Should I truss the axle?

[SWbySWesty]

So for those of you who didn't hear, I bent my axle in Mojave the other weekend. Awesome.

So, thanks to the best Jeep club in the world, the Southern California Chapter of NAXJA, I was able to pick up a fresh D30 housing replacement to the tune of a 30pack of Bud Light. Good people. :wings:

SO - now the question is: Should I put some work into this axle? Should I truss it and get mini skids on it? Everyone says ditch the D35, but nobody says to ditch the D30 immediately. I'm not planning on hitting it the way I did in Mojave, but then again, it was an accident, and accidents happen...

So - do I truss it? I'm already going to get spicer u-joints and Tom Woods driveshaft u-joints since it'll all be apart anyways. I'm just wondering if I should justify the nearly $400-500 it'll cost to truss.

For posterity, my bent axle:

 

[Root Moose]

I trussed mine myself. It cost nowhere near $400.

It's worth doing IMO. One of the theories out there floating around is that flex in the long tube side under hard usage forces the differential to want pop out of the carrier bearings. Between this action and the gears possibly being setup with a "loose" backlash setting there is a potential for movement over time/usage and ultimately b0rkage. The differential housing itself is fairly light duty - it could be stronger to resist this kind of movement.

Or maybe it's B.S. Hedge your bets and do the truss anyway.

 

[getlost4x4]

get some wagoneer D44 front and rear axles.

much stronger and cheaper for parts

 

[Jim K in PA]

You could certainly truss it, but I also think it is like polishing a turd. As confirmed by the price you paid for the replacement D30, they are not worth very much. A TJ rubicon axle is a bit better as it has a D44 center section, but the tubes and outers are still D30 parts. Trussing that would be a reasonable approach. Best bet would be to swap in a real D44. If those options are out of your budget at the moment, just bolt in the replacement D30 and save up for a more robust upgrade.

 

[SWbySWesty]

Hmmm, thanks guys. Keep it coming!

PS: Chris - I'd love to do my own, but I don't have a welder or any experience with one. 0% knowledge on that front.

 

[Root Moose]

I thought you said you belonged to the best Jeep club in the world?

I'm sure if you cut out the steel and had it ready to go someone in the club would zap it on for you. I know there'd be no problems with something like that up here. All you need is a sawzall and a hand grinder.

JAT

As for swapping in a Dana 44, I wouldn't bother with anything less than a narrowed, high pinion Dana 44 (i.e. built from parts). That's money and time compared to swapping in a Dana 30.

$0.02

 

[SWbySWesty]

Yea, I think I'm going to leave out trussing it for now. If it happens again, I'll count myself lucky to have gotten this one for free and might be able to find one again, but I need to put my $ where it counts and that's in tuition and savings.

If it happens again, I'll get another turd, truss it and open a beer. I think it might be overkill for a camping rig with occasional "womping"

 

[lamontagne]

D-30 VS D-44 is a tuff choise.

If you use a D-30 from a 1994-1997 XJ with anti-lock brakes you get X760 u-joints, the same size as D-44.

If you have ever had to change a front axle shaft on a trail, you cant beat unit-bearings. Pull the wheel, remove 3 bolts, R&R shaft, and reinstall. Not to mention a spare unit-bearing is smaller, lighter, and easier to replace than locking hubs any day. The locking hub option is a mute point with a selectable locker.

The biggest cavaet with the 30 is it MUST be trussed. Call me crazy, I find the TnT truss hard to beat for the money. (And I have no interest in this company, but I do have their truss on my front axle!)

My humble opinion is to stay with a D-30 as long as you stay with 35's or smaller.

For a few dollars more to build a D-44, you could build a D-60 or a 609.

 

[computeruser]

Truss it. A couple hundred bucks and you should be good to go. The whole polishing a turd argument is a bit extreme, considering the number of D30 fronts out there serving well with 33-35" tires. The issue isn't gears or u-joints (unless you're being abusive), its the thinass tubes that Jeep likes to use.

Spicer joints, good lube, good bearings, and a bit of truss to stiffen things up, and you'll be good to go. No need putting a $3000 axle in unless you actually need one.

 

[Root Moose]

http://tntcustoms.com/dana30nondisconnect.aspx

 

[ExpoMike]

Based on what I read of your trip.... I might recommend slowing down instead. Much cheaper and you get a better view of the scenery too... Part of that age and wisdom thing I guess.

 

[comrad_zeelaagee]

Based on what I read of your trip.... I might recommend slowing down instead. Much cheaper and you get a better view of the scenery too... Part of that age and wisdom thing I guess.

^^X2

less skinny pedal was my thought too- forget trying to keep up with crazyjim- he's crazy. :sombrero:

if you want to do desert go fast stuff- then yes- you'll need to do something about it... but if you want to do some reasonable exploration wheeling- i think you should be ok.

 

[SWbySWesty]

Yea, thanks for mentioning slowing down - but this part happened when I wasn't being a ************** on purpose.

I wouldn't feel bad if it happened when messing around, but that's not when it happened.

Anyways, I've decided NOT to truss it. If it happens again, then I will.

 

[ExpoMike]

Having done Mojave Road a couple years back, I really don't recall any place that I could have remotely done what you did... not unless I was driving too fast.

Whether messing around or not, not driving for the conditions = fail. If it was dusty and visability was low, you slow way down, even to the point of out of the dust. Anything less.... well you can see what happens.

There is a big difference in going out with some buddies to play in the desert versus vehicle dependent travel. VDT requires you to keep you vehicle in good shape as you are dependent on it. You ALWAYS think about what you are doing with your vehicle. This becomes even more important when traveling as a solo vehicle.

Glad you made it out okay but use it as a learning experience of what not to do. As you see, a momentary lack of judgement can have a high price. Just passing on some wisdom. Do with it as you will...

 

[SWbySWesty]

Thanks for the advice. I realize that I should have waited instead of following in the dust cloud. The dust cloud is what allowed me to hit a huge whoop at 25-30 miles an hour and go flying...it didn't take much - so don't think that I was going 60mph fully loaded of camping gear down the Mojave Road...any of the attendees will attest that I was one of the slowest in the group stopping to take photos all the time.

So yes, I recognize that it was my fault for driving for the conditions, but it was still an accident and I'll treat it as such. I was simply pointing out that if I was unloaded and tearing around the desert for FUN ON PURPOSE, that I would not feel the same way about it - I would have deserved it "more".