The Salisbury axle on a Defender 110 was used through the Series era until 2002. It has a reputation of being very strong, but also not very DIY friendly, as the pinion is part of the axle casing and the diff carrier removed by needing to spread the axle casing apart. So to replace the differential you would effectively need an entire new axle....
A Rental. Okay, well that's how the joke goes anyway. And it's not the BMW in the picture (that was to get your attention). In my time spent driving Land Rovers in inaccessible locations, I've had to tow or dislodge a number of tourists driving rental 4x4's which are nowhere near up to the off road job that the conditions present....
When you find yourself not being able to change gear without a clunk then you may have worn splines on your halfshafts and drive members, due to high mileage or heavy clutch changes. The halfshaft transmits power from the differential by engaging the splines of the drive member which bolts to the hub....
I've been watching Ray Mears Extreme Survival recently way back from the year 2000. Despite his shorts hiding not nearly enough flesh, he has some great pointers about preparing yourself and gathering the right equipment for heading into the Australia Outback....
