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Adverse effects with non broken in gears:

T

TheRifleman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CT
I am curently Regearing my front axle (Dana 30 Vaccuum disconnect) and I want to know if premature wheeling before the 500 mile break in period would weaken the gears at all. I regeared my rear axle a few weeks ago (didn't have time to do both) and got 500+ miles on the rear and put new fluid in it. I am itching to do some wheeling, and because of the vaccuum disconnect, the front carrier does not rotate while normally driving, like a solid axle front D30. Would 200 miles be sufficient for the break in period on the front or should I just stop taking short cuts and just get 500 miles in by driving on the highway in four wheel drive around 50 mph to break in the front. another option presented to me was doing the solid axle swap, I'd hop on that normally, but I am uneased t the fact that I have heard that front lockers (I have an aussie in the front) dont do well in the snow. Can I jack the front end up, remove the rear dirveshaft and just park it against a wall and have the front tires spin for a few miles, let the gears cool then do it agian until it is broken in? I'm also trying to make it to paragon one more time before it shuts down for good. I hear they still have access to the land on weekends until their court cases is completely settled.

thanks for your help

-Phil

PS if the post is too confusing, I'll reiterate: I'm looking for a fast way to break in gears on a vaccuum disconnect front axle.
 
If it were me, i would stop trying to find a faster way to ruin all of that time and money Thats invested in re-gearing. I am in the middle of regearing mine now and i can tell you that im not going to risk ruining all of that effort just to go have some fun before everthing is broken in. Just my opinion.
 
Very True. The last thing I need is to break them before I get any real use out of them.

With the vaccuum disconnect, i just face the problem of not actually using the front gears while in normal drive mode, so the only time the front carrier spins is when I am in four wheel drive. I was suggested that I should drive slower on the highway in 4 high to break in the gears, then take a rest stop and have them cool down and then get continue. So in fact I'm not just looking for a cheap fast and easy way to break them in, I'm just looking FOR a way to break them in since 2x4 driving wont do it. A way to break in the front axle while in four wheel drive without having adverse affects on both my jeep itself and the tires.
 
4x4 on dry streets is NOT a good idea. especially with an aussie in the front. axle shafts dont like it too mutch.
 
or you could try some fire roads but just dont get too extreem.
 
I was also told I could remove my front driveshaft, and switch it into 4hi and run that on the streets during the break in period, seeing as how there is no drivesahft up front, the axle itself wont have any true power coming from the transfer case but yet while in 4hi, the vac axle would be connected, making the carrier spin. I don't know how this would work with an aussie up front, but I take it that it would just be like having an aussie in the front with a normal solid axle d30 in normal street driving conditions.
 
well where i live the roads are covered with snow and rain so being in 4WD all the time does not couse to much of a problem. I have done it every winter for the last 6 years and no problems here. Oh and it has a detroit EZ locker in the front axle.
 
I think gear 'break in' is BS. It's just to ideally seat the normal wear pattern anyways - to avoid noise. Once you put the gears under load, the gears deflect quite a bit and wear a different spot anyways... My gears aren't broken in and I've wheeled it umm, well, hard. If I was to follow the recommended break in period, it would take me about 2 years of babying it on the trails... Not gonna happen.
 
If you have an aussie locker in the front, your gears have been rotating the whole time, engaged or not, you have no spider gears in your carrier now.
 
Ther are dirt roads all over northern CT and heading into Mass. Try and get a local map from one of the counties or townships. They are usually a lot more detailed and will show those roads.
 
Ummm, what do you suppose those of us with trail only rigs, or even buggies do when a new set of gears are dropped in? Don't think too many comp buggies are running the streets without the front drive shaft to heat up a new R&P.

Guess I need to glue the rear of my Xj back on, find a set of balancable wheels and a set of 35's, and get the plates back on it so I can set the new 5:38's. Not....

Just run it and have fun. Do change the oil if you run any mud/water, but thats SOP.
 
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