What's new
By:
Filters

Who's who for axle shafts?

Mine are not clearanced beyond stock steering angles with a KP 60. I can't turn sharper anyways because my tires hit my links. So it is what it is.

I've broken a variety of shafts over the years and knock on wood, never damaged a locker. Others I know have not been so lucky. I try hard to not bind up a tire or put a lot of load on a fully turned joint and stay out of the throttle if I am turned. My recent break last month was exactly that - a stupid move. Front dig in reverse, backing up a hill, fully turned. Snap.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
So is there really any point to running chromo u joints with run of the mill chromos? Doesn't seem worth it
Click to expand...
I've been running Yukon super joints (both D44 and D60) since back when Carl still owned the patent before he sold out to Yukon. (2005-ish) I have NEVER broken a Super joint. Stickies since 2011 and LS the entire time. The joint I DID break was an Ouverson which is cross drilled for lube. Some will say it's weaker. I don't know if a 1/8" cross drill weakens it that much. They held up fine till I did my stupid maneuver. In that same timeframe I have broken 5-6 front shafts in one location or another.

I had hoped going to the Branik 300M shaft was a good move but it basically moved the weak link to the joint area, which ends up taking out a joint and both yokes vs just breaking one shaft. I'd rather just break 1 shaft vs 3 components. (at least that's my current theory)
 
white-rhino said:
I've been running Yukon super joints (both D44 and D60) since back when Carl still owned the patent before he sold out to Yukon. (2005-ish) I have NEVER broken a Super joint. Stickies since 2011 and LS the entire time. The joint I DID break was an Ouverson which is cross drilled for lube. Some will say it's weaker. I don't know if a 1/8" cross drill weakens it that much. They held up fine till I did my stupid maneuver. In that same timeframe I have broken 5-6 front shafts in one location or another.

I had hoped going to the Branik 300M shaft was a good move but it basically moved the weak link to the joint area, which ends up taking out a joint and both yokes vs just breaking one shaft. I'd rather just break 1 shaft vs 3 components. (at least that's my current theory)
Click to expand...

The maintenance of the chromo joints is the turn off for me, I hat greasing my yukons. I'll look into the oversons.
 
white-rhino said:
I had hoped going to the Branik 300M shaft was a good move but it basically moved the weak link to the joint area, which ends up taking out a joint and both yokes vs just breaking one shaft. I'd rather just break 1 shaft vs 3 components. (at least that's my current theory)
Click to expand...

Stronger shaft with a weaker joint, I suppose that was gonna happen. If I didn't have CTMs already I'd have bought Branik joints too. I'm done trying to manufacture a weak link. Shit breaks and it costs money to fix. Either upgrade or be content breaking or not pushing as hard.

I actually tried to buy Ouverson joints and they were on backorder. The novelty of a single grease zerk was attractive.
 
94toytruck said:
Stronger shaft with a weaker joint, I suppose that was gonna happen. If I didn't have CTMs already I'd have bought Branik joints too. I'm done trying to manufacture a weak link. Shit breaks and it costs money to fix. Either upgrade or be content breaking or not pushing as hard.

I actually tried to buy Ouverson joints and they were on backorder. The novelty of a single grease zerk was attractive.
Click to expand...

I agree that I don't like fuses, but I can see what his point is. He payed the premium for 300m inners and it just moved the weak link to another spot. It's weird that they make 4340 yokes for 300m shafts, but who knows, not all situations are the same.

For my use, during winter, sometimes we'd drive quite a few miles in 4hi, and I felt I should be greasing after every trip, but holy shit are those needle pick zerks on every cap gay.
 
I HATE the idea of a weak link but the only way to avoid that is go to something like a 14bolt front with 40 spline stuff yada yada yada. Or at the very least Super Duty outers. That's simply not going to happen.

I've never really had an issue greasing my Yukons. I have had trailer queens ever since I started running them and I tend to tear my axles down once or twice a year for a good inspection. I actually left the O-rings out of them for a couple years and just greased them more frequently. I also quit using anti-sieze and started using the green tacky grease from TSC with good success. I'm on the fence with Ouversons - I guess actually not - since I just replaced the broken one with a Yukon.

