Birfield type axles for TTB trucks

[cmhaah06]

I recently found a 78 f150 with a full width dana 44 and 9" rear for a fairly decent deal. In the midst of researching this deal and upgrades I stumbled across a company called RCV. They make birfield type CV style axles. I learned they also make custom axles. So, just because I wonder just how far a TTB axle can be taken, I asked about a set of custom axles. This is the reply I received:

Hi Chris,

We are actually just in the prototyping phase of a totally CV based TTB system. We expect to be shipping over the next 30-60 days. The price is $1,995.00 a set and it comes with our limited lifetime warranty against breakage. Give us a call if you would like to place a pre-order to ensure you get a set.

Thanks!

Original message:

Hello. I was wondering if you make custom axles? I know this is a long shot, but I have been wanting to do something different. I have a 1991 Ford Explorer with the TTB Ibeam front suspension. The front axle is a dana 35. I have made some suspension mods (lift) and axle upgrades (lockers, hubs and soon gears), however, axle mods are extremely limited. Thus my question. Sorry for the lengthy explanation. Thanks for your time.

Just some food for thought or maybe a conversation starter. What do yall think?

[DB_1]

I've been following the RCV thread on Pirate, interesting for sure.
After seeing what Torchmate (now Robby Gordon's car) did with TTB using a Spidertrax 9" center housing and custom fabbed beams off of that, it's hard to consider anything else. Of course the price tag of said beams would out of reach of most of us.

I see the weak point being moved to the ring and pinion if you are running larger than 37" tires on the D44 TTB axle, on the D35 TTB axle it would be the lockout hubs...and is even with stock shafts.

[cmhaah06]

I was thinking, If I stay TTB, I am going to scratch and save every penny to get these axle shafts. My buddies laugh at me cause im always saving never spending. One of these days though, it would be cool to see someone with these axles on a explorer/ranger/bronco. I would like to get a set, however, have been swayed towards the SAS crowd lately. There's gotta be someone willing to take one for the team here.

[IZwack]

Unless the axle shaft diam is increased throughout the entire length of the axle shaft (which means a custom spider set and maybe a carrier), what advantage would this have over a shaft that's been through a heat/cryo process?

[4x4junkie]

Originally Posted by IZwack

Unless the axle shaft diam is increased throughout the entire length of the axle shaft (which means a custom spider set and maybe a carrier), what advantage would this have over a shaft that's been through a heat/cryo process?

CV joint smoothness.




I think a HP D44 R&P would be fine with up to 39s up front and relatively sane driving.
Strength of the HP D35 R&P is still somewhat of an unknown, no one's really had any upgrades available to get past the stock shaft's strength until now.
The D35 does have a slightly fatter pinion shaft than a D44, however the smaller ring diameter almost certainly offsets what advantage that would've offered.
Just going by what I've seen in 30-spline upgraded Jeep rear D35s, I think the HP front could spin 37s, maybe even 38s reliably, but time will tell when (if?) people start swapping these beefy shafts into their axles (that $1995 price tag certainly is a bit of a hit to the wallet).

[Kirby N.]

The point is irrelevant. Your hubs will grenade way before it ever matters. Even the heep 35 full float hubs will break first. I never had problems with my stock shafts. Just my hubs.

[4x4junkie]

Originally Posted by Kirby N.

The point is irrelevant. Your hubs will grenade way before it ever matters. Even the heep 35 full float hubs will break first. I never had problems with my stock shafts. Just my hubs.

And you know this by the fact you broke Warn Jeep D35 hubs on your rig???

[Kirby N.]

Never had em on there. You?

If he wants to wast his money polishing a turd then let him, I guess. I built my sorry traveling sorry handling TTB enough to feel like I wasted money when I threw the towel in and Solid Swapped it. I am sure glad I didn't spend $2000 on axle shafts.

[4x4junkie]

Originally Posted by Kirby N.

Never had em on there.

So you're making assumptions about stuff you know nothing about??

