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Technical => Driveline => Diffs => Topic started by: xcrowx on October 12, 2008, 09:01:26 AM

Title: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: xcrowx on October 12, 2008, 09:01:26 AM
Hey everyone, been on the site for a while now.. Just taking in all the info members post. I've had my swb beddy a year now and think its time i did this conversion. I would like to know whats involved for the fit of the cresta diff internals, anyone out there done this themselves and could shed some light on the process? Would be appreciated :) Great site and members!

Cheers Bruce
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: ben on October 12, 2008, 02:12:10 PM
i have not herd or seen anyone doing this conversion in aus so yeh maybe you new zealand guys have more of the know?? must be EASIER to get hold of one in new zealand..

cheers
ben
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Worzel on October 12, 2008, 02:26:20 PM
the hard bit is getting the cresta diff internals, the easy bit is going to a diff specialist to have it fitted ;D
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: BlackBedford on October 12, 2008, 03:41:36 PM
G'day
I had it done years ago to a CFS van using a Vauxhall Cresta 6 cylinder crown wheel and pinion. It cost a lot of money for very little improvement. The parts were expensive and getting it fitted properly was a hassle. I then put 15" rims with high profile 4WD tyres on to get it to cruise on the highway. I probably should have put a 5 speed gearbox in instead
Apparently it only works for the early model diff.

Regards
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Sundownernz on October 12, 2008, 05:40:40 PM
Hey Bruce,

Welcome to the site. Give me a call if you want to join our Auckland based custom van club. 4785733.

As Worzel said, hardest part will be getting a cresta crown wheel and pinion these days. I had the diff in my first van coverted with a cresta setup but that was back in '78. Cresta parts were a dime a dozen back then but probably pretty rare now. I used a PC Cresta crown wheel and pinion and had it installed by a diff shop. It's a direct swap for the CF crown wheel and pinion (bolt out, bolt in) and gives a good cruising ratio of about 3.5:1. Mine was a SWB running a 283 chev and auto and handled the power OK. What I did find was that the spyder gears in the CF diff were starting to go after about three years of feeding the V8 through it. Got a 9" in my current van.

Don't know where you'd start to find a Cresta diff now days. Just ring all the wreckers I guess.

Hope this helps.

Garry.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: stumpy1972uk1 on October 13, 2008, 04:21:27 AM
i might be able to throw some light on this , the cresta rear axle is the same as the one vauxhall used over here in the uk on the vauxhall ventora fd , 1967 to 1972. the ventora had the cresta 3.3 straight six engine which i believe got fitted also into a lot of the beddies you guys have over there.  now the early cf axle is the same as the cresta axle just wider than the cresta. the cresta is about 55 inches face to face , the beddies 62 inches face to face or there abouts.  the diffs are the same. the cresta and the fd ran 13 " rims on 175/60/13 tyres. whats the abundance of american day vans over there. the axles fit loverly and have really good ratios.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: xcrowx on October 13, 2008, 10:11:10 AM
Cheers for all the reply's guys :)

Yeah getting the diff was the hard part till i bumped into an old fulla while out in the van, got talking and what do you know he had one in his garage... Thats exactly what i needed to know Garry cheers, now to find time to swap em over  ;D so there was no lengthening or shortening of the driveshaft? May give you a call sometime bout the club Garry, thanks again everyone...
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: ben on October 13, 2008, 10:43:41 AM
youve already got one!! flippen laughen!!

ben
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Sundownernz on October 14, 2008, 09:49:15 AM
Hey Bruce. If you have one already it's all good. Drive shaft should be OK. I know when I did mine we didn't touch the drive shaft, just changed the crown wheel and pinion over so you should be fine.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it all goes.

Cheers,
Garry.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Rogue Trooper on October 24, 2008, 01:37:57 PM
I've got one of these conversions in mine and when I ran the 186 with trimatic it still used to rev pretty high at 100k.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: BlackBedford on October 24, 2008, 09:38:30 PM




I've got one of these conversions in mine and when I ran the 186 with trimatic it still used to rev pretty high at 100k.

