Full width axle thoughts

[DUDER 1]

Good morning all, I haven't thinking about this for a while and I want to go full width and 37" Maxxis Trepador's. I have a full width 44 and a 9 inch I can build or I can look for tons. My question is I know a lot of you guys run a 44 upfront with tires larger than 35's so how does is hold up. I am going to run chromolly or RCV axles in the front with 513's and a Detroit. Thanks for the input and if you have any photos that would be nice also.

 

[RangerX]

It's all I how you drive, IMO. If you're a full throttle driver off-road, go for a stronger axle. If you're drive with an awareness of your trucks limits, it should work out.

I ran 37s for 12 years on my stock D35 (!!!) and only broke a stub shaft once, maybe twice. That's with a locker, btw. Rubicon, Moab, etc.

 

[DUDER 1]

I am a 4low go slow driver lol. Sometimes I run through mud full throttle but that is very rare. I have a 1975 1/2"x2.75" tube 44 or a 78/79 cast wedge 44 I can use. Which one do you think is stronger.

 

[RangerX]

I believe the 75 is low pinion, so the 78/79 is the one to use, it's the year everyone looks for.

I learned that the situations that hubs and axles break most is, when you have the wheels turned fully one way or the other, when you're off camber and all the weight is on one side, and when you are backing up uphill or pulling someone in reverse. Or any combo of these. Everything else, you're pretty good with 37s and a locker.

 

[DUDER 1]

Thank you for the information. My 75 housing is a high pinion. The housing is pretty much the same as the 76-77 it just has the separate track bar mount and it comes with drum brakes.

 

[RangerX]

What kind of setup are you thinking about, radius arm and coils, 4 link, etc.?

 

[yostyexplorer94]

37x12.50r17 treps

I just got them well used to test out 37's on my 17" wheels

I wheeled quite a bit on my 35" ltb on stock shafts with the ujoint caps tack welded in 3 spots to prevent spinning. Never broke on that setup.

I want to upgrade to chromolys before I wheel 37's

@Four0Sport runs 38.5 sx swampers with chromoly shafts and it holds together well.

If you are going to want more than 37's down the road then half ton axles wouldn't be the choice I would make when starting from the beginning.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

I am a 4low go slow driver lol. Sometimes I run through mud full throttle but that is very rare. I have a 1975 1/2"x2.75" tube 44 or a 78/79 cast wedge 44 I can use. Which one do you think is stronger.

Should be able to use 78/79 knuckles out on your 75 axle. Thicker tubes, no permanent cast wedges to deal with, and disc brakes.

 

[DUDER 1]

What kind of setup are you thinking about, radius arm and coils, 4 link, etc.?

I am going to use my radius arm setup I currently have. I will just have to mount the radius arms further out on the frame.

 

[DUDER 1]

37x12.50r17 treps View attachment 150821

I just got them well used to test out 37's on my 17" wheels

I wheeled quite a bit on my 35" ltb on stock shafts with the ujoint caps tack welded in 3 spots to prevent spinning. Never broke on that setup.

I want to upgrade to chromolys before I wheel 37's

@Four0Sport runs 38.5 sx swampers with chromoly shafts and it holds together well.

If you are going to want more than 37's down the road then half ton axles wouldn't be the choice I would make when starting from the beginning.

That's a nice looking set up. What backspacing do you run on those wheels. I currently run chromoly axles on my narrow 44 with no issues and 35's. I want to run RCV's because from what I have read most failures accure at lock or with a turned wheel. I am not worried so much about the 9" just the front 44. I just found another HP 44 out of a F-250 today for cheep.

 

[DUDER 1]

This is the 1975 HP 44 housing I will be using.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

That's a nice looking set up. What backspacing do you run on those wheels. I currently run chromoly axles on my narrow 44 with no issues and 35's. I want to run RCV's because from what I have read most failures accure at lock or with a turned wheel. I am not worried so much about the 9" just the front 44. I just found another HP 44 out of a F-250 today for cheep.

Thanks
The back spacing is 4" or 4.25" . I can't remember. Rcv's are too much for my wallet lol

 

[Four0Sport]

It's all I how you drive, IMO. If you're a full throttle driver off-road, go for a stronger axle. If you're drive with an awareness of your trucks limits, it should work out.

I ran 37s for 12 years on my stock D35 (!!!) and only broke a stub shaft once, maybe twice. That's with a locker, btw. Rubicon, Moab, etc.

This is the truest statement in the history of the world. Like Yosty said I wheel 38.5 TSL SXs on heavy metal beadlocks on a stock 8.8 and a 44 with chromoly shafts. I am not exactly easy on it but I do know its limitations. Stay with that 75 hp 44 you got there and swap out the 78/9 knuckles for the disc brakes.

 

[DUDER 1]

This is the truest statement in the history of the world. Like Yosty said I wheel 38.5 TSL SXs on heavy metal beadlocks on a stock 8.8 and a 44 with chromoly shafts. I am not exactly easy on it but I do know its limitations. Stay with that 75 hp 44 you got there and swap out the 78/9 knuckles for the disc brakes.

Thank you for all the information. I spoke with RCV last week and i am going that route for axles.

 

[Four0Sport]

Thank you for all the information. I spoke with RCV last week and i am going that route for axles.

I have wheeled all over the east coast on white box chromos from broncograveyard and NEVER broke. And I saved mytself a bajillion dollars over RCVs in the process. Just saying.. you don't have to have RCVs. The D60 I am putting together in my garage will also have chromo shafts. Again, wheel smart and you will not have any issues.

 

[DUDER 1]

I have wheeled all over the east coast on white box chromos from broncograveyard and NEVER broke. And I saved mytself a bajillion dollars over RCVs in the process. Just saying.. you don't have to have RCVs. The D60 I am putting together in my garage will also have chromo shafts. Again, wheel smart and you will not have any issues.

I have watched YouTube videos of your rig and I have always been impressed by it. I want to go RCV's for the peace of mind, but mainly because of the cool factor lol. What u-joints do run. I run factory Spicer with good results.

 

[mounty71]

Do 44 guys clearance the shaft ears to run full circlips instead of the C-clips that come with u-joints? I did that and broke a shaft last weekend on the Rubicon on 33x10.50s, and I drive with a very light foot. It looks like aftermarket shafts come clearanced already, so maybe I just didn't do a good job of it.

 

[DUDER 1]

I run the c clips with chromoly axles and it seems to work great.

 

[BKennedy]

This is the 1975 HP 44 housing I will be using.


View attachment 150824

That's what my 75-76 HP D44 looked like when I took it home.

 

[DUDER 1]

Question on the rear 9" I will be using. The 9" I currently have is out of an 80's Bronco and it has the sealed bearing instead of the tapered roller bearing which come in the 78-79 Bronco. I was reading and I found one thread saying the 78-79 tapered bearing is stronger than the sealed version. Does anyone have experience with this. Thank you.