Finally after many long hours in the garage I got to hit the trail yesterday. On the way there everything felt great. The new 8.8, new gears, spool, locker, soa, everything behaved well on the road. So we get to the first opening on the trail and there is a small couple of hills to play around on. Nothing very big but they are steep as hell. Regardless, no trouble hopping right up any other time. Well this time I'm in 2 wheel drive, which should be no problem, and I start up the hill. Right at the top is a pretty good lip so I hit the gas just a little when the back tires got to it. 3 little hops and then BAM. :mad3: I thought for sure my driveshaft had come up through the floor. Fortunately it was only the pinion yoke. What happened. Why the yoke and not the u-joint? Did spring wrap put the ds in a bind and snapped the yoke??? That's the only thing i can imagine. Anyone else have this happen to them or have any opinions on what caused it and how to fix it???

You don't have anything limiting spring wrap do you?

I personally have not broken a pinion yoke, but a good friend of mine broke one a year ago on a bone stock 92 YJ(4.0l w/ 5spd.) It snapped as is was turning right, accelerating away from a stop sign. It was a new break, it showed no signs of corrosion.

ChiXJeff

i have no traction bars and i'm running the original stock springs.

Originally posted by MossMan
i have no traction bars and i'm running the original stock springs.

Lack of an anti-wrap bar busted your yoke... plain and simple.

There are plenty of designs out there, but what seems to be the most effective is a ladder bar from the axle to the skid plate. Mount the axle end solidly, and the other end with a shackle. Make the whole thing about as long as the driveshaft.

There are a lot of places that sell them... partsmike has a good one, as does sam's offroad

i saw a guy break a pinion yoke on a dana 60 last year at the badlands. he was running 38 SXs and SOA on yj. he was trying to climb a ledge and the axle wrap took its toll. at first it looked like the u-joint let go, but no such luck for this guy, when he climbed under we heard him scream as he figured out it was the pinion yoke.

Originally posted by Mo


Lack of an anti-wrap bar busted your yoke... plain and simple.

There are plenty of designs out there, but what seems to be the most effective is a ladder bar from the axle to the skid plate. Mount the axle end solidly, and the other end with a shackle. Make the whole thing about as long as the driveshaft.

There are a lot of places that sell them... partsmike has a good one, as does sam's offroad

BTW - NOT the skid plate. That flimsy piece of metal, I wouldn't trust it as a mounting point for the ladder bar. Build yourself a crossmember just behind the skid plate.

Originally posted by Mo


Lack of an anti-wrap bar busted your yoke... plain and simple.

There are plenty of designs out there, but what seems to be the most effective is a ladder bar from the axle to the skid plate. Mount the axle end solidly, and the other end with a shackle. Make the whole thing about as long as the driveshaft.

There are a lot of places that sell them... partsmike has a good one, as does sam's offroad

Exactly what happened to me.

Same way I did mine in.

No pictures? Carnage always brightens my day. :D

can't get them posted yet. who do you guys use to host your pics? i've tried aol and msn and they both suck!

It gets worse. Got my new yoke and u-joints today and when to install them this evening. Well, my ds hit the dirt eggshaped the ends a little bit. Also, there is a small crack. Now I gotta get that fixed too. I love jeeps. :mad:

yep your axle wrapped, pinion rotated up and the yoke hit/bound on the slip yoke. BANG

Badlands last November in one of the quarry play areas..

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jjacobs149917/PB030008.JPG

Originally posted by MossMan
It gets worse. Got my new yoke and u-joints today and when to install them this evening. Well, my ds hit the dirt eggshaped the ends a little bit. Also, there is a small crack. Now I gotta get that fixed too. I love jeeps. :mad:

Don't blame the jeep man. If you SOA, a ladder bar should be a required add-on.

yep i broke a yoke and for the same reason stated above. AXLE WRAP!!!!! if you are spring over you NEED a traction bar...period!

Brings back memories from the clean up run last year at the Con. Snaped the ears right off. But got lucky, i had a spare.

Hey man, Go to Fleetpride(used to be Stone heavy Vehicle) in So. Charleston, they do killer driveline work. Retubed & lengthed my front shaft with new spicer joints for $75.

Thats sucks you broke the first time out. I built my ladder bar last friday, i am making the cross member tongiht & mounting that sucker tommorow. I built it just Like the Sam's offroad. I went to tractor supply in Galipolis & bought steering links with cheap ass heims and chopped them off & used some 1.5" tubing to build mine. I am making the cross member out of 1.5x2.5"x1/4" rect. tube.

What tires dd you get? Do you know anyone with a 35" tire laying around. I need a spare. Are you going to be rolling for the Skyjacker ride? Did you break at Boyer Woods???????:flipoff2:

I just got back from Fleetpride and Matt fixed the shit while I was standing there. Those guys kick ass. Now I can fix it tonight. And yea, Boyer Woods kicked my ass again. I broke going up those little hills right at the beginning. I'm looking for a ladder bar right now. I've got to buy/build before next weekend. I'm going no matter what. I'd love to check yours out and see how you did it. I thought about using my rear track bar and some other stuff to build one. Will have my tires on Sat. I'm going to talk to Brian about them tonight. Still between Claws and SSR's. Anyway, let me know if you wanna show off that ladder bar.

Cool man, Matt kicks ass. If you wanna check out my POS ladder bar come over one evening. Its not on yet but should be tomorrow or thursday. I am finishing my rear bumper & tire carrier tonight. Just stop by I am usually there, I live behind the Dairy Queen in Scott Depot. 4th house on the left. The jeep is usually parked across the street, although it may be up in the yard with me laying under it welding. Should be a green civic there too, my g/f's not mine.

If your two choices are claws or SSr's, hmmm thats a tough one, claws are short but have kick ass sidewalls. SSR's are taller with sidewall issues. I actually know a guy in Princeton with 5 SSr's for sale, i think he said $125/ea. I can give you his email if your interested. They are 35x12.5's. I say get the swampers:D I am kinda partial to bias but not a claw fan. later