Fuelish Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Hi rustbuckit2011, New to this forum, hello all. I am restoring a GT6 Mk3 '72 roto, this will be my 3rd GT6 restoration as well as a couple of previous Spitfires . This time I want to start with doing a better job on the suspension and drivetrain as looking at 150bhp engine. Have been reading with interest all info I can find. I have a R160 diff and MGTF hubs on standby and was vey interested to see you say you identified a drive shaft suitable for this. Would you mind sharing this info? My back up is to go for a Blackline LSD if I can find some of the short R100 shafts. Nick don't suppose you have any for sale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Hi Nick, Regarding your conversion with Volvo 340 lorbo's, I have measured my MG TF short shaft and it is 380mm (24mm shorter than R100 you pictured). Is there any reason why you couldn't make the adaptor/spacer 39mm. I understand 'standard' is 15mm. Would there be some interference issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 The CV and it’s cover are already very close to the chassis rails with the R100 shafts. Don’t reckon that 24mm near is viable. Some people have reported that the R100 shafts fit right up with Subaru CVS and the length works. They are very tough to find now though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetecspit Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Nick Jones said: The CV and it’s cover are already very close to the chassis rails with the R100 shafts. Don’t reckon that 24mm near is viable. Some people have reported that the R100 shafts fit right up with Subaru CVS and the length works. They are very tough to find now though. My spit has the subaru R160 an inner CV's. R100 shafts and MGF outer CV/hub. Been well proved now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Yeah, thought you were one of the proving pioneers Clive. Bobbyspit is another, plus a couple in Oz..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Great, thank you both for sharing your experience. As mentioned I have the R160 diff, MG TF hubs and roto setup. Just ordered some 340 Lorbo's from NL. Either way; now I need to find some R100 half shafts or possibly cut and sleeve the longer shafts! I also have just been reading about the R160 conversion and if I have CV drive shafts, I don't necessarily need a modified back plate as can bolt in to the chassis slightly further forward. Would just have to maintain the leaf spring c/l when I make the platform . Will have to do some measuring to check feasibility. zetecspit, have you any posts on your conversion as not found yet,,, newbie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Have decided to 'bit the bullet' and have ordered the R160 conversion kit from steveJM, Australia. I checked my Subby inboard pots and they fit the (380mm) MGTF half shaft splines but given the rarity of R100 driveshafts I'm looking at the Fiesta option, which is what I understand steveJM has used on his EVspitfire. Has anyone else out there proved these on the road yet? Can anyone be more specific on the model/ year and excuse my ignorance but this is also the NSF as with R100? My final option would be to make custom shafts and from some comments read, they could possibly be 10mm longer using the Subby CV with the greater plunge depth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 I would think NSF, but not sure on year/model Fiesta unless it’s the Mk1 XR2 /1300 sport which I know has the correct spline but is probably even rarer than the R100 ones.... Be aware also that the Australian Fiesta may be entirely different to the European ones. I do have a Mk5 Fiesta shaft in my garage. The outer CV fits the MGF/R100hub spline but the inner CV is a pot joint and the shaft spline (on the one I have at least) is smaller than the Rover/MG one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveJM Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 My Fiesta shafts i bought from a guy in UK about +5 years ago on ebay. had volvo Lobo and Nicks adaptors. was obviously from a conversion that did not go ahead. Paid a lot for it ... pure luck on my part especially the timming. They were advertised as R100 shafts. and latter confessed Fiesta .but the same??? any way they worked. but i do feel they are on the short side of perfect, when fitted to the subby CV cup (large cup). 10mm more would put them closser to centre in the subby CV cup IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Second hand R100 drive shafts as you have all said, if found, are very expensive. So are the Mk1 Xr2. I made some enquiries in UK for custom made shafts and was horrified at prices from £200+ per side or £350 with new cv and stub axle! Searching the web I have found a company in the USA that has made similar kits for rotoflex cars but using Escort stub shafts in the uprights to Subaru diffs. Have given him some dimensions including the 415mm length and he has agreed to make them in the next 10 days and we are talking high grade! I will now await the UPS delivery along with Steve's package from OZ! Once I'm happy it all fits together I'll let everyone know the contact as he will have the proven pattern for MGF hubs... I am still also considering asking my local machine shop to shorten the Subaru drive shaft to 415mm and cut the 24mm 22 spline and nitride the end, if relatively cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 I'm a bit surprised that the Mk1 XR2/1300S shafts work entire. AFAIK the outer CVs that they come with fit the OE rotoflex hub splines, not the R100/MGF hubs. I have no idea about the length, though I would expect the LH one to be in the ballpark. My interest in them was that they are the only other potential source found for a Lobro with the same spline as the Volvo 340. I've not found the R100 shafts to be especially pricey, just rare now. The Ford ones are also very rare (far fewer of the cars made in the first place and longer ago) and likely to be subject to "fast" Ford scene tax. £ 200/side for a pair of bespoke shafts is pretty reasonable - I've been quoted alot more than that in the past! Might