How far can I drive on a broken axle shaft?

Alright I have a D44 welded rear and am going to do some wheeling this weekend but I don't have spare shafts yet lets say I break the driverside axle shaft on a hill climb, pull the cover get all the loose pieces and stuff out replace cover and fill with fluid how far can I drive like this? It is of course non c-clip. Thanks
Bucky

As far as you dare. Driving on it in that condition(depending on where the break is) will destroy the bearing and race and possibly the brakes. Your wheel may eventually fall off as well.

Jes

everybreak I have seen has been within an inch of the splines. Also how would the wheel fall off? it has a retainer plate?

The bearing is pressed onto the axle and the retainer plate holds the bearing in. If the bearing were to get too hot and come apart the retainer plate will no longer hold the axle in, granted that would only be in the most extreme circumstances.

Jes

I understand now thanks

Has anyone driven like this or know of someone who did? if so how far?

I would not trust that retainer to hold a broken axle. Right or wrong my thought is when the axle is whole, the load is shared between the outer bearing and the diff bearing. When you break an axle you are then putting full load on the 1 bearing the is held in by a retainer plate, as you drive the broken shaft will be spinning, unsupported, inside the tube....I picture an eventual wobble developing and bad things after that. I would go just far enough to get help, or off the trail.

Rev

Disclaimer: I do not know any of the above, just my 2 cents.

I wouldn't trust the bearing or retainer for long (or at all)...maybe just to limp off the trail (not out of the woods...out of the way)

But otoh you'll need to be brewing up some bad Mojo or having a real bad day to bust a 44 shaft with 31" tires

Granted, my spicer shafts were 'brand new/zero mile' when I set loose on em, but I have beat the dickens out of them with 33", 4.56:1 and a spool since 2000 with no failures (LOL watch it break one next weekend now that I woofed big on it )