wasted passenger side axle u joint

[MEANEXPLODER]

wondering what the best axle u joints are available as i wasted a brand new Napa "superstrength" joint last night just putzin around some rock climbs near my house... is this a common failure w a dana 44 and 35 inch tires? it destroyed my outer shaft as well and scarred my inner shaft up pretty good...

 

[Fusion213]

If you want the BEST axle joint, CTM U-joitns are good joints. Longfield, Yukon, and east coast gear supply have some nice joints too.
On the other hand, if you want something affordable and pretty strong, I recommend Dana spicers.

 

[MEANEXPLODER]

thanks fusion.... i think im gonna go w CTM... Is there anyway to upgrade to 3/4 ton axle shafts from an 8 lug d44?

 

[IZwack]

3/4 ton doesnt change axle shaft strength.

Except for weird exceptions, a Dana 44 is a Dana 44 - meaning the axle shaft diam is the same.

 

[DB_1]

thanks fusion.... i think im gonna go w CTM... Is there anyway to upgrade to 3/4 ton axle shafts from an 8 lug d44?

I run the Longfield joints and they are also made from 300m but cheaper.
With both of these joints, you'll have to grease them about every other trip you go out as they have no needle bearings in the caps.
These are a bushing style and the reason for this is so they can make the cross of the joint thicker and therefore stronger.
Honestly, these joints will do you no good without upgrading to cro-mo shafts at the same time.

Here's a new set-up that has just came available that uses CV style joints. It's 30 spline all the way out to the hubs...yummy!

https://www.rcvperformance.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=67

 

[MEANEXPLODER]

thanks DB1! me likey!

 

[RustENutz]

Just shredded mine too again. 4th u-joint so far, only the second time it's taken out the axles. I'm cheap so I was looking at some Alloy USA X-joints. Not much more than spicer, can grease each cap individually and comes with full circle clips. Anyone have any luck with them??

Going to the junk yard today to find some Wagoneer axle shafts, then I'll take em' to the milling machine and machine them for the full circle clips....hopefully they'll last a while longer!

 

[james t]

The number one cause of Ujoint failure on stock shafts/ujoints is the caps popping off. The half moon clips will not hold the caps on. It may be hard to tell what happened, because usually a couple of caps blow off, you dont realize it, the joint wallows around in the shaft ears and destroys them. Or, the ears break the ends off the joint. Or, the joint shock-loads the shaft ears and while the ears may hold it breaks the stub shaft behind its yoke.

You have 3 options-

1- Run aftermarket shafts and joints and never worry about it again (expensive)

2- Tack weld the caps on your stock axles

3- Cut the stock axles for full circle clips.

 

[RustENutz]

Taking option 3. Just need to find my axles.