Yes, yes, I know, I'm a cheap !@#%!, but that's the name of the game with a little one on the way. I'm about to lock-up the old 20 and I still have the 2 piece axles, so it will only be a matter of time before they let go.

I was wondering if anyone has welded the splines on their 20 and had any luck with it. Also, what is the best angle to attack it. I've only been into the axles once and don't actually remember being able to see the splines. Do I have to remove the brake hardware, or can I just weld it there at that big nut that seems to hold it all together?

The problem with welding the 2 piece axles is that the heat causes the metal of the inner axle to become extremely brittle. I have broken welded axles 100% of the time

2 peice is stronger than welded. I had a set rekeyed back about ten years ago with dana 44 keys. ran them for years with detroits and 35 boggers. and a v8 with heavy shoes.

When I raced Javelins we would not weld the hubs to the axles (because it would weaken the treatment of the shafts), but we would weld pipe/tube around the outer snout of a new iron hub. The pipe/tube adds strength to the hub, to prevent distortion of the hub hole from opening up and allowing the axle shaft splines and keyway to walk (and spin). It may not be popular these days (it was a popular fix 50-years ago, and one piece axles are much cheaper than even 20-years ago when I raced), but it worked. I never spun a hub that was reinforced (but I did break axle shafts).

The other issue is to torque the hub to the axle as hard as you can (600 ft.lbs.). Do not be hesitant to imprint the axle shaft splines on the smooth soft iron surface inside a new hub. The iron hub castings are not splined, the interference fit cold forms the splines from the axle shaft into the hub. The depth of the spline imprint is directly related to the torque applied during assembly (get a longer cheater bar or stout impact driver and make it tight and spin resistant).

Happy Trails!

What if you cryo'd them after the welding? Would that help or hurt?

I doubt that cryo would hurt the axle, but it's not really going to help either. The problem with welding is it messes up the original heat treating....I think it actually makes the steel softer not brittle. Either way it's a really bad idea and even when I was a broke 16 year old I ran the two piece shafts even though I "Could" have welded them.

I have a buddy that does it on a farm jeep, they usually only last a summer.....in the mud.....if that. He's running a cheby 350 and 33x15 boggers. We have several spares lying around so he just throws in another set, welds them and waits till they break. Eventually he'll have to upgrade.


I wouldn't recomend it for long term or trail riding.

I have a one piece axle kit for a VERY good price. PM me for pricing.

Thanks
Dan

I had a set welded up a few years ago, guess over ten years now... Lasted all of about a week. And they broke driving down the street. Not on the weld, but just in from the outer bearing. Jeep shifted in 2nd leaving a stop sign, and went snap. That was just regular acceleration too, not a heavy right foot. Like everyone else has said, it screws up the original heat treating and makes the axle brittle. After that I went with a set of 1 piece shafts and never had a problem again, eventually swapped that for a D44 and eventually to a 14 bolt ....

I ran my 20 lincoln locked with two piece shafts on 36 inch tsl's and with a HEALTHY, bored 360 and NP-435 and never spun a hub. I just made sure I had the nuts hammered on nice and tight with the big impact before every outing and used a nail instead of a cotter pin.

My spares were Summers Brothers shafts.... they never got installed.

I welded one as a trail repair. The weld held but the saft broke on the inside of the hub and the wheel fell off in about 10 feet.

What if you cryo'd them after the welding? Would that help or hurt?
cryo might work, but it would problably cost more than a one piece kit, they are getting cheaper all the time, the only problem with the one piece, is the housing is next to go, I bent and spun a tube on my old cj, of coarse I was running a 350/7r4 combo, model 20 isnt a whole lot better than a crumby 35, welding the shaft its self, for sure well make it britle

I've done a little more research which basically just came up with the same things you guys have been saying, so it looks like I'll just employ the KISS method here and run it til I break it... then upgrade. I'll probably keep an eye on that nut in the mean time though.

Thanks for the discussion guys!

Just make sure that the nut is torqued. IIRC, the torque is 250 ft-lbs.

EDIT: If you disassemble the hubs fomr the shafts, make sure to keep the right side hub w/ the right side shaft. The splines on the shaft cut the hub when they are torqued down.

I doubt that cryo would hurt the axle, but it's not really going to help either. The problem with welding is it messes up the original heat treating....I think it actually makes the steel softer not brittle. Either way it's a really bad idea and even when I was a broke 16 year old I ran the two piece shafts even though I "Could" have welded them.

He nailed it! The weld is going to take the heat treating out of the axle at the heat effected zone so Cryo treating it won't fix anything. The idea of gong to the 44 key's is a pretty good one though.

I see used one piece 20 axles for cheap all the time (sometimes you gotta buy the whole housing too). I'd just run the two piece and keep my eyes open open for someone that is upgrading to 60s or something and go from there.

i have a 20 with solid shafts and a detroit locker for sale pm me if you want it

There is a set of Moser One piece in Classifieds 100.00 but I believe they are for Wide Tracks.

good luck

I friend if mine welded a set together and it's lasted two trips to the Con, it's still in the Jeep. I thought it was hokie as hell but the girl who drives the Jeep believes in a heavy foot with an AMC V8. She's even rolled it at Pismo and the thing didn't break, even though it's soft sand.

Her brother welded the thick washer to the hub and then welded the nut to the thick washer. I'm sure he took no precautions to heat control, prolly only cleaned it good as he could before the welds.

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Her brother welded the thick washer to the hub and then welded the nut to the thick washer. I'm sure he took no precautions to heat control, prolly only cleaned it good as he could before the welds.

That is what I did too, but it didn't make any difference.

A friend of mine ran two piece sand dragging for years. He followed what HybridPOS said and made sure they were tight every trip and got years of service out of them. I have 5 kids and number 6 comming in about 6 weeks so I'm with you on the scrimp. Just run em!

I run 2 pc tapered axles in my early cj5 d44 19 spline with a full detroit. I run 31's with the old f-head. I snap the long side axles about 8 inches from the carrier/locker. The key and taper has never failed me! :smokin: