CTM's in a DD

[cal]

not if it means busting steering knuckles. honestly, i dont even think after market dana 30 shafts are for me either

It doesnt mean busting a knuckle. In fact, it drastically cuts down on the potential for that to happen (as do aftermarket shafts).

If a shaft breaks, and you keep moving, carnage WILL follow - no matter what parts you have in there. The best bet you have is to put in parts that are less likely to break, or move the breakage to somewhere managable. Prime on a front end would be to have a shaft break at the splines, or in my case, have the ring gear break. Yes, thats a show stopper, but I can unlock my hubs (or pull the front shafs if you dont have them), pop it in 2wd and strap off of the trail. Break a balljoint or knuckle due to a broken shaft, and you're leaving your rig on the trail for people to steal your shit while you walk to town for parts and tools.

 

[emr1101]

It doesnt mean busting a knuckle. In fact, it drastically cuts down on the potential for that to happen (as do aftermarket shafts).

If a shaft breaks, and you keep moving, carnage WILL follow - no matter what parts you have in there. The best bet you have is to put in parts that are less likely to break, or move the breakage to somewhere managable. Prime on a front end would be to have a shaft break at the splines, or in my case, have the ring gear break. Yes, thats a show stopper, but I can unlock my hubs (or pull the front shafs if you dont have them), pop it in 2wd and strap off of the trail. Break a balljoint or knuckle due to a broken shaft, and you're leaving your rig on the trail for people to steal your shit while you walk to town for parts and tools.

Thats another thing i was wondering, well in the case of a broken ring gear, your shit outta luck there too, at least in my case, it appears you are saying that isnt that bad? And for the splines, if you strip those doesnt that mean your diff internals are compromised too from the metal shavings? or wheel bearings if the outter splines?

 

[cal]

If you break a ring gear up front, you pull the front driveshaft (or put it in 2 wheel drive) and remove the inner axle shafts - and you can still move, just in 2 wheel drive. There is a big difference between 2 wheel drive and having a front wheel fall off.

When shafts break at the splines, its typically a clean break "snap" in two vertically, the splines don't strip off. Yes, a few tiny fragments of metal may make it into the diff, but not enough to destroy anything, and you typically clean the diff out when you get home and put in a replacement warranty shaft.

At the hub, you don't really need to worry about things getting into the bearing.

 

[emr1101]

So if i were looking at 27 spline vs. 30 spline shafts from alloy usa, do the 30 splines use bigger shafts? im pretty sure the shaft diameter is the exact same, the only difference is the spline counts?

 

[cal]

They use bigger shafts. It effectivly lets you put a dana 44 shaft (wrong length, but right idea) into your dana 30.

I run 30 spline inners and outers, the most likely thing to break on my front end now is the ring gear, but with quality gears (precision), a good solid diff cover (crane CrMo) and a good truss properly welded to the third member; i don't get much housing flex and am unlikely to break a gear on 35's.

 

[emr1101]

so the shafts are bigger in diameter? i may wait till i blow out these wheel bearings and do that. get the 30 spline shafts, 30 spline wheel bearing hubs, and a 30 spline e-locker and do it all at the same time, then add a cover and a possibly a truss

 

[cal]

I'd stay with 27 spline stubs if I were you. That way, in the event of catostrophic wheelbearing failure, you can borrow someone elses spare or buy one at a parts store, without having to borrow an axle to go with it.

Stubs usually break at the ear and not the splines, where inner shafts will break at either.