Rear dig, front dragging the rear closer in for an easier climb. Something we do often with front 44's and 60's. I get it, but that's just a good pic. If you strengthen the rods and CV's the case goes next.
Read this, this one is really good:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/chevy/1521330-so-who-has-actually-broken-front-ifs-cv-shaft.html
"Ext cab 3/4 ton Chevy with utility bed and rack. Broken 2 leaving a muddy job sites. We now just drag it out and don't attempt using 4wd"
"Always the outter. Depending on how long I had to drive on it broken to get to a workable spot... I'd cut the boot, or break the strap on the boot around the "bell" portion of the stub, unbolt at the diff and pull the guts, half shaft and usually complete inner joint out, leaving the stub to get home on.
It'd be cool if this info helps you somehow. Back then the answer was ALWAYS swapping in an axle. I wanted to try and make the IFS work because I wheeled 99% of the time in the woods where it was sufficient otherwise. Just didn't have the funds to make it happen."
"I've seen three break on 35's with 4" lifts, H2's and 3/4tons. All passenger side inners. They cant take the higher angle, turning, under much load. Its like a helmet to the knee."
I think we all know about bouncing:
"Pretty common around here on the lifted Chevy's. Local kids blow them up when under power and the suspension droops as they are bouncing through the mud. It seems the inboard side is the most vulnerable.
With the GM 1/2 ton fronts, the short intermediate shaft on the passenger side is weaker than the CV's so it breaks first. The breaking of the CV's seems to only happen due to binding at droop."
"i could break them on demand once i figured out what was causing them to break. had a fabtech 6" lift lowered onto the bump stops (so about 4" lift and almost stock cv angles) and it still broke cv's under power turned lock with a good blip of power while having a bit of load on the outside wheel. i cracked a few of the joint housings and **** the shaft/bearings out a few times also.
by a blip of power i don't mean mashing the gas, i mean simply trying to accelerate quickly or having the rig siting still and taking off mildly aggressive. 2 cv's broke while trying to move a trailer into position while camping on 2 separate trips.
i did notice the china made replacement cv's were built so poorly that even on stock rigs at full drop they bound on the bearing housing even with the wheels straight just trying to spin the tires. i never had luck with any of the over the counter parts store cv's. i ended up getting a few oem cv's from a salvage yard and reconditioning them myself. tore them down, check the bearings, replace boots repack then keeping one in the tool box for the next time it was needed.
finally did an solid axle as the cv issues and wheel bearings are just crap. i dont romp on my rig much if at all but i do tow a lot of heavy stuff on rough roads/trails and the ifs just didnt take the use well.
this was all on a 2003 cclb duramax. and all but 1 cv broke running my mild 60hp towing tune."
"Broken CVs? I didn't realize the flimsy POS aluminum center chunk was strong enough to break them. I've seen three of THEM explode. This was 1/2-ton IFS junk, so maybe the 3/4 or 1-ton stuff is waaaay stronger (which still isn't saying much...). These were all under very tame, mostly stock DD vehicles in the mud. I've heard plenty of complaints about CVs wearing out rapidly from either high angles or the boots cracking unbeknownst to the owner and filling full of ****, but I've never owned a truck so equipped myself. I've also personally seen and heard many complaints of the flimsy, disposable POS wheel bearings constantly going to **** under decent use. I just helped a buddy change both of his this week @ $130 apiece..."
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