I can't tell from the pics.
Col

David Jenkins - 15/10/02 at 07:56 AM

Macca,

You're OK, that's perfectly normal!

(see my comments on TOL)

David

David Jenkins - 15/10/02 at 09:34 AM

Try this link...

http://www.vibratesoftware.com/html_help/html/diagnosis/propshaft/measuring_propshaft_angles.htm

Basically, each UJ mustn't have an angle greater than 4 degrees, but shouldn't be 0 degrees (causes excess wear).

Page shows what should be straight and what should be angled.


David

Simon - 15/10/02 at 11:59 AM

Mark,

It may help to know that the Sierra driveshafts (appreciate not live axle) are different lengths, so while diff input is central, body of diff is offest.

Any help?

ATB

Simon

James - 15/10/02 at 12:11 PM

quote:
Mark,

It may help to know that the Sierra driveshafts (appreciate not live axle) are different lengths, so while diff input is central, body of diff is offest.

Any help?

ATB

Simon


I've been looking at mine and although the drive shafts are different the centre line of the diff' (ie. where the prop shaft joins it) should be central to the car. It's just that the diff' output is larger on one side.

That's not a very good explanation- maybe this will work better:

The centre of mass of the diff needs to be offset but it should be mounted centrally.

does that explain it better?

Cheers,

James

David Jenkins - 15/10/02 at 02:16 PM

You have to remember that the differential is basically a crown and pinion gear set.

You can put the crown (big gear on the axle) in the middle and have equal length half-shafts, which means the pinion (the small gear that connects to the propshaft) has to be offset to one side. This is the arrangement on the Escort/Cortina/Capri rigid axles.

Alternatively, you can put the pinion in the middle and offset the crown gear, which requires different length drive shafts - this is what they do on the Sierra diff.

rgds,

David

Mark Allanson - 15/10/02 at 06:21 PM

I measured the axle before I offered it up, the halfshafts are (seem to be) equal length (backplates to centre casting length) and the crownwheel seems to be dead centre so the input flange is 1/2 the diameter of the pinion offset to the right (about 40mm).
I set the axle dead centre by measuring the back plates to the chassis, but I did ignore the height aspect.
I have roughly worked ou that with a 750mm probshaft the angle of the prop will be about 3 degrees or less. David on the Yahoo site says this is ideal.

What prop angle is everyone else using?

Mark

P.S. I have put a sierra chassis plate decoder in the photo section, it may be of help to those using any sierra bits!

johnston - 15/10/02 at 08:18 PM

if i remeber right it is actually in the middle but because the nose piece is a diffrent shape from the escy it looks ofset u just need to mod the tranny tunnel (i think)

Nick Davison - 16/10/02 at 07:47 PM

When I put my 2.8i axle in it was offset to the offside and would have fouled on the tunnel side by the drivers seat. I took out about 1" of metal from the web it fouled on, this should not weaken it enough to do any damage.
I havn't worked out the prop angle yet but it should be ok!
Nick