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grinding axle stubs for full circle clips

Yes, resurrecting an old thread, I know.

Any information out there on the thickness of the snap rings? The so-called "half rings" are a lot thicker - basically the thickness of the groove in the U-joint cap. You can get the standard style snap rings for 50 cents a piece (O'Reilly, NAPA, hardware store), but I see off-road sites selling them for a few dollars each or more. Is there really a snap ring that thick available? Is the "evidence" that shafts gain 20% strength based on standard HW store rings or something thicker? Is the tiny added slop in the joint something to worry about?
 
I don't think you gain any stregnth. What you gain is a near guarantee that you won't spit out a snap ring and junk a shaft.

I run the standard off the shelf thickness hardware store snap rings and have never lost a cap due to a snap ring failure. I have run shafts with severely deformed holes and the snaprings retained the cap :D
 
I've never had a stock half ring come off or a u-joint cap get spit out (yet),and I've used my trucks to push some heavy wet snow a few feet deep--maybe its not quite as stressfull to the joints as off roading with big tires is,or the rust "welds" the rings in place permanently in short order here,I dont know..
I often have to chisel them out when I change a u-joint...I have never broken an axle shaft,u-joint, or stub axle either--maybe I'm not beating on them hard enough,I dont know..:dunno:..
 
FRIZZLEFRY said:
I don't think you gain any stregnth. What you gain is a near guarantee that you won't spit out a snap ring and junk a shaft.

I run the standard off the shelf thickness hardware store snap rings and have never lost a cap due to a snap ring failure. I have run shafts with severely deformed holes and the snaprings retained the cap :D
Click to expand...
Seems like not spitting the cap is a strength increase. Good feedback on your experience.
 
I might as well add some pics to give this thread some real tech:

PICT0867.jpg


PICT0869.jpg


PICT0870.jpg


You have to grind until the entire inside of the snap ring can fit behind the hole. The U-joint cap is basically the same size as the hole and the snap ring has to slide down it while still clearing the back of the yoke (see 2nd pic). The taper of the snap ring gives you a little more clearance depending on how you orient it, which can save you a little grinding (see 3rd pic).

Don't forget to put the rings on before the U-joint cross goes into the ears.
 
Blue85 said:
Yes, resurrecting an old thread, I know.

Any information out there on the thickness of the snap rings? The so-called "half rings" are a lot thicker - basically the thickness of the groove in the U-joint cap. You can get the standard style snap rings for 50 cents a piece (O'Reilly, NAPA, hardware store), but I see off-road sites selling them for a few dollars each or more. Is there really a snap ring that thick available? Is the "evidence" that shafts gain 20% strength based on standard HW store rings or something thicker? Is the tiny added slop in the joint something to worry about?
Click to expand...

FRIZZLEFRY said:
I don't think you gain any stregnth. What you gain is a near guarantee that you won't spit out a snap ring and junk a shaft.

I run the standard off the shelf thickness hardware store snap rings and have never lost a cap due to a snap ring failure. I have run shafts with severely deformed holes and the snaprings retained the cap :D
Click to expand...

I think the snapring thickness is a big factor.

My buddy bought hardware store snaprings for his axle. Not a d60 but same difference. His front end started making bad popping sounds halfway through our trip. Turns out his u joint could move back and forth quite a bit inside the shafts because the clips were too thin. We pulled it all apart and checked the u joints to be sure (they were brand new spicers) and slapped it back together with some thicker correct ones .059 thick. ( I had 2 rings left over from my old 10bolt. And the slop was gone. Pass side started doing same thing later in the day, kept wheeling and he actually busted a cap in half.

I buy the metric snaprings from mcmaster carr. They are the correct .059 thick, whereas most hardware store ones are .040 thick.
 
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