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35's and 260x axle joints

MachineMan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Jose, CA
On my '90 Im running 35's and still have the stock D30 disco 260x u-joints. So is it just a matter of time and some moderate wheel'n before I break these joints or they will they be OK unless I start rock crawl'n?

For a direct bolt in upgrade I did a search and looks like I will need non ABS shafts from a '97+ and one inner seal for the disco side. Don't have the cash yet so will have to run the 260x joints for several months.
 
You will be fine, I am going to guess that you dont have gears. That is going to soak up most the torque. If you not locked, you probly dont need to carry a spare either. It wouldnt be a bad idea though!

Matt
 
MachineMan said:
On my '90 Im running 35's and still have the stock D30 disco 260x u-joints. So is it just a matter of time and some moderate wheel'n before I break these joints or they will they be OK unless I start rock crawl'n?

For a direct bolt in upgrade I did a search and looks like I will need non ABS shafts from a '97+ and one inner seal for the disco side. Don't have the cash yet so will have to run the 260x joints for several months.

It all depends on your driving style, I ran em in my XJ forever never did upgrade to the 297 shafts. broke a few axles mainly while in reverse. jsut carry a spare axle or 2
 
Lockers DO change everything. Rarely are shafts broken with open diffs. If you have a locker, carry spares. For the sake of the people you wheel with.

And remeber that running without shafts will cause the unit bearing to come apart! The wheel will seperate from the Jeep. This is BAD! Always carry SPARES!!!!!!!!!

Matt
 
Scrappy said:
Lockers DO change everything. Rarely are shafts broken with open diffs. If you have a locker, carry spares. For the sake of the people you wheel with.

And remeber that running without shafts will cause the unit bearing to come apart! The wheel will seperate from the Jeep. This is BAD! Always carry SPARES!!!!!!!!!

Matt

Or just take out the inner axle debris and leave the outer stub axle in the hub
 
DON'T lock the ARB.

Phil never did break his old 260x joints with 35" mtrs doing the Rubicon a couple times and some snow runs. Open diff though, that makes a huge difference, lockers break stuff.

Go ahead and wheel it, but carry spares, plan on upgrading soon, and don't use that ARB until you do upgrade.
 
I have been running 260s for a while now and have yet to break one. I carry 2 spare shafts for each side of the front (297 shafts). Even though I have the 297 shafts, I wanted to see how long the 260s would last. The caps are welded and I do run locked with 35s, but I try to be easy on it if the wheels are turned at all. With the wheels straight I have hopped it a few times with out breaking a joint. I am very lucky, and I would highly suggest spares for when it does break. Just my opinion.
 
It all depends on how lucky you are....and driving style. One guy will run them and not break, and another guy will break them often. You are at risk of breaking them at any time.

Stay out of the throttle, always climb with the tires pointed straight ahead, and don't get the front tires into a bind. For the sake of anyone you wheel with, it's sure a good idea to carry some spares.
 
TICK, TICK, TICK........boooom! Like has been said, carry spare parts, and a little right foot, and you should be O.K. for awhile, hopefully.
 
I carry 2 sets of shafts with me and I'm locked on 35". I am running a 260 right side (blamed on moab, last spare I had) I went through 4 shafts in moab but I have done 3 runs since on that 260 and It has lasted. I know I'm pressing my luck but thats why I carry 2 sets of shafts. Also I'm trying to break the rubicon speed record of 6 minutes flat, start to finish to change an axle!!! We did it that fast!!!
 
6 MINUTE axle change? See, like I said booom. It is nice to know that I am not the only one that has alot of practice changeing these ( my best is around 12-15 minutes, getting WAY too much practice). May-be, when I hang my HP-44 thse week, this will happen less often, especilly when I can afford some OX-joints/ Cro-moly shafts. ( My wallet , uh I mean my wife, just told me off on that, because of the price. Hopefully, I can convince her that these are needed.)
 
ren said:
6 MINUTE axle change? See, like I said booom. It is nice to know that I am not the only one that has alot of practice changeing these ( my best is around 12-15 minutes, getting WAY too much practice). May-be, when I hang my HP-44 thse week, this will happen less often, especilly when I can afford some OX-joints/ Cro-moly shafts. ( My wallet , uh I mean my wife, just told me off on that, because of the price. Hopefully, I can convince her that these are needed.)

remember you gotta leave a FUSE in the system somewhere. Id much rather break an axle shaft or U jiont rather than other driveline parts. muchbetter than breaking a pinion or DS, or output shaft.

My HP 44 has fuses built into the warn premium hubs and I will carry spares
 
Maybe a fuse in the axle works for you, but I think maybe the driveshaft would be easier/faster to change for me, plus (go ahead and laugh) I use the x-case from an s-10 in my XJ, with all the goodies except for the D241 stuff, because I have not found one yet. So, the driveshaft for me is a good fuse because, when I go to work, I tend to get another 'shaft for another spare anyway. Right now, I have about 10 extra 'shafts.
 
xjnation said:
remember you gotta leave a FUSE in the system somewhere. Id much rather break an axle shaft or U jiont rather than other driveline parts. muchbetter than breaking a pinion or DS, or output shaft.

My HP 44 has fuses built into the warn premium hubs and I will carry spares


You're really not contemplating the Warn hub fuses are you?

If you are, I'm buying Warn stock, since their sales are going to skyrocket as a result.

CRASH

P.S. Disregard this if you are just going to run a regular Warn premium hub as your fuse.
 
Driveline fuses are over rated. You really never know what you're going to break........build it as strong as you can and live with the results.
 
some problems i see with the warn hub fuses is that first they are designed for the weaker 297x joint (rather than the 760x) and when your wheels are turned a u-joint is weaker, but a hub fuse's strength is not affected by turning. this means that hub fuses must be designed to break before a fully turned 297x joint, that's pretty weak. If you run 760x joints and are going straight you will blow the hub fuse WAY before the joint would have gone.
 
i run with a guy who has a yj locked up front w/35s on the 260 joints. out of 2 trips he has broken 2 joints. he is not the gentlest but is by no means abusive
 
I ran with 260x u joints for years with 33's and then 35's in my YJ. I never broke a shaft and ran the hard trails in moab......it all depends on your driving style, and then the "luck" factor. I would run with the 260's using your ARB as much and often as you like and keep an eye out for a good deal on some replacement shafts with 260 or 297s. I did service/replace my ujoints every couple years for good maintenance.
 
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