Here is the deal. Im running a stock RC D30 with 4.88 r&p open diff, 260 u-joints and just to make things even worse vacum diconect. I have 35" mtr's on my yj being pushed by a 2.5 liter. From what I'v read this seems like a recipe for disaster as soon as I get in the rocks. I have some friends who want me to go on the rubicon next weekend but I don't want to be sweating bullets everytime I touch the gas pedal or come up against a rock. Does anyone have first hand experiance going through the rubicon with a stock setup like mine and if so how did it turn out?

ps. I got a d44 in the rear so I don't need people giving me shit about a d35, feel free to give me shit about the d30 though.:D

pps. Ill trade someone my rc d30 for a rc d44 straight across, serious :D :D :D :D

From what I understand this is not the best set up, but not the worst. If you had some type of limited slip in it, it would be more likely to break. I say go for it and don't worry about breakage until you lock it.

Depends on how you drive. If you nurse the skinny pedal you will probably go a while before you start breaking. But in time,,, YES! You will definitely break something. It will probably be an axle shaft, or a ujoint will blow and then take out the shaft. Run it till it breaks to much to be worth it.

My buddys dad who has a 79 renegade drove his jeep off the showroom floor in 79 and ran the rubicon and seirra trek every year untill 1995 never broke his dana 30 ever allthough he did break the amc 20 twice. He didnt drive it to break it, but he didnt baby it either.

just thought Id add that he ran 31s, and when he ran 33s both times he broke the amc 20. He also had the 304 V8 with stock gears and a T18 though. I would say that 35s on a dana 30 would be a gamble. I would definitly bring trail spares.

I wheeled with a guy with a YJ on 35s, rc30, open diff, and 260x joints. The open diff is really what saves you. He broke one only when he was simultaneously backing up, turning, and pulling a stuck CJ. Even then it was the cap that walked out first.

Tack weld your caps in and go for it! PM me if you want some spare shafts, I'm finally getting rid of my Dana Turdy so I need to get rid of the spares.

YES it's gonna break! Oh....what are you running:flipoff2: It's still gonna break if you take it offroad;)

carry spare axle assemblies. Learn how to change them before you go. PB blast the 13MM bolts holding the hub in and break these loose from the rust in your drive way before you need to do it on the trail. Buy 36MM socket to take hub nut off. Carry one set of upper and lower ball joints. If your steering is stock, carry spare steering and rod ends. If you don't have these spares with you, you have no business being on the con with 35s and D30 with 260 joints. If you break, sux to be your friends strapping your ass off the trail.

Be prepared for the con. AAA don't get on the trail.

SeanP

eventually something will break, even if you 'baby' it :D
On mine the r&p went before anything else (in Moab on Metal Masher -> too happy with the go pedal ;)) and that's with 35's and locker, now I've polished the turd and went with a Warn5x5.5 hub conversion :flipoff2:

I run a RC D30 4.88 on my 2.5l YJ with 35" SSRs, still with the CAD (disconnect) and an EZ locker.

It's kinda all been said though;
-swap in '95 and up shafts to get the 297x joint.
-tack weld the caps in place, keeps them from getting spat out.
-carry spares!
-nothing is bulletproof.

Spare axleshafts from an old XJ will work (ABS models are already 297x, but I think they take a wider hub - snag the whole assembly at the junkyard). I have these precautions and murphy's law has held true, the axle hasn't skipped a beat, it blows out 1310 series driveshafts though.

Originally posted by SeanP
carry spare axle assemblies. Learn how to change them before you go. PB blast the 13MM bolts holding the hub in and break these loose from the rust in your drive way before you need to do it on the trail. Buy 36MM socket to take hub nut off. Carry one set of upper and lower ball joints. If your steering is stock, carry spare steering and rod ends. If you don't have these spares with you, you have no business being on the con with 35s and D30 with 260 joints. If you break, sux to be your friends strapping your ass off the trail.

Be prepared for the con. AAA don't get on the trail.

SeanP
Thanks for the advise, sounds like talk from experiance.

Ive run 35's on my D30 for 3 years now.. Broken two u joints, but thats about it. Ive got 260x joints, 4.56 gears and a lockright. Im fairly light on the pedal. I've got a set of 297x shafts waiting to go in, and I won't do that till I break the 260's again.

I say you can do it. BTW, Ive got a 4.2L 6 cylinder.
Scott

We did the con for the first time last year with a completely stock 88 yj (307 gears and all) except for a four inch lift and 33s. We had no damage what so ever. Never broke an axle till we put 4:10s and an Ox Locker in it.

The best place to get spare shafts is at Pick-N-Pull out of XJs. Even better wait for half price days. Also dont forget the shaft from the diff. to the disconnect (youll need to remove a c-clip in the diff. and use a magnet to pull it.)

Ive gotten complete sets of shafts with hubs for under $40.
Good luck.........Terry

It may survive if you drive like an old woman. But that's not my style, so I've broken three ujoints, and one took out the shaft.

Hey, I got your PM about spares, but your box is full so here is my reply:

For the driver's side I have one assembly (inner shaft, stub shaft and u-joint) with 260x joint and one assembly with 297x joint. For the passenger side on a vacuum disconnect axle, I have one assembly with 260x.

