PDA

View Full Version : Anyone ever straighten an axle??



Swamp boy
08-12-2004, 08:29 AM
Just wondering if I should bother of just get another Hp30..
Mine has been bent for a little over a year... but lately its getting worse.

Just wonder if anyone had any advice on straightening and trussing that thing.

Here is a picture of me putting the initial bend in my axle..:?

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/94/94531/folders/67938/829622IMG0503.jpg

robselina
08-12-2004, 09:08 AM
once it's bent it's under strain. If you bend it back the metal is weakened....granted you would then truss it and it would probably be pretty stout, but I'd still say just start with a new housing......

Swamp boy
08-12-2004, 06:00 PM
Thanks for the input.. I am looking for a new housing.. Hope this one holds out till I get it...

Trancezj
08-13-2004, 09:40 AM
screw it! swap it out!!! Get something bigger. I bent one, drove it for a while then it got really bad so I put another one in it. Bent it within 2 weeks. Quit wasting money.

robselina
08-13-2004, 01:51 PM
screw it! swap it out!!! Get something bigger. I bent one, drove it for a while then it got really bad so I put another one in it. Bent it within 2 weeks. Quit wasting money.

if he gets a new one and trusses it right off the bat I can't see why he'd have any trouble.....

Kraqa
08-13-2004, 02:26 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Kraqa/turd-polish22.jpg

robselina
08-13-2004, 06:45 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Kraqa/turd-polish22.jpg

:roll: with 297x/760x u-joints and the HP setup, what exactly would he gain from a D44? Granted bigger pinion, but that's not causing any problems right now, and pretty much doesnt' for people not running 4.88s. He'd have to go to a D60 for any real strength improvement, and when you factor the lost ground clearance for the size tires he's running, how exactly is that a good course of action?

The HP D30 isn't a turd in my view. The large u-joints on the newer D30s and the HP pretty much gives you a stout axle that's light and has high ground clearance. It's great for tires up to 35" on our rigs, some could argue 37s......

Kraqa
08-13-2004, 08:17 PM
well to me it seems that the problem right now is that his housing is bending. so you truss it. hmm lots of stuff on the top of the axle. so he is going to have to do a truss on the bottom to stop his axle from smilling at him all the time :wink:. so bottom truss. = loss of ground clearance. or you go to a high pinion 44 and get larger pinion larger carrier way thicker tubes. stronger u-joints stonger ball joints, cheeper stearing up grades for high stear. the ability to run bigger tires. also manual hubs. plus ARB is comming out with a air locker that is 35 splin and uses d60 shafts and u-joints for the 44. the 30 is ok and can handle mild abuse but the 44 is a must if you want to run more aggressivly. the 60 is the only way to go IMO. i would rather spend the time into a 44 then try to build a ground clearance raping truss and swap another 30. to ach there own but i would love to see a well build truss for a 3do that doesn't hit the oil pan and interfear with the UCA's and if you do put enouh thought and effort into creating one like that with out going with one on the underside of the axle then you'v waisted enough time to justify going to a stronger 44.

Kraqa
08-13-2004, 08:17 PM
oh and no flames about my grammar or spelling. :flipoff2:

robselina
08-13-2004, 09:55 PM
You can truss the top of a D30 :roll: there's room for a carefully designed truss. The only spot that's really tight is the passenger side of the pumpkin right near the oil pan, but it's managable.

so a properly trussed HP D30 vs a D44 - lets see.

"get larger pinion larger carrier way thicker tubes" - so what? The pinion isn't a problem on the D35 until you get into 4.88s. That's about the only time people break the pinion on the D30. Carriers are stout too and the thicker tubes won't gain anything over the truss.

"stronger u-joints stonger ball joints, cheeper stearing up grades for high stear" - u-joints are the same between modern D30s and D44s. They both use 297x/760x u-joints. I'd question ball joints 'cause I'm pretty sure D44 and D30 knuckles are interchangable (at least the older ones were) so that would imply same ball joint to me. Might be wrong though.


"the ability to run bigger tires." - not really since the u-joint is the weak link in it all, and it's the same on both axles.

