axle truss

[janderson4010]

I run a d30 for the time being and I needed to truss the axle, so this is what I came up with last night, took about 3 hrs to build and I think it significantly stiffened the d30 axle tube.

3" .25" wall tube split with the plasma cutter,

clamped onto the axle tube,

I welded the seams and ground them smooth, wanted it to look like I had slid it on,

then I burned in the windows I had cut, looks cool IMO and it gives a little more surface area to weld to,

and here is the mostly finished product,

 

[Brian1]

That is cool, I have not seen any done that way. On the newer Jeep axles alot of guys slip a tube inside the stock axle tube and then plug weld it. I like the oval windows that you used to get more weld area. Nice work.

And its not a truss. I would just call it a sleeve.

 

[janderson4010]

And its not a truss. I would just call it a sleeve.

whatever you say man.

 

[janderson4010]

here is the panhard mount to go with it.

used the swag press brake to bend up the outside part, and a lot of love with the grinder to make it look cool and swoopy,

bolted together.(I used the heim as a spacer)

then burned it in, kind of labor intensive but I have more time than money.

Brian1 I realized after I posted my previous post I may have come across as an #######, my apologies. I've installed 2 of the internal sleeves into JK axles, i'm familiar with them. We can call it whatever, I just didn't want to do the same old thing everyone else is doing. once again, thank you for the compliment, I don't think the ovals actually provide much gain in weld strength, I solely did that so it would look cool.

 

[rookieshooter]

Coolness + Swoopyness + Strengthieness = Awesomeness.

Structurally speaking, I know your well aware of all the load that the track bar bracket will come under. Lateral strength running in the same plane as the bar is super strong, but it's the up and down motion put on the weld by it acting as a fulcrum point cause of the bracket over hanging the axle tube now acting as a lever gives me some concern. I would add a gusset that runs full length under the TB bracket angeled down to the tube or two gussets turned 90 deg to bracket. This will negate most, if not all of the up and down motion of the bracket creating a fulcrum point on the weld. That track bar due to the angle will want to not only push and pull back and forth but will want to pull up and down on the bracket.
A full length gusset. something like 2.5" by the length of the bracket, you would not have to allow for the swoopieness of the bracket as you would for the top weld of two gussets turned 90. Just my 2 cents.

Sounds good anyway lol

And since were getting really over picky about the word Truss. A sleeve is a type of truss as per Merriam Webster. Probably more people would call it a sleeve though, but he is correct in calling it a Truss whether noun or verb. As in binding something together like the definition of an iron band around a Mast. And the word "bind" is used in the first definition of "Truss". An angle brace is also a form of Truss.

 

[jjaganashi]

cool stuff.. i like it, i dont care if you call it an axle condom.. always admire people that would rather build a truck than buy one..
i do agree with rookieshooter about adding some braceing to that bracket though. in my last three SAS phases of my truck, the panhard bar mounts were the one thing that i always counted on breaking everytime i did something dumb.. and they usually did..
this time i went extreme with the mounts so i wont have that problem again.. its pretty scary when your flexing the front axle at almost 45 degrees and you can hear that "crack" and the next thing you know, you watch your front axle exit the side of the vehicle taking every other mount and bracket with it...
Keep on keepin' on man, Good job!

 

[rookieshooter]

cool stuff.. i like it, i dont care if you call it an axle condom..

Now that just trumped everything I said.

And how do I know about more is better on bracing of the panhard bar...?

 

[janderson4010]

cool stuff.. i like it, i dont care if you call it an axle condom.. always admire people that would rather build a truck than buy one..

hahahaha axle condom wtf!? that made my morning lol, course with those holes in it some female 4x4 is getting knocked up. Yeah the panhard mount isn't quite done, I was planning another cool swoopy gusset where rookie pointed out and another underneath. I also need to plate the coil buckets, build a new link mount for the passenger side, and get my new steering kit put together. oh and build a diff cover plate. since I can't get my d44 in this year i'll just have to pimp the d30 out a little bit. good think it is wearing a condom.

 

[janderson4010]

just read your whole post again Rick, getting crazy with the dictionary, lol. thanks for the panhard input. it really does need more bracing, it becomes more apparent when you look at it from underneathe the bracket, I also think i'm gonna add one to the back tab as well. just for good measure

 

[Brian1]

Brian1 I realized after I posted my previous post I may have come across as an #######, my apologies. I've installed 2 of the internal sleeves into JK axles, i'm familiar with them. We can call it whatever, I just didn't want to do the same old thing everyone else is doing. once again, thank you for the compliment, I don't think the ovals actually provide much gain in weld strength, I solely did that so it would look cool.

No problems. It is one of my pet peeves in the offroad industry, the overuse/misuse of the term axle truss when it is more of a sleeve in this case or a bridge in other cases

 

[blazinzuk]

Its an ASTSD 30

Axle Strengthening Truss Sleeve Device the 30 of course cause it built on a Dana 30

 

[janderson4010]

No problems. It is one of my pet peeves in the offroad industry, the overuse/misuse of the term axle truss when it is more of a sleeve in this case or a bridge in other cases

are you a structural engineer or something? I'm guessing that your definition of a truss would be akin to something you would see in building construction, like a triangular shape that spreads the force across the structure? Truss is a pretty commonly used term in the offroad world, even if it is misused in the literal sense of what a truss is its the best way to describe what is being built in terms of the purpose of the modification. if I say it is a truss people know I built it to strengthen the tube, but if I call it a sleeve people question its purpose, just makes it a little easier.

 

[janderson4010]

Its an ASTSD 30

Axle Strengthening Truss Sleeve Device the 30 of course cause it built on a Dana 30

awesome haha

 

[rookieshooter]

It'll make a good boat anchor when you get a real axle.

 

[janderson4010]

It'll make a good boat anchor when you get a real axle.

I wheel as hard as you do with your fancy chromo d44 and d70 wise ass!!! haha, it will probably go under the explorer when I get my 44 in

 

[janderson4010]

hard to tell in the pic but that gusset curves inward to prevent torsional force on the panhard mount, it is strong and not going anywhere now.