broken u-joint.

hillbilly_jeeper · Jan 15, 2005

so, i broke my first u-joint yesterday. pretty common, i know. but still seems odd for the cirumstances. i was trying to pull one of my cars out of the snow off the top of the hill. i was on ice/packed snow. i pulled backward, and the car wouldent move, when i tried to go forward, my axle was making alot of noise. so i pulle down tot he shop to take a look...broke the joint and shaft. im running open on 32's, on ice. they are 260's. but still doesent seem prime conditions for a broken u-joint. no tires had any traction. but it does look like one cross was half broken before, maybe from previous wheeling. so, mayeb broke form already being fatigued, or just a fluke thing, or maybe the napa-crapa joints i put in?? (thats what i think....no more napa for me....)

Goatman · Jan 15, 2005

hillbilly_jeeper said:
so, i broke my first u-joint yesterday. pretty common, i know. but still seems odd for the cirumstances. i was trying to pull one of my cars out of the snow off the top of the hill. i was on ice/packed snow. i pulled backward, and the car wouldent move, when i tried to go forward, my axle was making alot of noise. so i pulle down tot he shop to take a look...broke the joint and shaft. im running open on 32's, on ice. they are 260's. but still doesent seem prime conditions for a broken u-joint. no tires had any traction. but it does look like one cross was half broken before, maybe from previous wheeling. so, mayeb broke form already being fatigued, or just a fluke thing, or maybe the napa-crapa joints i put in?? (thats what i think....no more napa for me....)

Towing in reverse is a no no.......and the cause of many broken axle u-joints, evidently even in snow. The joint could have been stressed before, maybe the needle bearings collapsing, so maybe it was weakened already. Going in reverse makes the front axle like a rear axle, with the weight transfering to the front axle and adding traction to the front tires. This happens even more when you are pulling someone backward. The tires get extra bite that the axles can't handle.

hillbilly_jeeper · Jan 15, 2005

kinda what i thought...pulling that way loading the front axle. just wierd, cause i was on ice, and open diff. and the joints only had like 8,000 mostly highway miles on them. and when i looked closely, where one of the crosses sheared off, it was about half dark, half fresh break. im just glad it happend 10 feet from the shop....not in the middle of knowwhere. and besides, i was planning on gettting late model shafts as soon as my sold car gets picked up tomarrow!

mgt · Jan 15, 2005

goatman is right, I learned the hard way. trying to help someone and broke the axle and some parts of the arb locker $$$$.

hillbilly_jeeper · Jan 15, 2005

Something i'll remeber! usually i pull from the rear, because i trust my big shackle in my reciever more than my factory tow hooks and brackets. but it was just easyer to pull forward to where the car was them back up. and didnt expect it do be that difficult pulling downhill on packed snow! guess i learned a lesson!

BrettM · Jan 15, 2005

also, with the high-pinion D30, the gears are weakest in reverse. Probably not an issue with 260x joints, but with 760s and deeper gears you could definitely shread the ring and pinion before the joints. (the rear gears are weaker in reverse also.)

broken u-joint.

hillbilly_jeeper

NAXJA Member #1081

Goatman

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hillbilly_jeeper

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mgt

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hillbilly_jeeper

NAXJA Member #1081

BrettM

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