Custom U-Joint front axles?

[inh]

I had a brain fart today, and started wondering why I havent seen custom front axles with u-joints instead of CV's? I know it would be somewhat expensive, since it would need two sets of yokes and two splined ends, but maybe the cost savings in blown CV's would be worth it? Surely it would allow more lift as well, I'm just not sure exactly HOW much..

Input?

 

[410Fortune]

I have thought about this too, but stock CV's are cheap cheap!!

build some beefy inner, intermediate, and outer shaft and U joint assemblies and using parts from the CV axles to mate with the diff and spindle, all the while clearing the control arms, shock, and the like

 

[inh]

I don't think there's a clearance issue, I mean it's not like the CV joints are small, ya know?

 

[IZwack]

All theory:

I think the reason why is that at high speed turns and no disconnect mechanism (like lock-out hubs), a U-joint-based axle shafts will clunk as the U-joint's inertia moving back and forth exerts a force on the axle shaft and the angles of the two U-joints are not in sync to cancel each other out. In a true CV axleshaft (the "ball and cage" design), there is no back and forth motion as the parts are rotating around an axis that does not change.

CV ball-cage design:

Single U-joint shaft - stare at the center of the U-joint, notice its also wobbling at the same time its rotating.

 

[IZwack]

Even the 2009 Cambell's IFS/IRS based KOH vehicle used CVs.

You can see the "cup" the CV bolts to in this pic:
http://www.campbellent.com/full size pics/KOH090043.JPG

And attached is a pic of the massive CV (to the left of the heim joint).

 

[inh]

Yea, you're probably right in that U-Joints aren't the way to go. Thanks for all the good info =]