So, I was looking around the local pull your part for stuff for my 1989 montero (for once it asked for some attention), and I came across two D1's. Looking around them, I noticed their front drive axles were the swivel ball type, which took me back to two years ago when I was deployed in the Horn of Africa where I learned my affection towards Land Rovers while stuck in a vehicle underbody inspection pit for hours at a time searching for possible IED's. Somehow the swivel ball type drive axles just seem to look a lot more capable of taking on whatever comes their way, they look extremely cool and masculine I must add... So what are the chances a front drive axle assembly might fit into a 2004 model, and what would be mods needed to fit it all together

 

Nope, your hubs are different, etc. Which contain the ABS. Which are averaged to make speedometer run. So once you start changing mechanicals, the electronics lie in wait ready to take another bite out of your wallet.

 

It would be a lot of work, and like Savannah said, even if you made it work, the ABS might get angry... I'm not sure how many teeth are on the cv-joint.

ALSO D2 stuff is WAY stronger than D1 stuff, when comparing stock to stock. The lack of the swivel ball allow for the D2 CV joint to be larger and stronger. The rear axles are also a little stronger too, but that's because they are semi float, and when they do break, if it's in the wrong place on the shaft, you could lose the wheel, so there were beefed up a little.

 

You'd do better just buying a D1.

 

Or a defender.