Hop..Hop...Hop....POP! -- Axle
 

Not much of an issue, got extra diffs but I'm just curious if anyone has EVER broke this?? I guess a steep angle on the axles isn't a problem for the birfield but more for the inner diff axle flange.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...77/axle004.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...77/axle002.jpg
Must have been from a clogged fuel filter.....:P

Ouch!!!!

dang wut in the world were you doing to have that kind of carnage?

Well....the short of it, trying to climb some rock ledges that I know I only had about a 10% chance of making. Yeah yeah I know but I just couldn't stand to think all this fab work on my truck and still my 'cruiser can idle up these ledges.

But it was the fact that the passengers side was at full drop and honestly I was really suprised because I was very light on the throttle when it snaped. In the 10yrs of 'wheeling my truck I've gotten a good feel for the "light" application of throttle and hopping to climb up stuff without breakage. I guess with my long travel set up, the old spinning/hopping up stuff is a no no when I'm close to full drop.

I'm thinking I can have it welded back together. Any thoughts? I think the worst/hardest part is going to be trying to get the shaft out of the diff housing.

For illustration, your full drop on stock length a-arms vs. my long travel with stock lower a-arms and slip yoke axles:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...7/100_1430.jpg
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...bar006copy.jpg

i had an idea, but the comparing the two made it all click for me. How long did it take you to find that pic i posted a while ago?

holy ÅÅÅÅ....

Coped it from your sig link

Since I linked this thread in another I should update it. The reason I snaped the axle flang is because my BJ spacers where 1 5/8" and not 1.5" and that extra 1/8" I didn't account for add just enough drop to make the universal joints on my axles bind.

Lessons learned:
1. Design extra clearance
2. Double check advertised specs

So it was the inner flange on the pass side that broke, when you were at full droop? What CV's are you running? the downeys?

I also see you have stock lower bumpstops... are the uppers stock too? If so they can squish much more than 1/8" with rapid weight transfer... such as in hop..hop...hop....

I broke that. Short side. With a limited slip. I touched the brakes with the tire spinning to try to get the LSD (tru-trac) to engage and BANG. That was the end. I Put in a lock-right the next weekend and sold the LSD.

2 Tricks to get the stub out:

1, weld a bolt to the broken stub so you have something to attach a slide hammer to. You'll need a new axle seal if you do this. The heat from the welding will smoke the seal. This is how I did it.

2, pull the front cover off the diff and jam a screwdriver between the end of the axle shaft and the crosspin. Lever the broken stub right out. Gear oil mess, more time, but no need to go get a new seal.

I just now read over this thread, ouch, I'm assuming you've got this all back together? Or are you still working on it? How'd you get the stub out, and did you end up welding it or replacing?

Yep problem solved weeks ago. There was enough of a lip on the axle to snap on a pair of vise-grips and a few smacks with my 5lb hammer. Oh and there is enough extra diffs in my wake. HEHE I just took the shaft off my diff that I blew the ring/pinion on.

--Yep downey slip yokes-- I also took the u-joints out and ground down the mounts to help clear the joints better. I have low profile upper stops, there is no way you could get any real use of the a-arms with stock stops.

what the heck do you run in the front ifs suspension, is it cheap to do, how much travel etc. because I want to do something cheap.

Man............ok here goes:

I too wanted something cheap to get the IFS flexing. This is an ongoing project but so far I get 12" of actual useable wheel travel BUT that is with the stock t-bars. When l put in the new OME 23.5mm t-bars I expect to get about 10" of typical travel except when the front is loaded and forcing full compression.

You will need:
Rancho a-arms, no longer made but can be found second hand.
Matching center steering link
Ball joint spacers
New shock mounting
Idler arm gusset
Low profile upper a-arm stops
NEW CUSTOM AXLES

I took the OLD Downey/Rancho kit and modded it. I found the "kit" in my favorite junk yard for $150 so I had to try it. So I got Rancho arms, Downey slip yoke axles(which kinda suck), and center steering link. For anyone else trying to do this, the axles will be the show stopper for cheap, unless you find the Downey ones. The only other option is custom or to use the NEW Downey porsche adapters. Keeping the stock track width plays havoc on CV angles....not to mention toe and camber angles. To find the Rancho a-arms just look for the old rancho 3" lift kit and ditch the diff drop brackets. The bj spacers are needed not only for extra drop but if you use the stock t-bars you will get ZERO lift out of the rancho arms. If you use larger t-bars I still would use the BJ spacers to keep pre-load off them. The stock bars flex like CRAZY on the trail BUT they are wayyy soft on the street and will cause toe/camber tire wear(I can elaborate later if you want) If your truck is a DD, larger t-bars are a must. Speaking of alignment issues, you will also need the harder Downey bushings for the a-arms. Then you will need new longer shocks, which means cutting the stock tabs off and welding on somthing new. Downey makes a nice shock tab but costs enough. I had a fabrication shop make me a set of my design for $40. AND after all this you will spend a few days tweeking the hight and alignment, so I hope you can at least set the toe so you can make it to a shop. These arms throw the toe out of wack when the hight is tweeked and vise versa, meaning the toe will cuase the hight to be wacked out.

I say if you want cheap, pick up a set of Downey "ultra" low profile upper a-arms stops, BJ spacers and maybe OME t-bars. The OME t-bars aren't cheap but with just the stops and spacers you'll have over 2" more drop with lift.

thanks