I've broken one Warn regular manual hub (with little provocation, I might add). Broken one stock D35 shaft. Never broke a Jeep hub (been running them for many many years now).
There's been numerous reports on this and other forums too from others who have solved their hub breakage issue by swapping to the Jeep hubs.

The "sorry traveling sorry handling" TTB seems to work just fine for me... One look at the pics on my BII page should easily confirm that.

[splodo49]

I like the way you think if your trying to keep a cool rig showing off its stock ttb, (which it really wouldnt) that would be awesome. As for me the money factory tells me (honestly) to go other routes. But i like how you think out of the box its people like you that help create better inventions i my self had never broke anything but shafts on my 44 and my 8.8 rear broke everything with a mini spool but with a welded center never broke anything. I say if you want to polish that turd then do it, good for you.

[4x4junkie]

Originally Posted by splodo49

I like the way you think if your trying to keep a cool rig showing off its stock ttb, (which it really wouldnt) that would be awesome. As for me the money factory tells me (honestly) to go other routes. But i like how you think out of the box its people like you that help create better inventions i my self had never broke anything but shafts on my 44 and my 8.8 rear broke everything with a mini spool but with a welded center never broke anything. I say if you want to polish that turd then do it, good for you.

You don't need any big money factory to build the TTB (I got maybe $700 tied up into mine at the moment, few properly-done SASes can be pulled off for that amount). You just need to build it right. Big thing is not falling into the steering pitfall that virtually every suspension lift manufacturer has out on their TTB kits. Set the steering linkage up with the proper angle (so it's on the same plane as your beam pivots) and you should have a pretty smooth road ahead of you for any future mods (better flexier coil springs, etc.).

Anyway, we're getting a bit off the topic here about the RCV axles.
I might actually be tempted just for their CV smoothness, however my most recent broken shaft was some years ago (which was on my Ranger's D44 too, not even the D35), I'm not sure CV smoothness alone is worth almost $2G. Though they probably would let me go back to the driving habits of my younger years (as long as they or the Jeep hubs still prove to be weaker than the R&P gears lol). But so would a D60 swap (even more so).

[Kirby N.]

Originally Posted by 4x4junkie

So you're making assumptions about stuff you know nothing about??

I've broken one Warn regular manual hub (with little provocation, I might add). Broken one stock D35 shaft. Never broke a Jeep hub (been running them for many many years now).
There's been numerous reports on this and other forums too from others who have solved their hub breakage issue by swapping to the Jeep hubs.

The "sorry traveling sorry handling" TTB seems to work just fine for me... One look at the pics on my BII page should easily confirm that.

I know some about em. My bro ran them on the rear of his cherokee for years. He had spares and he never used them. I was going to follow with what you alluded to further down, pinion/ ring strength, then we didn't even mention the poor wheel bearing design. If it is not one thing it is another.

He starts the thread off with a question on whether he should sas or spend $2k on the ttb. If I had it to do over again (which I hope to soon) I wouldn't waste a dollar on my Dana 35 ttb. The day I SAS'd my rig, it became way, way more capable on the trail. Ok, steering could have helped it on road, but offroad it wouldn't have mattered. It couldn't touch my solid axle. It was ridiculous. Finally I could hang with by Jeep buddies. I spent alot of time on my TTB trying to make it work. Like 7 years or so. It never traveled or felt stable like my solid axle.

I would love RCVs, but I would put them in a Dana 44 Solid axle or a Dana 60 after I sas'd it.

[4x4junkie]

Originally Posted by Kirby N.

I know some about em. My bro ran them on the rear of his cherokee for years. He had spares and he never used them.

lol apparently not about their strength... You still say you've yet to see one grenade.

To each his own I guess... your experience couldn't be any more the opposite than mine has been.
Only solid axle I can see ever making it under my rig is a D60. But for that to happen the D35 first has to start breaking or getting schooled by the Jeeps. So far mine has been the only one doing any schooling (turning radius), and they can just fugghetaboutit out in the desert. Outside of that, it's been pretty even in most every other aspect.

Anyway I've probably said enough. Carry on if you want... It's all about your setup though.