A quick tip. I don't use the needle tip zerks. Although they are required for clearance in the C's, I take it out and spin a standard zerk in and then use the zerk lock grease gun to lube them. Take it back out and put the shallow needle zerk back in. It takes me maybe a half hour to do each side. It's one of those weeknight things I do with the rig on the hoist and youtube on the TV in the shop while the wife is watching American Idol in the house.

Yes, I'm to the point of being content to not push as hard. I have lines that I avoid now because I don't need to prove anything to myself.
 
Welcome to my life... I'm mot doing anymore than what I have to this axle and I'm mot building a replacement axle for this buggy.

Greasing them isn't too bad, takes less than 10 minutes to do still om the trailer.
 
Yukon recommends grease after every trip from what I remember(maybe im wromg, but there is not much room for grease and steel on steel). My old stomping grounds, we'd often to a few day trips a week during winter. Had no shop, definitely no lift. Last thing I want to do after spending a day in the snow was fiddle fuck around with 8 zerks while laying on cold wet asphalt.

For a trailer queen, that goes out once or twice a month, no big deal.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Yukon recommends grease after every trip from what I remember(maybe im wromg, but there is not much room for grease and steel on steel). My old stomping grounds, we'd often to a few day trips a week during winter. Had no shop, definitely no lift. Last thing I want to do after spending a day in the snow was fiddle fuck around with 8 zerks while laying on cold wet asphalt.

For a trailer queen, that goes out once or twice a month, no big deal.
Click to expand...
You aren't wrong. They aren't for a daily driver. (although I have always run lockouts) That said, I never greased mine daily. I would grease them before and after a week long wheeling trip but never during the week.

At the end of the day, everything's a trade off.
 
white-rhino said:
Mine are not clearanced beyond stock steering angles with a KP 60. I can't turn sharper anyways because my tires hit my links. So it is what it is.

I've broken a variety of shafts over the years and knock on wood, never damaged a locker. Others I know have not been so lucky. I try hard to not bind up a tire or put a lot of load on a fully turned joint and stay out of the throttle if I am turned. My recent break last month was exactly that - a stupid move. Front dig in reverse, backing up a hill, fully turned. Snap.
Click to expand...
That’s what I did in my Toyota crawler I had in the 2000’s. Blew an inner shaft and the preload to axle snap took the teeth off of the Detroit locker plates. It sucks wheeling in three wheel drive too and wasn’t able to fix it either and several hundred miles from home at a park. To buy the parts to repair the locker cost as much as a new locker :homer:
 
Landslide said:
That’s what I did in my Toyota crawler I had in the 2000’s. Blew an inner shaft and the preload to axle snap took the teeth off of the Detroit locker plates. It sucks wheeling in three wheel drive too and wasn’t able to fix it either and several hundred miles from home at a park. To buy the parts to repair the locker cost as much as a new locker :homer:
Click to expand...
Detroit’s are notorious for that
 
06h3 said:
Detroit’s are notorious for that
Click to expand...
Indeed they are!

Kinda funny, I had a Lock right in my last rig for many years with a typical PS drop D60. Broke a few shafts/joints and never hurt the locker. One day it started acting up after I had it apart to fix something. Figured it finally was done, pulled the cover and found the spring for the inner axle seal jammed between the teeth on the one side:homer:
 
I'm gonna toss this out in this thread since it kind of relates to axle shafts.

What's people thoughts on the plastic spindle bearing replacements and can I run seals still with them? Branik supplied me with some on my outers and I have a set on the shelf from Longfield with the flange for years. I've been running stock type needle bearings with seals for years and have zero issues with them or keeping water out. I bought the LF ones figuring I'd replace them bearings when they go bad but it's been years and they are fine. My spindles were actually suctioned tight to my outers when I pulled the PS apart the other night. I'm half tempted to keep the spindle bearings to keep it nice and sealed up.
 
94toytruck said:
I'm gonna toss this out in this thread since it kind of relates to axle shafts.

