Trail-Gear 22 splines HD shafts

After lots of PMs...

Ok, I didn't really want to recount my experiences on an open forum, but here goes...

I've got the Rob Storr RS-Mfg shafts in the front of mine, and with the bigger CVs there is a definite knack to getting them and the shaft into the casing and the shaft splines into the diff at the same time... I have to hold the short shaft on the CV (that fits through the hub) up and at about 3 o'clock to sneak it passed the outcrop on the knuckle of the axle where the kingpins are...

It is a definite knack to it, so when Brett (my mate and 'laning cohort) said he was struggling to get his (JimnyBits' / Trail Gear / Longfield) ones in, I tried to describe my process over the 'phone, and then shot over to his to lend a hand...

We tried for ages, but there was no way they were going in...?

Luckily, he had a spare axle casing in the garage so we experimented with that... with the axle casing vertical (upright) the shafts and CVs slipped in easily, frustratingly easily?, so we tried them again in the axle on his Jimny but no way they were going in, so we thought the casing was at fault? Offroad abuse had bent or twisted it? So we tried the spare axle horizontally and then couldn't get the shafts in???

So the only way we could get Brett's in was to fit one shaft into the axle, gorilla tape it in, and then turn the axle over upright the other way and get the opposite shaft in, and then rebuild the axle on to his Jimny...

So, from our experience, we could only get them in with the axle upright off the truck...

Russ at JimnyBits is now aware of this, and I have suggested he gets an axle casing and diff, and tries getting them in with the axle flat / horizontal to see if us two old hands have missed a trick?...

Dave

Thanks for the info Dave. Good to know.
Got my hands on a set of TG CV joints. Just needs the shafts. So maybe I'll also have to go through this. That vertical/horizontal issue sounds strange. But if the alternative is grinding inside the knuckle, perhaps it's better doing it vertical.

So eloquently put sir

TomDK wrote: People are not putting 26 spline side gears and shafts in the front axle just for fun

Yes it's a good deal stronger. 23 mm diameter Vs 26.8 mm roughly.

3.8mm is significant...

Just a shame people are not having fun putting them in ;-P...

Ta

What a polava re - fitting... One won't want to take the whole axle off and drain it just to fit shafts....

On another note - forgive my ignorance here; I believe the standard spline count is 22 on the Jimmy front axle. To upgrade to the 26 spline shafts is it just the 26 spline spider gears in the diff one has to change or anything else? Can one not just take a rear diff and shove it in or are they different sizes?

I presume to fit just the spider gears the whole diff has to come apart then get re set up?..

Currently have a broken front shaft and weighing up my options... Thanks

After finding this on google I came here for help! Thankyou to Dave for answering my questions so quickly...although just in case anyone else comes here looking we wangled a plan b. We simply kept the halfshafts and cvs seperate, installed the halfshafts then clicked the cv's on in situ. Didnt need to remove axle and put on end was desperation stakes as my friends ramp was tied up with my immobilised jimny!

Strange that some of you have so much trouble installing them.

Sure I had to use a rubber mallet. But other than that, it was actually fairly easy and straightforward to do.

I have TG 22 splines in mine and they are no different to install than standard ones, as Tom says, I dont understand? Is it to do with years? my axle casings are 2007 with earlier 2004 diffs (3.909 instead of 4.3). Maybe thats the difference?

No idea with different fitments, all I can do is explain what I saw as my mechanic / mate called me in to see it. If you had the cv and halfshaft connected as per instructions and you went to install it, the halfshaft obviously located through the bearing and has no play in any direction (save a bit of pivoting) and when it was aligned so it would locate in the diff the cv (being a far whack larger) hung a good 10 to 15mm lower than the lip of the swivel ball, there was no way in the world you could have pushed it in, was properly baffling. And as dave on here and russ at jimnybits said sometime you have to remove and upright the axle...weird.

I'm just hoping they last now as hard to impossible to obtain just a cv for or whatever rather than a full kit so hoping the upratedness is correct! That was my issue to start with having the odd spline count cv which is on a few spanish jimnys!

For reference mine is 02 plate santana built.

TomDK wrote: Strange that some of you have so much trouble installing them.

Sure I had to use a rubber mallet. But other than that, it was actually fairly easy and straightforward to do.

Just to add that I ended up getting a set and went to 26 spline spiders. And mine had a definite technique to getting them in. Can't remember what it was now of course!! Hehe but they got in.

Hey all,

I hope you're well.

Bought these from Jimny bits and I am always very happy with everything I get from Jimny Bits. These however not so convinced (THIS IS NOTHING AGAINST JIMNY BITS)... 
I'm a mechanical engineer and have been very lucky to work on some exciting things in the motor sports world. Really happy with the Jimny its a great toy, so I bought these expecting it to be a straight fit.. Anything but... When you have to use a mallet on anything other than an interference fit then surely something is not quite right. Managed to get the drive shaft in to the housing with a few good swings on the mallet but then alignment when putting the upright back on was certainly an eyebrow raiser... Sure I can make everything fit with the use of mallet but that certainly is yeeeeeee haaaaa to me and does not sit right at all.

I have ordered the 26 spline with diff gears to give that a go, fingers crossed she fits alot better. I will let you guys know. 

Be interesting to know if its an age thing, my little donkey is an X reg, if anyone has fitted to them to this age with similar issues or without then please do let me know.

I would like to say a huge thanks to Russ and Jimny Bits who has been very helpful, I am just not happy with the fit at all, something like this should just slide together.

All the best peeps