Ok, I waited a while to post this up but last weekend I did my first competition here in VA.

Everything was going great right up to the time I pulled up to the first gate of the first obstacle, and I pulled up on the first rock and climbed over it and was heading to the second rock(boulder) and snap.

45 seconds into the competiton I broke the short side inner axle.

So that is 4 short side birfs and inner shafts that I have broken in the last three outings.

Here is the question what the fawk.

my housing is not bent everything appears to be working proerly but these 4340 shafts are not holding up.

SUGGESTIONS PLEASE>






P.S. I cant afford dana 60's

pics of where youre breaking them? Material improvements can only increase the strength so much if you are still using an improper design

-brett

What motor are you running?

And when you say improper design are you saying that the design with the snap ring groove cut into it is weak Because that is what I have been running. but it seems like the stock ones are stronger and last longer. IE I ran the stock ones for 5 years and no problems untill I broke the birf and that caused the shaft to be unusable.

setup

stock 3FE

stock tranny

stock TC

4.88 gears locked front and rear

38x12.5x15 SX's on 15x10 rims

about 8 feet before that is where I broke on competition day, Same obsticle

Originally posted by smtyblt
about 8 feet before that is where I broke on competition day, Same obsticle

Cruiser axles are just not up to par for competition use. Spaceghost brike everything on the planet competing with his.

So sorry about your luck..that is a lot of money going down the tube!!

Ok next question my competition days are limited I entered this one for the expeirience and entered under stock modified. So what do you guys think of the marlin shafts made by moser.

They dont have the snap ring groove and look beefier.

I really just need something that will hold together for medium to heavy wheeling. Ok who am I kidding I try everything infront of me but really just want to keep the truck running on the trail.

the last three outings have a combined 1.5 hours of wheeling because of the front axle.

next question does weight distribution have any affect on it? I mean now that the cruiser weighs about 1500 lbs. less and now the weight distribution is mostly on the front axle, meaning most of my traction is on the front end have anything to do with it.

There are still a few mini-guys running stock inners in UROC. We were running them on the Rocklogic4x4 buggy until the opener of this season (swapped a D60 front) but still run the stock IFS rear. To be honest, inners arn't the thing breaking in comps... I have seen literally dozens of birfs (OEM & aftermarket) break in comps (Tracy Evans, Rhett Fergeson, & Carl Whitmore)... but no shafts...

Kindve weird that yours keep breaking???

But on the topic of bent housings.. mine is.... :(

Get my new one back from the blaster tomorrow!

So you say run the stock shafts I would think just in the little I know about metalurgy that the little bit softer shaft would actually take more abuse than the harder Chromoly. ie the stockers would flex alittle and the chromoly would snap wich is what it is doing to me.

how do you KNOW your housing isnt bent?

I have talked to a number of people and they say if you houising is bent even the slightest that it is hard to impossible to get your axle shafts in and out. and mine move freely

Originally posted by smtyblt
I have talked to a number of people and they say if you houising is bent even the slightest that it is hard to impossible to get your axle shafts in and out. and mine move freely

False, my housing is out of wack about an inch (long side is back & up)... and to my disbeleif, the shafts still go in an out without a hitch. It does eat up inner axle seals... :(

Seals are where you will determine if the axle tube is bent.

Also, you will want to check out your steering stops. Are they there? Are you steering too sharp?

I think any weight off the vehicle will help the Birfs survive. Granted, most of the weight is off the rear axles, but "Gravity rides everything" to quote my friend Lance.

Well I believe the axle is not bent but I will recheck it

as far a steering the steering stops are in the stock locationand I have actually lost steering with the cross over and SOA she doesnt steer quite as sharp as she used to.

I did not think the weight thing was really affecting it, just trying to figure it out.

this last axle is really the only one I dont understand the rest I had in one hell of a bind when they broke but this last one did not seem like it was but maybe it was and I just did not realize it again.

I guess I am learning to drive my truck again and it is more capable than I am at this point.


My goal in this thread is what to put back in there stockers or modifieds

Anything you put in there WILL break if you wheel it hard and long enough. Prior to PIG's 4340 inners, which I never tried, I had the best luck with Longs treated inners. I have broken at least a dozen stock short side inners, and half as many long sides. Spens way too much $$$ on some Dutchmans (custom), and broke both on the same obstacle. They felt sorry for me, and offered to make another set of them for a discount. Hahahahahaha, I just had the "Dumbass" tattoo removed from my forehead the day before.

I also broke every version of birf I tried at some point. The longest lasting were Bobby's newest ringless ones. Admittedly, removing my steering stops had to account for 50% of the carnage. Give up some turning and both parts will live longer.

With that said, I lessened my pain by grabbing up all the short sides I could find, and only a few long sides. Put a stud kit on my spindles, ditched the rotor dust shield and plumbed the calipers so they would swing out of the way with out breaking the line seal. Got changing an inner axle down to 20 mins with air tools.

