help w/ front axle breakage

[Vee]

I'm running a stock 28 spline 10 bolt front axle w/ a lockright locker on 37's and I carry spare axle shafts just in case . I want to know what the "procedure" is as far as what to do in the event that I break something. I carry all the necessary tools to break down the front axle. But I've never wheeled w/ lock-out hubs before (auto hubs on my TJ) I've swapped plenty of dana 30 axles on the trail (never mine tho ) and I was wondering what advantage the lockouts give me in the instance that I do break. Can I just unlock that side and continue, or will I need to replace that shaft ASAP? I'm pretty easy on the pedal - I'm more of a pick-ur line kind of guy than a mash the gas one. I do encounter rocks tho, and just want to be better prepared when something does snap. Chromo shafts are in the near future, but I'll still be wheelin before that happens.

 

[desertrat67]

Replace asap. the shaft will still turn in side the axle and make contact with the stub. this will possibly cause it to deform enough to make contact with the Cs or knuckles causing further damage or it may bind on you(mine did). With the locker you can still wheel in 3 wheel drive, just plug up the axle tube to keep the lube oil in once the broken shaft is out.

 

[6.2Blazer]

The manual lockout hubs really don't make any difference regarding whether you will need to replace the axleshaft IF you want to continue running in 4wd (well, 3wd). If it is a clean break on the actual shaft (i.e won't catch or bind up on anything) then it doesn't matter. If you shatter a stub the right way, break a u-joint and/or ears on the shaft then it has the potential to bind up and cause additional carnage (like popping the balljoints off or shattering the spindle). With the front locker the diff will still spin the shaft whether the hub is locked or not and could cause issues.

The advantage of having the manual hubs (fyi - TJ's don't have autohubs, they have NO locking hubs) is that in a situation where spinning the shaft could cause more issues you can shift into 2wd and unlock the hubs and nothing will spin in the front axle, thus letting you cruise down the highway like there was no issues. You don't have that luxury in a TJ or other vehicle with no locking hubs. In fact, I have seen newer Jeeps break a stub which requires immediate attention since the stub is required to hold on the entire wheel hub assembly (i.e. the wheel will fall off if you try to drive it).

 

[Vee]

thanks for the quick responses..... so if I break a front shaft, weather inner or at the ears, I could unlock both hubs, put it in 2wd and go home?

 

[Thunder]

As said above Replace ASAP. You can unlock the hub to get to ground where you can replace or remove the axle. Also if you break an axle U joint stop replace ASAP. The axle will continue to turn and can destroy the yokes if something binds.
I hope you also have a locker in the back. If you only have a front locker you will break a lot of stuff with 37" tires. 10b fronts just are not strong enough to do most of the work.

 

[6.2Blazer]

thanks for the quick responses..... so if I break a front shaft, weather inner or at the ears, I could unlock both hubs, put it in 2wd and go home?

Like I said above, it depends. Even if you unlock both hubs if you leave the t-case in 4wd you will still be spinning both axle shafts since you have a locker.

I've seen people break a front axleshaft and continue running in 4wd all day with an issue, and I've seen people break a shaft and pop the balljoints off within 30 seconds.

 

[Vee]

I hope you also have a locker in the back. If you only have a front locker you will break a lot of stuff with 37" tires. 10b fronts just are not strong enough to do most of the work.

it's in my sig - 14bff w/ detroit

 

[Thunder]

it's in my sig - 14bff w/ detroit

Sometimes the answer is just staring you in the face and you cant see it