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Question for those who've broken shafts

X

XGarfX

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Jersey
My setup- 99 xj, 33s, 4.88s locked front and rear, hp 30 and 8.25 rear bla bla bla

My question- I've never broken a shaft with my setup and was curious how common is it to tear shafts at the splines in the 30? I ground out the axle shaft yokes to run full circle snap rings with 760s. I know im already playing with fire with running 4.88s in the 30 but they have held up so far as have the shafts. I always carry spare shafts with hubs already attached to them just incase but I figure since their snapped in with full clips that leaves the shaft to either A. rip the entire ears off, B. break the ujoint, or C. tear somewhere else along the shaft most likely at the splines.

I've done my searching on this (hence how i figured to grind out the ears) but want some personal insight on this, where you still breaking shafts on the regular with full snapped 760s?? I'm not a hammer down type of guy only when I need to. Please share your experiences- especially if you broke along the shaft/splines and what you were doing when it happend.
 
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all the 30 shafts but 1 i broke were the ears breaking or the U-joint breaking. 1 i actually broke at the inner splines in the locker. and yes i was running full circle clips the last yr i ran a 30 and it still broke the same.( but i didn't spit caps off the U joint anymore :D)
 
pulled the diff cover and pulled the locker out then got the broken piece out and put it all back together.
 
XGarfX said:
My setup- 99 xj, 33s, 4.88s locked front and rear, hp 30 and 8.25 rear bla bla bla

My question- I've never broken a shaft with my setup and was curious how common is it to tear shafts at the splines in the 30? I ground out the axle shaft yokes to run full circle snap rings with 760s. I know im already playing with fire with running 4.88s in the 30 but they have held up so far as have the shafts. I always carry spare shafts with hubs already attached to them just incase but I figure since their snapped in with full clips that leaves the shaft to either A. rip the entire ears off, B. break the ujoint, or C. tear somewhere else along the shaft most likely at the splines.

I've done my searching on this (hence how i figured to grind out the ears) but want some personal insight on this, where you still breaking shafts on the regular with full snapped 760s?? I'm not a hammer down type of guy only when I need to. Please share your experiences- especially if you broke along the shaft/splines and what you were doing when it happend.
Click to expand...

what do you have for a locker? my only experiences is with those and myselfs running lockrites/aussies in stock carriers, those who ran c clips spit the caps and destroyed the shafts(i did twist the spline on one to) those with full circle clips or welded caps blew up carriers/broken pinions/stripped ring gears

Porch951 said:
While we're on the subject, any feedback on the "almost alloy" kits?
http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merc...=IROR&Product_Code=IR-S_AAK&Category_Code=PFX
Click to expand...

save the 30 bucks and just tack weld the caps or run full circle clips
 
What I can tell you is that I broke a stock axle at the unjoints and tore up both ears.

Ordered new axle, Alloy USA joints and installed the almost alloy kit. Next time I broke the axle at the splines. Atleast I could get home with it like that.
 
I got a 5 spped on 35s with a vac disco 30 4.56s and a aussie, Beat the heck out of this thing haulen through whoops and heavy on the gas on the trails. Stock shafts and u joints, and havent had any problems yet. Broke the front driveshaft but never had a issue with the d30.
 
well... this happened to a buddy of mine running alloy USA's... first run on the axle's. Sunbonnet in JV. YJ on 35"s

the shaft sheared right at the yoke
DSC_1084.jpg


the force of the break twisted the splines
DSC_1088.jpg


he was running an aussie locker with 4.10's. no damage to the carrier or gears. the long side was fine...
 
rockclimber said:
well... this happened to a buddy of mine running alloy USA's... first run on the axle's. Sunbonnet in JV. YJ on 35"s

the shaft sheared right at the yoke
DSC_1084.jpg


the force of the break twisted the splines
DSC_1088.jpg


he was running an aussie locker with 4.10's. no damage to the carrier or gears. the long side was fine...
Click to expand...

Wow never seen a shaft break at the unit bearing...
 
Jennifer Jeep and I have destroyed 3 spicer u-joints, but the shafts are stock in the Dana-30, and we just hit 212,000 miles today. If I went high $$$ on u-joints, I bet we could trash a shaft or two... ;)
 
Cody90XJ said:
Wow never seen a shaft break at the unit bearing...
Click to expand...

nor had I. I wasn't on that run, but from what he told me, we concluded it was a defective unit. since that is pretty much the strongest part of the axle.
 
ROBZ95Xj said:
save the 30 bucks and just tack weld the caps or run full circle clips
Click to expand...

My impression of the "almost alloys" was that they were supposed to prevent the flex, not just keep the caps in. Not true?
 