Until...................................... I got tired of breaking them, and knew using "front dig" would only mean more carnage. RockCrushers with CTM's and 4340 inners and 35spline outers, I can't afford spares, but hell, I won't need em!

Not to hijack, but I wailed on my junk today, and whats funny is my Jeep buddy kept reminding me "that woulda been a birf", no less than 4 times in 2 hours.

Yes Nolan, I finally weighed it.................. 3620 lbs dressed to kill.

Originally posted by SpaceGhost
Anything you put in there WILL break if you wheel it hard and long enough. Prior to PIG's 4340 inners, which I never tried, I had the best luck with Longs treated inners. I have broken at least a dozen stock short side inners, and half as many long sides. Spens way too much $$$ on some Dutchmans (custom), and broke both on the same obstacle. They felt sorry for me, and offered to make another set of them for a discount. Hahahahahaha, I just had the "Dumbass" tattoo removed from my forehead the day before.

I also broke every version of birf I tried at some point. The longest lasting were Bobby's newest ringless ones. Admittedly, removing my steering stops had to account for 50% of the carnage. Give up some turning and both parts will live longer.

With that said, I lessened my pain by grabbing up all the short sides I could find, and only a few long sides. Put a stud kit on my spindles, ditched the rotor dust shield and plumbed the calipers so they would swing out of the way with out breaking the line seal. Got changing an inner axle down to 20 mins with air tools.

Until...................................... I got tired of breaking them, and knew using "front dig" would only mean more carnage. RockCrushers with CTM's and 4340 inners and 35spline outers, I can't afford spares, but hell, I won't need em!

Not to hijack, but I wailed on my junk today, and whats funny is my Jeep buddy kept reminding me "that woulda been a birf", no less than 4 times in 2 hours.

Yes Nolan, I finally weighed it.................. 3620 lbs dressed to kill.

Where's my flange
(Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap)

:flipoff2:

3629 huh...
I would love to be under 4600 lbs!!!!!!

My front Coilovers are set up as 200/350..

Originally posted by Jason M


Where's my flange
(Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap)



Salt Lake as of 5:21 am, expect it tomorrow!



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I have a spare set of fj60 axles...maybe you want to put the rear one up front...with two rear axles, you'd cut down on the carnage :D

maybe you could get an extra floor jack or two to get you around the obstacles...you'd be deadly on the straight sections, the curved sections, well...:flipoff2:

I'll stick with my 55...

maybe you could get an extra floor jack or two to get you around the obstacles...you'd be deadly on the straight sections, the curved sections, well...







Yeh Yeh Yeh:flipoff2:

I just want to let eveyone know in my previous threads I posted that I bought from Bobby Long.

Bobby is da man I am not thrashing Bobby or how he does business. I broke the first one and he bent over backwards to take care of me.

I just did not want anyone to think I was thrashing Long Enterprises.

As a matter a fact I am getting ready to order a set of his heat treated stockers.

Quit wasting your money and give PIG a call at http://www.polyperformance.com/

Originally posted by smtyblt
I just want to let eveyone know in my previous threads I posted that I bought from Bobby Long.

Bobby is da man I am not thrashing Bobby or how he does business. I broke the first one and he bent over backwards to take care of me.

I just did not want anyone to think I was thrashing Long Enterprises.

As a matter a fact I am getting ready to order a set of his heat treated stockers.

I have broke all his stuff, and still think it's hands down the best overall solution when comparing cost/results. Pig came on after the fact, but those blingers are pricey, and I'd rather break and fix an inner over a birf anyday!

and I'd rather break and fix an inner over a birf anyday!



I am with you on that it is much easier to take it apart pull a broken shaft out put a new in an be done instead of take it apart spend 30 more minutes cleaning up tht mess and hope you inner isnt shot also

Those 300M's are bling and pricy but nice

Has anyone broken one of them yet?

Originally posted by smtyblt
Those 300M's are bling and pricy but nice

Has anyone broken one of them yet?

I'm almost positive that nobody had snapped a 300M PIG inner, but I don't think there are many of them out there. I was recommending using his 4340 shafts. They are the same Bling design as the 300Ms just 4340. Real nice shafts. Only one 4340 shaft has snapped so far...some guy over in the Pickup/4runner section that has broken a ridiculous amount of toy parts...:flipoff2:

Anyways, If I remember correctly they don't cost much more than Bobby's. Give em' a good look-see.

I dont think I mentioned it before but I won a raffle at the competition I was in and won 3 hundred dollars in parts from the sponser of the event.



MOUNTAIN JAM 4X4 (http://www.mountainjam4x4.com/)


Mark from MJ is looking into some shafts for me and some brake extended brake lines for a buddy of mine.