I've established that I'll need a complete new Atlas axle for the F27 (current Koln one won't take the power I inted to run through it).

What is the most cost effective option?

1. Buy a semi-decent Capri Atlas with an LSD (£500-ish) and have it reconditioned (may as well make sure it's right before it gets bolted on!).
2. Buy a cheap non-LSD atlas (£150-ish) and have it reconditioned using a Quaife LSD (£450 for the part).

if you can find a new quaife LSD for £450! new price from quaife, £655 +vat for a atlas ATB.
i thought about this quite a lot when i was doing mine, since it was getting cut up and modded a lot, decided to get a standard open diff, get that rebuilt and see how it goes til i can afford a LSD for it.

from your two options, when i was looking at it, i figured the end cost and and result was about the same either way. cost to get my axle put together with new bearings etc. can't remember how much it was to put it all back together with bearings etc. bearing kit's about £100 i think...

A good friend who rallys cars recons that lsd‘s are only of real benefit on loose gravel and not a deal of help on the track sections, a few of the books i have on suspension and performance set ups also say the expense of an lsd is debatable. if the car is set up correctly they are largely redundant for basically what will be a road car. I sold an lsd and spent the cash on other parts for one of my cars, and once used to the new driving characteristics i don't think i was any slower. i would say not to bother......unless your planning on mental power....even then....
i don't offer my advise as profound wisdom just as my opinion such as its worth. but i cannot help but think the £300 odd extra for the benifit of more grip at the traffic light grand prix as to be a bit steep for the overall gain.

As I'm a tight Yorkshireman, and can't afford to fit an lsd to my Atlas, I'm going de-dion with an xr4x4 diff. I've made the de-dion axle and got the trailing arms and watts linkage sorted, I'm just waiting for the motivation to craft a subframe so I can mount the diff and axle from the original trailing arm and coilover mounts. Then I'll need to widen the rear arches and make a new fuel tank....which is why I havn't got much further with the job!

Cheers guys.

I spoke with the guys at Fostek and they don't do any work on the Koln.

Can anyone tell me what the weak points are in the Koln axle? Shafts??? Tubes??? Pigs Head???

Use it and find out!! I don't know to be honest. If u want a cheap but heavy axle, get a reliant scimitar se6 axle and put a LSD out of a jag xj40 or x300 diff into it. I can advise further. These take 500+ hp, bit overkill really!! Bits all fit straight in but as with any live axle would advise professional setup and new bearings, which usually ends up being 300 quid, 150 on parts and same on labour

Ps compared to the above, the atlas is like a toy axle!!

Cheers Nat!

My next post was going to be to ask what non Ford-derived live-axle options are out there!

Scimitar axle is a Salisbury 4ha, very strong but very heavy, but then an atlas isn't exactly the last word in lightness! Another option is Dana 30 from a volvo 240, but the slippers in these are a bit odd, not many have normal clutch pack or biasing ones. The later jag lsd's are very cheap, as everybody looks for the powrloc ones fitted to old v12 jags, prob with these is the crownwheel positions are often wrong for the ratios you will want. The later jags used dana diffs which are good simple clutch pack units, and they generally used more useful ratios in the 3.5:1 range, so can go in with crownwheel still fitted to carrier and no spacers etc.

Geez Scootz,

With that option from Nat, you may as well get a Ford9" custom built.

That'd handle anything you'd want to throw at it. Also has a couple of lsd options, and a spool if you're into locked diffs.

Happy New Year

Cheers,
Nev.

Hi Scootz,
I have an Atlas axle kicking about somewhere if you are interested. It has no diff cover and no brakes, believe it came off of a Capri as I took it out of the back seat of a scrap one. Let me know if you are interested and I will locate it and take some photos for you. Price about £75.

if you pick the volvo one , the 240 is similar in width to a book locost , the 7/9 series ones wider .

trutrac diffs are available bout £300 . great for dry pavement , and act like a normal car .

the eaton g80 is a locker and will not enagage above 25mph unless you modify it .

lockers are available for these , and quite popular for £150 ......

ratios are 3.3:1 , 3.54:1 , 3.73:1, 3.89:1 , 4.1:1 in std road cars .....

Cheers!

Scootz,
You have mail.
I have sent the pictures of my Atlas axle, that you requested you requested, to your email address.

Thanks fella!

Toyota Hilux has a seriously strong back axle, quite a common upgrade on rally Escorts...

quote:

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Originally posted by scootz
Can anyone tell me what the weak points are in the Koln axle? Shafts??? Tubes??? Pigs Head???

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?

I had a Koln in my Tiger. I knew it was weak(er) but found a rare Quaife LSD for it so ran it rather than swapping to the Atlas axle I had.

Side by side the shafts are slightly thinner (but lighter!) but the tubes seemed the same size. Bearings are smaller too.

I only had about 160bhp but ran it on slicks on trackdays and I never had any trouble with it. As Nat said, run it and see what breaks.

As an alternative, what about the rear axle from a Izuzu piazzo thing? They have a LSD fitted i think.

Thanks for that... just the kind of info that I'm looking for! Do you know if anyone does any 'heavy duty' parts for them (Fostek don't work on them ).

I've seen a lot of LSD axles at reasonable money, but most are from trucks, so I'm guessing they'll weigh the proverbial ton! I guess I could just take out AA membership and run the Koln till it breaks! Knowing my luck that would happen in the back of beyond where there is no mobile reception!

quote:

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Originally posted by scootz
Do you know if anyone does any 'heavy duty' parts for them (Fostek don't work on them ).

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Thanks (again).