be worth asking about how the price drops for multiples in case it's possible to create a group buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 I should resist making any comment on something I've not done myself, my remark was based on Steve's comment about his Fiesta shafts not my own experience. Please ignore me on this point . When I have received and tried mine custom made one's I'll share the info on supplier but I don't want to give anyone a bum steer unit I have proven them myself. This guy normally does the conversion for Escort hubs not MGF in GT6 uprights, the company are specialists for in race cars and drag cars. IMHO £400min. for a pair of drive shafts (just shaft) seemed expensive to me, when a complete axle replacement for a daily hack are under £100ea; I realise they are mass produced. The USA product is a bit cheaper and high quality but will depend on how much I get stung for import duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 On 1/4/2021 at 9:08 PM, zetecspit said: My spit has the subaru R160 an inner CV's. R100 shafts and MGF outer CV/hub. Been well proved now. Hi Colin, thanks for the reply above but I also found this comment you made previously below: I know the volvo lobros don't have a lot of total plunge. The scooby ones have loads but looks like they will be running right at the ends. Almost considered getting a fresh snap-ring groove machined on the CV splines to get them a few mm further out the diff. Madness or genius? The reason for asking further is that the custom shafts I'm having made I am specifying 415mm over all length based on Nicks info the standard are 404mm. So, I know the R100 ones work but, whilst I have the option I have added 11mm does that make sense? Appreciate your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveJM Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 (edited) To add further clarity. Nick are you able to confirm, the fiesta uk shafts and r100 are the same length. I had assumed so, as they had setup with machined adaptors and common reference to bieng same as r100 and what i was led to be volvo lobro. I concur with zetecspit subby cv have plenty of plunge. Assembled my shafts seem to be only near 5-10 from outer cv snap ring. One option for custom shafts is to have various circlip grooves into splined shaft. Longer is better. You can always cut down Edited January 8, 2021 by steveJM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetecspit Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Fuelish said: Hi Colin, thanks for the reply above but I also found this comment you made previously below: I know the volvo lobros don't have a lot of total plunge. The scooby ones have loads but looks like they will be running right at the ends. Almost considered getting a fresh snap-ring groove machined on the CV splines to get them a few mm further out the diff. Madness or genius? The reason for asking further is that the custom shafts I'm having made I am specifying 415mm over all length based on Nicks info the standard are 404mm. So, I know the R100 ones work but, whilst I have the option I have added 11mm does that make sense? Appreciate your thoughts. If you mean me, I am Clive.... The spit is up in the air, STIL waiting for the gearbox to be sorted (BGH had a mad pre-Brexit rush, so all UK stuff got left until now to be started. Ho hum) but I can have a look probably Saturday, which I think is tomorrow. But from memory about 10m sounds ideal. If you wanted to be more radical, you could make lower wishbones (a la Marcus and indeed Jones Minors spitfire) but an inch longer, and get a new, longer spring. Give the same track as the late spit, which seems sensible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Hi Clive, sorry for the clanger, maybe I should stick to screen names! I appreciate any advice regarding the drive shaft length though. I'm looking at the best compromise between use and price as I have a complete restoration to consider. I have thought of using complete MGTF rear hubs so, I can fit discs. Sure this has been done before with R100 shafts. Other thoughts like custom lower wishbones, coil over springs instead of leaf with a short upper arm. Realistically I am aiming at a road car with 150bhp and 5 speed box. That's not to say in the distant future I cant upgrade but at least the back will cope and can be improved. I'm looking at running 195/50R15 tyres for traction so, not sure if increasing the rear track would require arches flaring as the kit from Steve for the conversion does lower the car about 1/2" as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustbuckit2011 Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 I'm a little too sick to get into the shed at present, and, like you- do not want to bum-steer unreliable information. I have been holding of printing this info until I could real world test the axles. The unfortunate truth of my situation is I may never see this come to fruition. I'll start a new thread here to make searching a little easier- see my reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Have you seen these on offer from Mark Field at Lemans https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Gt6-Vitesse-roto-flex-cv-conversion-drive-shafts-1xpair/284154448390 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Yep. Have been available from various places for a number of years. Used with the standard hub/bearing arrangement. No idea what the splines are. Outer CV is probably Ford pattern and I’d guess the inner CV spline is probably 33, because they are common, but it is a complete guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuelish Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 Interesting BUT, in my view yours is better because of the larger wheel bearing and also no need to shim, this still requires that! PS - Now I have gone the Subaru diff route I have a pair of good second hand Volvo 340 Lobro 24mm 22 spline cv's including boots for what they cost me! So, if anyone is interested in doing your (NJ's) conversion.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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