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Weld it or not

What traction aid

  • weld it

    Votes: 15 83.3%

  • spool

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • Total voters
    18
pennsylvaniaboy

pennsylvaniaboy

1/2 ton status
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Jan 28, 2006
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Location
pennsylvania, 15537
ok guys i know this has been asked a million times but the guys i know are debating about a 14 bolt locker. this is budget minded build street driven on weekends and maybe a 3-4 hr drive tops...with the idea that i might want to do Ultimate Adventure some time.

so i want a traction aid for my 14 bolt. do i weld it, or spool it? personally i dont have $400-$500to spend on a detroit plus they dont have a great rep with some of the guys i know.
 
Can't you just put a broken axle shaft in for the longer trips. Does it even need an axle shaft in it?
 
pennsylvaniaboy said:
ok guys i know this has been asked a million times but the guys i know are debating about a 14 bolt locker. this is budget minded build street driven on weekends and maybe a 3-4 hr drive tops...with the idea that i might want to do Ultimate Adventure some time.

so i want a traction aid for my 14 bolt. do i weld it, or spool it? personally i dont have $400-$500to spend on a detroit plus they dont have a great rep with some of the guys i know.
Click to expand...

The $400 detroit might pay for itself in tire wear.

If you don't want a detroit then weld it.
 
Mine is welded up Like a spool and it works great. Oatsk5 had been trying to get me to do it but i had issues with it. Now that it has been done I like it my only real complaint is that The constant grinding on my expensive Tires. It is wearing my MTRs pretty good in the rear. But I like it.
 
Detroit is fine and worth the money. I personally don't suggest a spool or welded rear on anything street driven more than a few miles. Some will disagree with me on that. I've seen a few racecars break spools on the dragstrip and they always seem to hit the wall when the power transfers unexpectedly.
 
The only guys I know to break a 14bff Detroit broke an axleshaft which caused the Detroit to break from shockload. Busting a 14bff axleshaft is pretty difficult to do.

Welding is good if you don't street drive it much but will wear out tires MUCH faster then a Detroit will on the street. I have run both in my truck. I had a welded for 2 yrs and it was ok but the Detroit is much more user friendly on the streets and to your tires. Offroad there is really no difference in turning or traction from what I have experienced.

A solid weld job should be just as good as a minispool and should cost less if you can weld.

Harley
 
Weld = free, can't get more budget minded than that.:D Mines welded, although it's not street driven everyday, I'm happy with it.
 
38377k5 said:
That makes for some crazy driving. The truck will push really hard to one side whenever you are on the throttle.
Click to expand...
Oh didn't know that. I just heard someone say that before
 
a detroit is worth it. I ran mine on the street for years. now I beat the ever living snot out of it offroad and have never had a problem. weld it and it will eat tires on the street. it will suck in the snow which is when you will wanna drive it on the street. if you trailered it I would say weld or mini spool.
 
Mines welded. front and rear. Almost zero street time.
 
A good weld job is stronger then a 14bff axleshaft. My buddy Fred in AZ (FWP) snapped an axle 2 weeks ago and lunched his Detroit. He replaced it with a welded diff and snapped another axle last week and the welded survived just fine.

Yes, he has snapped 2 14bff axles in 2 weeks. His truck is 7K, 42's, 1 tons, 6:1 doubler, and skinny pedal = 14bff snappage. He broke on the same trail, same spot on 2 different weekends.

Harley
 
nice...yehe then comes the debate over stick and mig...i have a guy that welds um the rockwells and uses a torch and then stick welds most and thats using a 460, c6,4.1 doubler and 56 rice and canes....needless to say they lunch some axleshafts
 
A good 220V mig welder is more then enough to weld the spiders. Just preheat them and let them cool down slowly buried in cat litter or in an oven.

Harley
 
My friend with the tractor tires is busting 14BFF axle shafts now. The lincoln locker I did for him is holding its own. I like to cut pieces that fit in between the spiders to fill the voids and burn it all solid.
 
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