40 spline axles & spools, MW / Strange

Does anyone know (with regards to the splines) if you can mix axles and spools from these two manufacturers? I've heard some say yes and others say no.

 

splines

i'm going to say a definate NO.i have 35 spline MW floater axles and they did not go anywhere near a 35 spline strange spool.i called MW and they said their spline pattern is unique so i had to get a MW spool......fitted up again..........

 

The teeth angles are differnet from the manufacturer to manufacturer, dont try mixing or forcing.

 

Well, here's a turn-up for the books;

'fast-et', 'Blownalky', and 'Chi Town Brown' have all said the 40 spline are the same, but the other splines aren't. In fact, 'Blownalky' says he has got both and they fit together.

The only issue is (to quote 'Chi Town Brown'); 'MW spools are splined at the outer ends of the spool under the bearings. Strange is splined in the middle'. Strange must have changed their design as the spool in my PRF220 center section is splined nearly all the way through. There is a very narrow section in the middle that is not splined, but a one-piece axle will still go all the way through. Or maybe it's just that particular spool.

 

I run two piece MW floater axles, 40 spline, with a strange 40 spline spool. Seems to fit fine, however, with the splines in the spool and end of floater housing ends it sure seems to have more "slop" than my old 40 spline plain axles did before I went to a floater rear, is this normal? In other words, when on the stands you can rock the rear wheels back and forth a bit before the coupler moves, seems like a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of play.

 

slop

how much of that play is ring and pinion backlash?

 

I would expect there to be more free-play than with your old axles because there are more 'joints' in the driveline. With your old axles, the wheel flange and axles are all one piece, whereas with a floater there is a 'joint' between the axles and the drive plates.
In an ideal world there should be no free-play in a drive system of splines, but there will always be some, otherwise you wouldn't be able to assemble it. All that free-play adds up. Add that to the free-play in the diff gears, and multiply it by the diameter of your tyres, and there's where your 1/4 - 1/2" movement will be coming from. But check it all out to be certain.

 

Kind of what I was thinking, thanks guys.

 

Final Word

I have taken delivery of a pair of MW axles, and they fit my Strange center section very nicely.

Note; these are 40 spline.

 

mw uses a different pitch than strange except on 40 spline