I have to agree with Barry.
I know my thinking of building something bullet proof is that the only possible 'weak link' might be the size of my cahones on that particular day.
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I have to agree with Barry.
I know my thinking of building something bullet proof is that the only possible 'weak link' might be the size of my cahones on that particular day.
Hammer and Dave , The new mud truck that I'm building right now is being built with Hammer's cahone's factor in mind. After doing all the math , guess what is going to be the weakest link ? The Rockwell axle shafts !! I just can't wait to have the bragging rights at the mud pit when I twist one of them off. But that will only happen once. They make upgraded axles for the deuce rears. They are just very $$$$$ ! Like I said before , " It ain't no fun being broke " . M1028
Yeah, the upgrade shafts for the rockwells are insane. In both price and strength.
Of course when you figure in the age and use on almost any rockwell setup we will see, I think the shafts have taken their fair share of abuse.
As for being broke, yeah, that is the only reason I don't have a sweet set of portals under my truck right now.
I figure I will get rockwells long before I can afford the portals. Even after disc brakes and detriotst they are cheaper.
Of course cable locking portals with disc brakes is about the ultimate setup!
And when you twist one of those shafts, TAKE PICTURES!
Then do like I do, and add it to my 'Wall of Shame' among all the other parts I have broken.
Hammer, I have a pair of steering ZF portal axles that I got after I had the rockwells all fabbed up. If I have too much trouble with the Rockwells , the ZF's might just get put to use. M1028
Hammer, I meant to say ZF planetary's, NOT portals. M1028
Barry: ordinarily I agree with you. But lets consider this fact: Rocks eat parts. Something will break, it's not a matter of if. Given that, what should it be? I'm thinking the cheapest part! But just so you don't lose faith: I'm seriously, seriously considering CTM joints, alloy shafts, Crane knuckles, and some kind of hub conversion so I can blow cheap 1/2t junkyard lockouts instead of $180 60 lockouts. In that case of course, the lockouts would be the fuse.
I've learned the expensive way that rocks are hungry and chew on things whenever they can. I'd rather it was the cheapest part possible. The rest should be as bulletproof as possible. So whatchoo think bout that philosophy, American? heheh.
Ok, I think if you MUST keep thinking you need a 'fuse' other then the amount of courage, then pick something a bit more sensable. Like U joints on you drive shafts! It's easy to make a drive shaft loop that will keep things where they should be if/when they break. Think about monster trucks for a moment. Tons of horsepower, being applied in mass amount while coming down HARD with the wheel spinning. And usually the drive shaft/Ujoint is what lets go. Of course other things let go when you fly that high and hit that hard. But we are not doing THAT!
I refuse to make a weak link in my system. To me, that isn't a system, rather a hodge podge of parts that were not carefull planned out, but rather thrown together due to time, money, or lack of knowledge.
Obviously I lack serious money. But I will not build something to break either.
Well I don't know alot about rocks, But I don't think that a 6000+ Lb truck could ever be much of a rock climber. I do know a little about mud. Something that most rock guys avoid like the plague for some reason. I know for a fact that a 42" tire that is completely buried in thick mud will need more torque to turn it than any rock could ever need. You see it's a traction thing. The amount of stress that can be put on the driveline is limited by the traction that the tires will produce. I personally wouldn't run hubs if I thought they would break . I would swap them out for solid drive pucks , It only takes 5 minutes at the most. You use the word fuse correctly, that is something that sets off a bomb. I use the break it three times and then it's time to upgrade philosophy . NO EXCUSES ! M1028 PS I think the rock guys are actually afraid of breaking parts in the mud. And then there is the bumper to bumper pulls on the blacktop that we do too . Let's have that event in the FE parking lot. I bet we get thrown out !!!
LOL Barry you kill me. The axles I'm getting from you are going on the M-Cherokee I'm building: ie the Rockpig. When it's done, it's coming to the bog w/me. I like mud, I grew up in NY LOL... Oh yeah, our local computer nut features a pull-off between his Hummer and his partner's built XJ-- the pavement tow-off is well known here! I'd be up for that: th400 v. th475 maybe? could be interesting!
Hammer: good thinking on the driveshaft. I can't tell you how easy it is to snap one out here: just tap a rock under power, say, slipping off a rock LOL.. and POW off it goes. THere are limits to how much beefing you can really do. I'm getting thick-ass driveshaft tubes, but they cost horsepower, and there's only so tough you can make the pinion yoke too. Of course, then I could get Volvo axles but then I'd have to trailer the thing, and that's no fun.
Some u-joint somewhere will be the "weak" link, and note the quotations. I mean relative to anything else, and maybe nothing at all will break. Maybe I'll keep my careful driving style even w/a purpose-built, paid for rig. I did manage to dent the XJ a little but that's mostly a clearance issue heheh. Those factory mufflers hold up pretty good! and the rest is plastic so you can't really tell. Anyway.
How does Bill Loomis' M-725 (pictured at www.m715.com) axles, shafts and u-joints hold up to a caddy motor AND 44" Boggers?