See, told you so!
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: ben on October 25, 2008, 08:37:46 PM
hey chris. you said early model diff..

so would i be right in guessing that the early diff had 9 inch drums and the later model diff had 10 inch drums? or is the 10inch drum diff just a special that came with some?

most of the diffs i see have 9 inch drums

but i own 3 10 inch drum diffs now just after saying that..
cheers
ben
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Jeff on January 09, 2010, 12:46:33 PM
This works only with the SWB as those models have the fine splines. The LWB has coarser splines, and is a different diff.
I was very happy with my first Beddy which I put one in with a slant Valient motor.
My current van has one also, and with the LD28 is about right.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Bas NZ on January 10, 2010, 05:28:58 PM
Hay Rogue, you have to use the drive head from an auto only as they are 3.5, Man- is 4.1, so no good. I changed my over myself, placed it in the vice and greased the crown wheel, and turned it until you got any even patten transfering on to the pinion, 5 years later still good.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Rogue Trooper on January 10, 2010, 05:44:05 PM
I didn't actually do the conversion myself. I swapped the diff with another club member many many moons ago. I think the problem was more that I was comparing it with the car which is a 5 speed manual whereas the van at the time was running the 3 speed traumatic. It was definitely better than the original diff.

I am so looking forward to running a 4 speed auto behind the V6 with a 3.07 ratio.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: waikatostocky on January 12, 2010, 01:33:57 AM
'ben mate all the 9" drums must of gone to Oz then i got a creasta conversion done on a 9" drum housing and now i carnt find any drums to go on it dam hate that lol. ::)

cheers Paddy
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Rogue Trooper on January 12, 2010, 04:17:43 AM
The original diff in mine was the 10" however the Cresta conversion came on a 9". Keep an eye out at the wreckers. We've had quite a few CF's through Pick-A-Part down here over the last couple of months.
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: waikatostocky on January 12, 2010, 04:35:10 PM
have been droping into quit a few yards i know a few of the lads in wreakers up this way from when i was raceing the stockcar.

havent had much luck yet lol.

Cheers Paddy
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: Jeff on January 12, 2010, 06:24:37 PM
There's one on TradeMe . A bit pricey @ $400 buy now.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Other/auction-264288506.htm (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Other/auction-264288506.htm)

Hey Paddy, Can't you fit 10" brakes to it?
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: cfjeff on January 12, 2010, 08:15:29 PM
Paddy are you looking for 9" cf rear drums, if so I should have plenty in my diff and gearbox shed. If you like I will have a look tomorrow. Just to be clear we are talking about the same thing the 9" brake diffs have 4 bolt backing plate and the 10" 6 bolt backing plate?

 When I recently rebuilt my diff and needed to replace the crown wheel and pinion as mine was too worn. I found a diff on the west coast, the only problem was I had 10" brakes on my diff and the diff I purchased had 9". So I pulled the guts out and swapped the interiors. I still have all the left over parts in my shed. Only prob is I'm in christchurch.

Let me know if I can be of help,
Cheers Jeff
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: waikatostocky on January 12, 2010, 09:56:33 PM
hi Jeff, na mate the 10" ones dont fit .

cfjeff , mate you would be a legand if you had some 9" Bedford brake Drums.I would pay for a courier to send them up no worrys.

Cheers Paddy
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: cfjeff on January 13, 2010, 10:34:27 AM
just as I thought, found I still have 2 sets of 9" rear drums in the shed.
will these do paddy?
(http://www.buga.com.au/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=17203&g2_serialNumber=2)
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: cfjeff on January 13, 2010, 10:37:14 AM
(http://www.buga.com.au/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=17198&g2_serialNumber=2)
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: cfjeff on January 13, 2010, 10:39:18 AM
(http://www.buga.com.au/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=17209&g2_serialNumber=2)
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: cfjeff on January 13, 2010, 10:43:28 AM
(http://www.buga.com.au/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=17204&g2_serialNumber=2)

lets try that again, let me know and I can arrange to get them to you

Cheers Jeff
Title: Re: Cresta diff conversion?
Post by: waikatostocky on January 13, 2010, 04:53:36 PM
yea mate they will. awsome.i have pm you mate

Thanks heaps
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