All but one time the u joints gave up first
The other time it trashed a gearset
That being said, I just run JY shafts with the original joints in them, @ $20 its a lot cheaper tha new gears. If I find myself breaking shafts I take it as the jeep saying " hey dummy, try a different line"
 
I've only broke one shaft and it was the Ujoint which ended up taken out the ears. That was with an aussie 3.07s and 32s. Switched out to the 297s and no issues since knock on wood lol.
 
IMO, for where I wheel, it's not worth the money to upgrade axleshafts if you can acquire spares cheap enough.

If you plan on upgrading axleshafts, plan on upgrading the wimpy stock carrier to an ARB/OX or full replacement locker. That thing had .020"+ of runout where the gearset broke.

All the trussing/heavy diff covers in the world can't help a lame carrier.
 
MoparManiac said:
IMO, for where I wheel, it's not worth the money to upgrade axleshafts if you can acquire spares cheap enough.
Click to expand...

I guess that's true if you don't mind fixing the machine on a sand hill, or a mud puddle.

But I would rather do my repairs in the nice dry garage... :D

I have never broken a 260 sized shaft with a locked axles with OS tires and a 2.8L o 2.5L.

That said, I have broken a few 760 sized drivers side shafts with OS tires with a locked axle and a 4.0L
The theory that went around that the time was that to fit the larger u-joint, Dana just drilled the bore larger which removed strength from the axle ears. Don't know if that is accurate, but it makes a great story ;)

My experience after going to the 4.0L with 760 shafts and locked front.

One shaft spit the caps and ate the ears shortly after.
Replaced that shaft with OEM and checked it a number of runs later. The splines were twisted.
So I replaced the shaft with a Yukon inner and Outer. These were not circle clip axles, and the caps on the outer became loose so you could spin them. Worried that the stub shaft would cause me troubles, I swapped on a stock outer for a run. That stock outer broke, the inner was unaffected, but the action tore the lower ball joint out of the socket.

I replaced both inner and outer shafts with circle clip style alloys and have not had an issue yet.

Pass side is still stock.

Edit: I have noticed that a drivers action has a large amount to do with whether you break a shaft. Putting the u-joint at most any other angle that zero operating angle and putting lots of stress on the axle increases your chance of failure. The larger the angle and the more power increases your chances to the point where the two lines meet at a failure point. Like I said, just an observation.
 
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rockclimber said:
well... this happened to a buddy of mine running alloy USA's... first run on the axle's. Sunbonnet in JV. YJ on 35"s

the shaft sheared right at the yoke
DSC_1084.jpg


the force of the break twisted the splines
DSC_1088.jpg


he was running an aussie locker with 4.10's. no damage to the carrier or gears. the long side was fine...
Click to expand...
Same thing happened to an Alloy USA I had only mine snapped off the splined section in the middle also. I got spotted into an undercut.
 
WB9YZU said:
I guess that's true if you don't mind fixing the machine on a sand hill, or a mud puddle.

But I would rather do my repairs in the nice dry garage... :D

I have never broken a 260 sized shaft with a locked axles with OS tires and a 2.8L o 2.5L.

That said, I have broken a few 760 sized drivers side shafts with OS tires with a locked axle and a 4.0L
The theory that went around that the time was that to fit the larger u-joint, Dana just drilled the bore larger which removed strength from the axle ears. Don't know if that is accurate, but it makes a great story ;)

My experience after going to the 4.0L with 760 shafts and locked front.

One shaft spit the caps and ate the ears shortly after.
Replaced that shaft with OEM and checked it a number of runs later. The splines were twisted.
So I replaced the shaft with a Yukon inner and Outer. These were not circle clip axles, and the caps on the outer became loose so you could spin them. Worried that the stub shaft would cause me troubles, I swapped on a stock outer for a run. That stock outer broke, the inner was unaffected, but the action tore the lower ball joint out of the socket.

I replaced both inner and outer shafts with circle clip style alloys and have not had an issue yet.

Pass side is still stock.

Edit: I have noticed that a drivers action has a large amount to do with whether you break a shaft. Putting the u-joint at most any other angle that zero operating angle and putting lots of stress on the axle increases your chance of failure. The larger the angle and the more power increases your chances to the point where the two lines meet at a failure point. Like I said, just an observation.
Click to expand...

I broke a gearset after two trail runs on 35s.

Never broke a shaft.

I put the clarifier about where I wheel in there because out here it is rare that you have a dry undercut to wedge a tire into and pop a shaft. More often its a bunch of rocks covered in leaves mud or moss that requires wheelspeed to get over. Those kinds of shockloads tend to break gearsets more than shafts from what I've seen. Unless that person uses shitty autozone joints or the joints are worn out to begin with.
 
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