Zf Differential....

[Guest salty_monk]

& if the same as the original ZF they are going on about he will need to rebuild... hmm at least the viscous is a "fit & forget" but the plate type should be better on track etc as he says.

 

Personally I would work out a way to make the diff removeable from the chassis, it can't be that hard to do, even if you have to mount it in it's own box that can be unbolted or something.. Don't really need good access to the driveshafts if they are push in, as long as you can get a hand to them & slide them back towards the wheel....

 

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

http://www.alfaholics.com/racing_and_compe...s/transmission/

[Guest ScotMac]

Does anyone have experience w/ the grippers. As i said, haven't seen them listed as being for a sierra. Does anyone know the spline count for a alfa 2k?

 

Maybe they would work...and they aren't THAT expensive. However, i have seen many quotes about how the ZF is much better on the track than a quaife. So, if the gripper is an ATB, like the quaife, it might not be the best approach.

[Guest ScotMac]

OK...gripper looks pretty good. Their website is here:

http://www.racecar.co.uk/gripper/

 

They appear to have something for the cosworth 7"...but aren't the cosworth stuff 108mm flanges? I guess if the splines are the same, then it might work...and even if they are not, i guess i could go w/ a custom shaft of cossie 108 on one side and normal 100's on the other...or go w/ cossie across the entire rear end, but would have to see if it would work w/ the RH l/w upright and suspension. Is the cossie 7" rear end's track width the same as the sierras???

[Guest ScotMac]

Oh, and they ARE plate based, so conceivably gripper would have similar advantages over quaife, like ZF.

[Guest ScotMac]

In fact, taking a look at the design of the gripper (see "technical specification" on the site i listed above), the gripper looks very similar to the ZF. Similar plating, similar grooves/ramps, similar X style shafts for the internal gearing....

[Guest salty_monk]

Cossie rear end fits fine I believe... The sub frame should be the same as a regular Sierra (or at least the 2wd one will be..)

[Guest ScotMac]

So, the cossie 7" uses the same diff case as all the other 7" sierras? Ok, so that is actually a pretty inexpensive differential. Though more than i paid for my zf, it IS new, and wouldn't have my "lockup" problem...if it is a problem....but would probably have the same flanges problem. ie, it is almost assuredly a closed diff, and thus almost assured ALSO uses the push-in flanges.

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

Gripper mention fitted to Rover lets have a look at Rover and rover in scrappys

[Guest salty_monk]

Cossie diff has lobro joints, it's not push in. That's what the post on the locost forum was about...

 

People who want to use a cossie/XR4 diff without changing their axle or brake setup.

 

If as you say you have lobro joints then this diff should be a straight fit for you.

 

Dan

[Guest ScotMac]

Hmmm. Yes, the stock cossie diffs have lobro, just like most of the rear-disc-based sierras. What i was referring to was that if the internals of the that stock diff is then swapped for a gripper/zf/quaife/... LSD, then it may need to be switched to a push-in flange.

 

Actually, that brings up an interesting point. I beleive the way that quaife handles this is that they sell the entire unit (including case), w/ the lobro ear/flanges already installed into the diff...which is thus a direct fit for my lobro shafts, as you mentioned. However, i doesnt' look like ZF's are that way, and gripper is up for debate.

 

Cheers, -sm

[Guest ScotMac]

In fact, the above is exactly why the US Merkur guys talk about Quaife, but never talk about ZF, as possible LSD swap. The US Merkurs *all* have lobro joints.

[Guest salty_monk]

I don't see any reason why a knowledgeable bloke shouldn't be able to rebuild your ZF unit into a casing with Lobro joints on it..... I don't know for sure but I would think it possible.

 

Is there a specialist over here you could get to swap your ZF into the Merkur casing? Might solve all your problems!!

[Guest ScotMac]

But Dan, how are push-in flanges "held" in the differential, since they don't have the case-internal c-clips???

[Guest salty_monk]

No I understand more what you're getting at! Must be that 2 countries split by one language thing!!

 

might be able to work it out from here....