Also, when I pull out my D30 (hopefully this week) I may just part it out, meaning I would have 2 more assemblies with 260x joints.

I also have a nice Timken (the best there is) hub with very low miles on it (maybe 5k). They cost about $150 new.

Also have a spare steering setup, but it's kinda beat, would work great as a spare, but I wouldn't leave it on permanently.

Also have a 36mm socket for the hubs that I won't be needing any more. I think it cost like $15 new:rolleyes:

Brett

I'm running that setup except I've got a lockright. I have broken the driver's side joint 2 times, both in good rocks while being light on the gas. I also have a posi-lok (vacuum replacement) if that makes any difference. Definately carry spares and upgrade to the 297's asap.

Breaking an axle shaft or U-joint is no big deal...assuming you listen to the advice eatlier in this post and 1) have correct spares (around here, XJ's are great for axle shaft donors) and 2) know how to install them.

Seriously...I've wheeled for 3 years on RC D30 w/4.56, OX & 33's. Broke my first 260X about 2 months ago. Pulled it out and installed the junk yard XJ replacement with 297 joints and all is good.

Just know which way you want to head on the vacu disco side. Either carry spare 2 piece shafts or replace what you have with 1 piece shafts this week. Best is to remove the vacuum unit and install 1 piece shafts. To do this requires a blocking plate and seal (about $25) but it isn't something I would really want to do on the trail.

Lastly ... a ZJ tie rod makes a great spare / upgrade to the YJ tie rods vs. the $$ for an aftermarket setup

Plan...then go have fun

Originally posted by SCOUT
Also dont forget the shaft from the diff. to the disconnect (youll need to remove a c-clip in the diff. and use a magnet to pull it.)

OK, you lost me.

I've had D30s apart plenty of times - never had one with a C-clip on the intermediate shaft. To remove the intermediate shaft, I've always pulled the passenger side shaft, removed the shift motor, and slid the intermediate out through the passenger side knuckle, there wasn't a C-clip on it.

Also if you're really nutty about keeping your D30, you can always truss it, a small truss can easily be welded in between the pumpkin and the CAD housing... Um, I got really bored... But it hasn't broken!

Worried about your D30???:confused:


Sounds like you need to do some reading:rolleyes: :flipoff2: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1456

We spent 3 days on the Rubion from 7-16 thru 7-18 and didn't see anyone broken down on the trail....... you must have made it!!!! CONGRATS!!!!. Sorry, our buddy Daves white Bronco was there 4 days prior to us. The Dana 30 in the front and the Dana 44 in the rear (also the Dana 35) will make it.
LEARN TO CRAWL, LEARN TO CRAWL, YOU'LL MAKE IT!, and bring misquito repellant. Terry

My buddys dad never broke.........

There's the key. Old = slow = no breake. "Drive like a woman, ?"
If you like to wrench on your shiat when its wedged in the rocks on a hill with 30 rigs waiting, then drive like a freak-idiot and break it. Fawkin A' every year IFS rigs go through without a scratch or breakage. Beer = breakage. Hows your Liver ? :flipoff2:

I wheeled my XJ for a year with 33 and 35" tires on it. With the 33's I ran open diff and stock axle shafts.

Upgraded to 35's, at the same time did a locker and TJ shafts.

In a year of wheeling it as absoultely hard as I could without a cage in it, and getting it into as much trouble as I possibly could, I broke 1 TJ shaft.

The TJ shaft went down after 6 months of wheeling on it, and it was while the rig was being driven while laying on it's side in a ditch, and pushing a pile of dirt that was about two shovel-full's worth on the windshield :)

That was with a 4.0 and automatic in an XJ.

If you have a manual, you'll be harder on axle shafts.

Your 4.88's will be harder on shafts, as I was running 3.55's

Basically, you can be fairly reckless with the D30 and the TJ shaft upgrade, but I never managed to break my stock, disconnect shafts with my open diff.

TJ shafts are about a $250 upgrade if you pay retail for the shafts new, I get them considerably cheaper by scamming for deals.

my buddy is runnin a 4.3, in his s10 blazer. he has a sas using a dana 30 and he is running 38 PJs he played around on a rock pile and didnt break. just got to stay off the skinny.

Drew

1st run out locked up front:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p60a660369230f1969242bffc855cd38c/fb8eb00d.jpg

that was last weekend, i was romping up a hill, popped the passenger tire in the air and it hit a rut/hill and snap. I was expecting breakage, had the spares, went on my way after it was fixed. I had 3.07s and 33s when i did this, i have 4.88s sitting on the workbench waiting to go in. Im going to get some ABS shafts (297s and will let ya keep the vac disco) or some TJ shafts. Im eventually going to get a warn 5 on 5.5 hub conversion and get some warn shafts, but thats a ways off. Bring spares, and be ready to break it, and have fun.

Breakage is inevitable, no matter what yer running.

Ditch the 260 joints and go to full clipped or welded capped 297's (IIRC they are 760's now), then carry a set of spares.


If you don't break something eventually, you aren't wheeling hard enough.

XJBones
North American XJ Association Co-Founder
NAXJA #6
POR #21673



Double Whammy Oct. 2002, Spotter says, "I think I see the line…"

http://images.fotki.com/v13/photos/4/42106/157829/broke1-vi.jpg