Axle shaft maintenance

[Hogback Fabrication]

Does anybody here pull their shafts every so often to check for twisted shafts or joints that are about to fail (i.e. the caps are working their way out of the yokes)?

We pulled the shafts out of my brother's Jeep today to replace them with 4340 stuff (it broke a u-joint on the last trip out) and we found this:

I have though about pulling my shafts to inspect them, I certainly wouldn't be too surprised if my shafts look like this.

Anybody actually do this kind of preventive maintenance?

 

[mikey_d05]

Not going to vote because my D60 only ever saw a dozen or so runs, but I used to check the u-joint caps before most trips while the shafts were installed. Never pulled the shafts to check out the ends until I sold it, and they were just slightly tweaked.

 

[toomany]

I don't make a habbit of checking mine as it's own special task. But if I have the hub appart I'll spend the extra 15 minutes and pull the shaft out. I check the u-joints before each wheeling trip though. Only checked the rear shafts once, since it's a 14b with only 36's.

 

[pauly383]

Anytime my outers are off , I pull them . This last time when the crossover knuckles were going on ( Jason4x4 did this time while I concentrated on other stuff for Moab ) , a cap was walking off . Its just good to look everytime the outers are off . And pack your bearings a few times a year too .

Old drag racers would paint yellow lines down their shafts and look for twisting down the entire length after a good hard weekend of racing .

 

[jms]

I think the routine of "Break one side - check out the other side" is pretty much mandatory. Not necessarily right on the trail, but before the next outing...

 

[abig84]

never actually pulled them out just to look at them, but if i have them out for whatever ill check them out, or occasionally when im under the truck doing other stuff ill check for bad u joints or whatever

 

[mikey_d05]

never actually pulled them out just to look at them, but if i have them out for whatever ill check them out, or occasionally when im under the truck doing other stuff ill check for bad u joints or whatever

It's absolutely ****ing surreal to see you post something that's not 'park material.

Sorry Chris, hijack off.

 

[supersize75k5]

I tack weld the caps and just carry a full set of shafts, if I was to blow a shaft or u-joint I would just swap the whole deal and not mess with installing u-joints or a shaft on the trail. No walking with welded caps!

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I tack weld the caps and just carry a full set of shafts, if I was to blow a shaft or u-joint I would just swap the whole deal and not mess with installing u-joints or a shaft on the trail. No walking with welded caps!

Carrying full shafts/joints is a good idea for sure.

Tacking the joints also works but I'm not willing to do that with anything other than a stock shaft. The full circle clips seem to do a good job of holding the joints in on aftermarket stuff.

 

[lectric80]

As others have said, I pull the axles when I do my yearly greasing of the bearings. I plan at least once per year, and usually try to hit them twice a year. It doesn't really take that much longer to pull the spindle and the shaft, and I need to check the spindle bearings at the same time anyway, so might as well pull the shafts.