" also manual hubs." - you can get hubs if you want for a D30, but I don't exactly consider them a plus considering how many vehicles I've seen limp home with a blown hub. Nothing wrong with drive flanges.

"plus ARB is comming out with a air locker that is 35 splin and uses d60 shafts and u-joints for the 44. " - fair enough....

I'm not saying the D44 is completely worthless, I run a 3/4 ton D44 in my wagon. But when you're running a 35" tire and ground clearance is important, the D30 HP is really AMOST as strong, right width and all that jazz....

Alaska ZJ
08-15-2004, 10:03 AM
I run a 36 TSl on a HP D30 (well up until the last couple months anyway.

D30 Pro's= Ground Clearence and Easy to just bolt in. That is all.

D44 Pro's when compared to the D30= Balljoints, Hubs (Drive flanges are availiable for the 44 as well), Ring and pinion, Axleshaft upgradability, Tube thickness, Steering options

Toss Up between the 2 = Joint size.

Send me the money you would spend on a D30. Escpecially after you posted pictures of what you like to do with it. I will save the money for you and the D44 of D60 that you need.

Swamp boy
08-15-2004, 03:05 PM
Thanks for all the info... I have a set of waggy axles.. Just havent bothered with them.. I might... put the front in and convert the 8.8 to six lug...

But just for the record.. I used a piece of channel as wide as my Jeep..
I drove up on in and chained my axle to the channel.. (Had Loops welded and used shackles.) then I just placed the Jack under the bent part and jacked it up straight.. Havent done any trussing but the axle is straight now... :)

(OH ... very important.. I also chained down at the edge of the diff so that I didnt mess up the press in section....)

So there you have it .. .Axles can easily be straigtened.. But I am giving some serious thought to the 44swap...


ill let you know if I build the truss anyway...

:D

Trancezj
08-16-2004, 09:30 AM
lol, 8.8 to 6 lug.. Sounds easy enough huh? I thought so too.

Swamp boy
08-16-2004, 10:16 PM
Sounds like fun.... :) Spidertrax doesnt make anything??

Maybe I need to patent this one... :lol:

Thougth about two pieces of 1/2" plate and some schedule 80 or 160 pipe..

Kinda hard to describe. .....

one piece of plate With holes drilled for the 5 on 4.5 on the inside and then a piece of shedule 80 or 160 that fits inside the bolt circle.. then outside plate would be set at 6 on 5.5 Does that make any sense at all?
Does it sound like it will work????

robselina
08-16-2004, 10:59 PM
Sounds like fun.... :) Spidertrax doesnt make anything??

Maybe I need to patent this one... :lol:

Thougth about two pieces of 1/2" plate and some schedule 80 or 160 pipe..

Kinda hard to describe. .....

one piece of plate With holes drilled for the 5 on 4.5 on the inside and then a piece of shedule 80 or 160 that fits inside the bolt circle.. then outside plate would be set at 6 on 5.5 Does that make any sense at all?
Does it sound like it will work????

I think I see what you mean, but why not just use a big piece of 1" stock aluminum or steel and mill it down to size?

Swamp boy
08-18-2004, 02:47 AM
Because of the different bolt patterns I just assumed I needed two seperate plates for the bolt circles... I have a buddy with a machine shop I am going to talk to him about feasabilty of the whole thing... I need to be sure the welds will hold up to the stress .. Then I guess I can figure out how to build them...
I will post up if I decide to do it...Or with whatever I decide to do....

Carl

JeepinHank
08-18-2004, 10:34 AM
I think there's a bit of overlap between the two patterns, and that's what makes it so hard to build a single plate. You could probably find a good orientation if you laid out the two patterns on a piece of cardboard or something and rotated them.

I'm not sure how much I like the idea of you running around on a spacer made up with a piece of schedule 80 (esp - getting the front tires up in the air like in the pic). That's a lot of stress - not saying it wouldn't hold, but I'd try to look for another solution. I'm almost positive you can order some custom shafts, or if you have a buddy with a machine shop press out the studs, weld up the holes, and re-drill for the new pattern, and press in new studs yourself. A lot of work, but I think that'd be the most reliable option.