Ok, if I weld the caps on my steering joints, I'll have to grind them to get it apart if/when I break the inner at the neck down.

How about loctite? My press could still pop it loose probably. Maybe I could even use the green loctite on the axles already in the truck...

What got me thinking about this is, I see a lot of trucks with the original axles in them, and they seem to break less than the ones that I put new joints in. Most of the old ones I remove have the caps frozen in place. Maybe that is acting as a "natural tack weld" helping to keep the caps from spitting out?

I agree with you about the original shafts typically dont have a problem with the caps walking out. Maybe you should assemble some inners and outers and throw them out in the weather to "season" :D

Loctite make a compund specifically for this sort of thing.

It's called "retaining compound" or something - not the thread locker.

They have an excellent web site with many pdf product sheets.

I used it - check it out

I think Loctite would be a viable option.
I do know of a lot of guys actually welding the caps in place. Kinda like belt and suspenders thing. You just have to grind the tack welds a little so they fit through the knuckle and of course grind the welds to replace the joint.

with the price of j-yard shafts, most people around here weld'm, break'm, and toss'm... the shafts usualy get ovaled out or break when the joint goes anyway.

"high strength reatining compound", it is made for stuff like that. i did to mine.but, you have to be vary carfull, that stuff is no toy, to much and you will never get it out, just put a couple of tack welds on them:D

Originally posted by 4x4runner
with the price of j-yard shafts, most people around here weld'm, break'm, and toss'm... the shafts usualy get ovaled out or break when the joint goes anyway.

Yes, exactly. HOWEVER, I have broken ONLY the inner shaft, by the splines where it necks down to 1.21"

I'd like to be able to save the stub shaft when this happens.

Also, J Yard shafts are not plentiful here, and therefore are not very cheap, IF you can find them. :(

I will look for the "high strength retaining compound"

Thanks :cool:

why not just try to use epoxy?

The locktite they are talking about it about the same as epoxy but it has something in it that makes it "creep" one drop and it will usually find it's way to all the threads in a nut/bolt retainer. Weird stuff! :D

Originally posted by ItsaCJ6
why not just try to use epoxy?

Well, why use epoxy if I can just use Loctite? :p

You can get enough 5 minute epoxy to do 200 drive shafts, for 5 bucks, Lock tite isnt that cheap.

If you want to use loctite and are worried about not being able to remove the cap once the glue is set up, use a little bit of heat. Fire up the oxy/acet torch or even a propane torch, and warm the yoke up a tad. The loctite will melt and the cap will come right out. Obviously you dont want to get the thing too hot, but Im sure that you can use your judgement on that. FYI most bearing manufacturers recomend heating bearings to no more than 240* so you can get the yokes at least that hot.

Brook