What's people thoughts on the plastic spindle bearing replacements and can I run seals still with them? Branik supplied me with some on my outers and I have a set on the shelf from Longfield with the flange for years. I've been running stock type needle bearings with seals for years and have zero issues with them or keeping water out. I bought the LF ones figuring I'd replace them bearings when they go bad but it's been years and they are fine. My spindles were actually suctioned tight to my outers when I pulled the PS apart the other night. I'm half tempted to keep the spindle bearings to keep it nice and sealed up.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't swap them out if you are not having issues. The plastic bushings are a cure for a problem you don't have.
 
94toytruck said:
I'm gonna toss this out in this thread since it kind of relates to axle shafts.

What's people thoughts on the plastic spindle bearing replacements and can I run seals still with them? Branik supplied me with some on my outers and I have a set on the shelf from Longfield with the flange for years. I've been running stock type needle bearings with seals for years and have zero issues with them or keeping water out. I bought the LF ones figuring I'd replace them bearings when they go bad but it's been years and they are fine. My spindles were actually suctioned tight to my outers when I pulled the PS apart the other night. I'm half tempted to keep the spindle bearings to keep it nice and sealed up.
Click to expand...
I used them on my kingpin axle a few years back and they didn't work for me. I had trouble keeping the ps dry, and those let both sides leak eventually... keep doing what you're doing if it's already working.
 
I like the bushings and seal. The bearings are always toast after a few months in mine but my windrock trips are potentially 2-4 times the millage everytime over other small parks. If you havent had issues yet then rock out with bearings.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
So is there really any point to running chromo u joints with run of the mill chromos? Doesn't seem worth it
Click to expand...
Short answer is yes. Cant tell you how many times Ive seen spicer 1480 break and take out chromos. Had a buddy not long ago break a spicer joint before a stock inner shaft.
 
Wfoyota said:
Short answer is yes. Cant tell you how many times Ive seen spicer 1480 break and take out chromos. Had a buddy not long ago break a spicer joint before a stock inner shaft.
Click to expand...
agreed, I broke 2 or 3 spicers on stock inners :homer:
 
My old rig without clearanced shafts I'd break a spicer joint typically and damage the ears. Got to the point I'd just stop and hammer in a joint immediately.
 
Wfoyota said:
I like the bushings and seal. The bearings are always toast after a few months in mine but my windrock trips are potentially 2-4 times the millage everytime over other small parks. If you havent had issues yet then rock out with bearings.
Click to expand...

Depends where I go. I've put on 30 miles in a day already. I put bew bearings in a few years ago. They still look new and sealed up leak free.
 
Wfoyota said:
Short answer is yes. Cant tell you how many times Ive seen spicer 1480 break and take out chromos. Had a buddy not long ago break a spicer joint before a stock inner shaft.
Click to expand...

Aren't there better and worse spicer? Non greaseable iirc was the ticket.
 
Looked at the overson u joints, not terribly expensive compared to other chromo u joints. I'll give up a bit of strength for ease of service.
 
Wfoyota said:
The answer is legacy 300m shafts and dont worry about it. The ear is designed for 50 degrees, not has to be machined for 50 degrees. My dutchmans were tough as fugg but as 94toytruck stated, it did finally break a stub. And by the time you paid for machining, i'm pretty certain the same issue would still exist that the ears are too thin for 50 degrees. For those wondering about 40 spline 1480, it's worth it although pricy. Everybody is shouting 1550 blah blah whatever but is anybody actually breaking good 1480 joints?? The answer is rarely. Most 4400 guys are still racing on 1480 joints :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

Would you run duchmans again if not trying to steer 50*? Branik legacy more than I want to spend for a 90hp trail rig and the dutchmans look much better than the other axles in their price point.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Would you run duchmans again if not trying to steer 50*? Branik legacy more than I want to spend for a 90hp trail rig and the dutchmans look much better than the other axles in their price point.
Click to expand...
I think the Dutchmans are far nicer than my Yukons for the price point. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go that route.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Would you run duchmans again if not trying to steer 50*? Branik legacy more than I want to spend for a 90hp trail rig and the dutchmans look much better than the other axles in their price point.
Click to expand...
The new dutchman shafts are really nice pieces. They are fully machined yokes. They would be my shaft of choice if billet branik,spidertrax shafts were not an option
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh