winkosmosis
Explorer
What's wrong with U joints? At higher speeds you aren't turning the steering much anyway.
Front CV Axles for a rubicon.
- Thread starter Beowulf
- Start date
winkosmosis
Explorer
I thought the only advantage of a CVJ was smoother operation, with a U joint getting even more wobbly at higher angles.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
It does that too. If you operate a U-J at a high enough angle that wonkiness turns into the joint attempting to lock up. It can't really do that since the steering limits are intended to keep it out of that range, but it isn't happy there. Apply power and it's done.
With a CVJ at a high angle it's still reasonably smooth. Go too high on the angle and you risk the balls falling out, but it is still comparably smooth right up to the point where the balls are about to fall out. My guess is that in theory a CVJ doesn't care what the angle is so long as it is within it's operating limits. In reality there likely is a loss in strength at the outer limit of angles, but nothing like that of a U-J.
jesusgatos
Explorer
What does that mean? Too much for you? Nobody should buy them? I think they're priced pretty fairly, considering what you get for your money.
CTM's won't work for high-speed applications either. They use bushings instead of bearings, which allows them to make the U-joint larger while fitting into the same sized caps, but they'll burn-up up you subject them to prolonged high-speed use.
that is incorrect as long as they are taken care of..
The Longfields are not that pricey when you consider what they are replacing; which is a set of CM axles shafts at around 600 and 450-500 for CTM's.
As to the CTM's; I've got them in my JK and so far have had no problems with them. My JK is not a DD but we do drive it to Moab, Ouray and such on the Interstate with no problems. Jack, the owner of CTM, has them in his JK which is a DD. On the road there is little motion as you're generally going relatively straight. Off road where you are turning sharply and often under power is where the wear comes in. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the CTM for use at speed. One vender has a customer with 50k on the CTM's in his DD. I am pretty religious about greasing mine every 1000-2000 miles. I did take out a CM front axle and the CTM was fine.
jesusgatos
Explorer
Well damn, that's good to hear. A few years ago, when I was researching parts for this project Jack told me that he didn't think his u-joints would work too well for that application (DD/tow-rid/prerunner/chase truck). Glad to hear that they're holding-up alright, but I would still WAY rather have CV-style axleshafts.
I assume the Longfields are CV type axleshafts and if so they would seem to be a good way to go as, from talking to him at EJS, they are also CM. There may have even been an option as to which CM material they could be built out of if memory serves correctly. So it kills two birds with one stone.