Cost Effective - Axle upgrade

[msommer001]

Getting ready to pull out the front Dana 44 stock axle from my 77 bronco. Need to replace the passenger inner and outer axle shafts. While I am working on the axle I am looking for a few cost effective upgrades to complete. Like most folks, I cannot afford a $2,000 axle swap, I am trying to strengthen the axle the most cost affective way.

Where do most axle fail first, U-joint, axle shaft, bearings???

Thanks in advance for all input.

 

[bmc69]

Getting ready to pull out the front Dana 44 stock axle from my 77 bronco. Need to replace the passenger inner and outer axle shafts. While I am working on the axle I am looking for a few cost effective upgrades to complete. Like most folks, I cannot afford a $2,000 axle swap, I am trying to strengthen the axle the most cost affective way.

Where do most axle fail first, U-joint, axle shaft, bearings???

Thanks in advance for all input.

The most common failures are: u-joints, u-joint ears on the shaft, axle shaft section itself (long side inner and both outers..the short side inner is usually the last survivor).

You can upgrade to axles that use the larger F-150 u-joint and are slightly stronger alloy than the stockers for around 700 bucks.

 

[Pokey71]

You can upgrade to axles that use the larger F-150 u-joint and are slightly stronger alloy than the stockers for around 700 bucks.

Then you can Cryo them and that will strengthen them.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Save a LOT of money. A cut down big joint full size axle orks great.
http://azbronco.org/tech09.htm
I ran this for years, only 33's but locker and rocks with a lot of gear isn't nice. I only lost one ever but that was due to using a cheap U-joint as a "temperary" fix due to some unrelated messing around with parts. Use a real Spicer U-joint and that cheap axle upgrade will do good. If you kill that, then you need to spend the bucks on alloys.

Typical failure is the U-joint. When it goes the ears hit each other so hard the ends egg out and they never fit correctly ever again no matter how much you try and beat them round again. Use only Spicer parts, no cheap parts store stuff. It is well known the Spicer is the best of the stock replacment.

 

[bronko69er]

Also, tack welding the caps to the ears to prevent them from spitting out helps too.

 

[bmc69]

Save a LOT of money. A cut down big joint full size axle orks great..

I heartily agree and, having learned the hard way that the stock F-150 Spicer axles exceed the the strength of the Youkants I kept wasting good money on, that is the way I've gone of late.

However...it appeared to me, rightly or wrongly, that the OP was kind new to this axle modding business and so I assumed an off-the-shelf solution was probably preferred.

 

[fungus]

Good article on shortening the chebby shafts. It says some Ford truck axles will work. I've got a FW dana-44 from a '77 F-150 that'll get RCV shafts when it's built and I'm not using the stock shafts. Can I get the long shaft shortened and resplined for use in my EB D-44 w/ Ford discs? Any more info on the Ford version of the above article appreciated.

Fungus

 

[rjrobin2002]

Good article on shortening the chebby shafts. It says some Ford truck axles will work. I've got a FW dana-44 from a '77 F-150 that'll get RCV shafts when it's built and I'm not using the stock shafts. Can I get the long shaft shortened and resplined for use in my EB D-44 w/ Ford discs? Any more info on the Ford version of the above article appreciated.

Fungus

I would think that you could "specify a length of 27.94" from the center of the u-joint hole in the yoke to the end of the axle." would cover the long
F- 150 side. Get a measurement of your F-150 short inner shaft and find out what factory Bronco short side measures.

I just did this upgrade and it just performed well at OCBR with Spicer joints and 35's.

 

[Oatmeal]

I found this kind of interesting: http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merc...en=PROD&Store_Code=IROR&Product_Code=IR-S_AAK -----------Hans

 

[fungus]

I would think that you could "specify a length of 27.94" from the center of the u-joint hole in the yoke to the end of the axle." would cover the long
F- 150 side. Get a measurement of your F-150 short inner shaft and find out what factory Bronco short side measures.

I just did this upgrade and it just performed well at OCBR with Spicer joints and 35's.

Did you shorten the driver's side F-150 inner shaft at all? I've heard of guys running them as is.

 

[KyleQ]

The best upgrade I've ever done to make factory axle shafts last over twice as long is to grind the ears for full circle snap rings. Every time I broke a joint it was from the clips shearing off from stress, kicking the cap out and then the joint self destructs and takes the shafts out with it.

You can grind it with a Dremmel (I've done all of mine this way) or a mill can do the same, it shouldn't cost much of anything to have a shop take care of it for you, but the Dremmel has worked well for this job.

When I wheeled my 95' F150 I had 34" LTB's, Power lock'd D50 front and a heavy foot I broke ujoints every single trip. I ran out of parts and bought some cheapo moly outers from JBG and ground my inner shafts for snap rings. The shafts lasted a year and broke when the needle bearings turned into dust from a lack of maintenance - I was throughly surprised.

Here are some really crappy cell phone pics from a long time ago...


It's easy to see where you need to grind and just how little material needs to be removed.

Slip the snap rings on the joint before putting them into the ears, you won't be able to get the snap rings in afterwards like a normal clip.


The results-


It doesn't matter what shafts and joints you are running, although I would ONLY run Spicer life series joints (more on that later) this upgrade is worth the time when you are replacing joints. I didn't have the time to do this to my D60 but it almost costed me big last weekend. I broke the rear yolk off my D70 and had to bang out in FWD low - when I was loading onto the trailer and strapping down I noticed one of the clips on my D60 shaft was half way out, almost costing me well over $200 to replace the joint and shafts if it were to have let loose.

As for ujoints - Spicer life series (non greaseable) or NOTHING at all. The Napa Tough Truck joints are worthless, I broke one in sand... backing down a hill!


From there I tried the Neapco joints and broke another joint backing off a log in neutral - I saw the car go flying out from the driver's seat... :-X


After breaking around 5 joints in 5 trips I wised up and bough the solid Spicer life series and it didn't break from abuse, only from a lack of maintenance.

If anyone takes anything from this, grind for full circle snap rings - it's worth the time ;D

 

[rjrobin2002]

Did you shorten the driver's side F-150 inner shaft at all? I've heard of guys running them as is.

I used chevy shafts due to having chevy disk and spindles. I think I paid $60 for the pair of shafts and $40 for the cut and respline at Moser, $50 for a pair of Spicer non greasable u-joints. $150 for a total axle upgrade w/joints.

 

[bigmuddy]

I did more or less that same but used the F-150/B bronco shafts. On the short side, I just whacked it with a cutting wheel. the longer side got sent off to Moser.

Ben

 

[msommer001]

Keep the options coming, this is all great information. Does anyone have experience with the http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merch..._Code=IR-S_AAK-----products?

KyleQ, a step by step tech article would be great.

 

[fungus]

Nice! Currie quoted $70 for a cut and respline with 1 wk turnaround. I'll be able to carry it home w/ me on our trip to Norcal, send it to Currie in Socal and get it back in time to carry back w/ me. Shipping to and from HI would be a deal breaker and I might as well go with a new set of chromo shafts at that point... Nobody out here will do it.

 

[KyleQ]

Keep the options coming, this is all great information. Does anyone have experience with the http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merch..._Code=IR-S_AAK-----products?

KyleQ, a step by step tech article would be great.

I could make one with what I've already got, just more in-depth. Who do I contact about that?