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welded ujoint caps

timpanogos

timpanogos

Push to the Peak
Location
Heber
I was reading that one of the main causes of front axle failures is caused by the loss of u-joint caps. I guess there are those that somehow weld the u-joint caps? I assume to the u-bolts or cap?

Anybody here do this?
 
I Lean

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
I've done it only to shafts that have the Ujoint bores already egged out, so they're essentially "ruined" already. The cap gets welded right to the yoke of the axle shaft. It's a great way to get a little more life out of a set, or use them as trail spares......

A better solution (assuming new parts, anyway) is to use full-circle snap rings rather than the stock C-clips. If you have stock shafts, they'll need to be machined to fit the full-circle clips. If you have aftermarket shafts, they may already be shaped to fit 'em.
 
rockreligious

rockreligious

NoEcoNaziAmmo
Location
Ephraim
I Lean said:
I've done it only to shafts that have the Ujoint bores already egged out, so they're essentially "ruined" already. The cap gets welded right to the yoke of the axle shaft. It's a great way to get a little more life out of a set, or use them as trail spares......

A better solution (assuming new parts, anyway) is to use full-circle snap rings rather than the stock C-clips. If you have stock shafts, they'll need to be machined to fit the full-circle clips. If you have aftermarket shafts, they may already be shaped to fit 'em.
Click to expand...

Ive done exactly all that is applied in this post with success. tacked stretched shaft yoke-ears to the cap and used shafts for spares. If you weld them too much you will blow the cap and mess up the needle bearings just a few small tacks.
Ive also wasted good crommie shafts by not using full circle clips when I could have. dumb.. If you spend the coin on crommies do yourself a favor and go full circle cause once you lose a cap it dont matter how strong your junk is.
I also read once in JP magazine that they prefered to buy there spares from the Junk Yard cause the caps were usually rusted enough that they rarely worked there way out. but junk yard shafts around here are usually as spendy as new aftermarket shafts and the u-joints are usually wore out anyway.
 
lewis

lewis

Fight Till You Die
Location
Hairyman
I have tack welded caps on a friend of mines and my rig and on mine the ear cracked where I had welded and on my friends for some reason the needle bearings got chewed up and spit out with everything else still intact.I had never thought or heard of the full circle clip idea so I am going to give that a try because I have spit out a few caps from the clips not holding,luckily catching it before I broke the shaft.
 
rockreligious

rockreligious

NoEcoNaziAmmo
Location
Ephraim
I always check my rigs u-joints and misc components when we are sitting at obstacles waiting on others to get through a trail, and several times I found stuff such as a cap-clip (before I went full circle) starting to walk out or something similiar and prevented a bigger trail failure.
 
Crinco

Crinco

Well-Known Member
Location
Heber
In the "Dana 60 Bible" there is a company listed that makes "yokes" that fit into the Dana 60 knuckle and it shows that they use U-bolts to hold everything together. Don't know if this company is still around and I dont know just how pricey those things would be, but thought I would throw it out there.
I will look.
Sunray Engineerings Sun60 axle upgrade. Google Search: http://www.sunrayengineering.com/
Cool axles, no prices.
All it takes is money....
CR
 
Z

Zombie

Random Dead Guy
Location
Sandy Utah
Ive got a few freinds in Arizona and all of them tig weld their caps to the yoke. Every last one of them, D44 and D60s. If I recall correctly, it was "Super Missle Rod" that they used to Tig them on. Most of these guys run 40s, and the terrain down there is insane.
Just FYI... Not sure it makes a difference, but it works for them.
 
7

78mitsu

Registered User
I don't know that i'd weld on an axle shaft, They're case hardened. Welding them ultimatly weakens them. -> not that I'm opposed to welding caps for a trail spare it's already weakend. I'd machine the shafts to accept a full ring before I think I'd weld on it. and a couple tacs really only keeps the cap from spinnng, I don't know that it would really enough to really keep the cap from pushing if it really wanted to go.
 
Herzog

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wydaho
It does make a difference, imo. But so do full circle clips.

If the joint does break, the cap stays in the ear and usually keeps the stub ears intact. Take out a file, grind down the tack welds and put another joint in... good to go. I've done it a few times before I switched to CTMs. Breakage definately seemed to slow down as well.
 
waynehartwig

waynehartwig

www.jeeperman.com
Location
Mead, WA
I Lean said:
I've done it only to shafts that have the Ujoint bores already egged out, so they're essentially "ruined" already. The cap gets welded right to the yoke of the axle shaft. It's a great way to get a little more life out of a set, or use them as trail spares......

A better solution (assuming new parts, anyway) is to use full-circle snap rings rather than the stock C-clips. If you have stock shafts, they'll need to be machined to fit the full-circle clips. If you have aftermarket shafts, they may already be shaped to fit 'em.
Click to expand...

x2

If you don't have the option of running full circle clips, then loctite works great too. Welding them in, in my opinion, all but ruins the axles. Lots of people do it (even on brand new shafts), but it doesn't make it right. Then if you DO loose a joint (not a cap), then you are stuck trying to clean up the weld to install the new joint. Also, the heat from welding the cap in place ruins the professionally heat treating done to the axle.

Bottom line, full circle clips or loctite - don't weld, unless you need to get it off the trail or don't care about the axles you are using.
 
Cody

Cody

Random Quote Generator
Supporting Member
Location
Gastown
the only way I could get stock 44 shafts to last longer than 15 minutes was to tack the caps on. Very noticable difference from my experience (which I consider pretty extensive when it comes to destroying 44 parts)

Full circle clips seemed to work too. When I went to alloys I used the full circle clip and I didn't have any problems.
 
Crinco

Crinco

Well-Known Member
Location
Heber
Meat_ said:
I'm not sure if you can buy the 1610's yet

View attachment 23503 View attachment 23504 View attachment 23505
Click to expand...

WOW

BUT, that is a semifloat kit! You do break the outer shaft and you not only loose power to that wheel, you loose the wheel completly.
Isn't that the joints they use on a semi driveline?
Still no price.
I haven't seen too many broken 1480 Joints myself, and it does make me wonder what we will be building to make our rigs unbreakable in 5 or 10 years! :eek: :eek:
 
M

Meat_

Banned
Location
Lehi
Crinco said:
WOW

BUT, that is a semifloat kit! You do break the outer shaft and you not only loose power to that wheel, you loose the wheel completly.
Isn't that the joints they use on a semi driveline?
Still no price.
I haven't seen too many broken 1480 Joints myself, and it does make me wonder what we will be building to make our rigs unbreakable in 5 or 10 years! :eek: :eek:
Click to expand...

Did you see the comparison between their outer and the D60 35 spline outer? Do you really think you'll be breaking it? ;) The 1610 is 38% stronger with the wheel at a 45° angle than the 1480 is straight on, AND the caps are BOLTED on.

Semi's use an 1810
 
Crinco

Crinco

Well-Known Member
Location
Heber
Meat_ said:
Did you see the comparison between their outer and the D60 35 spline outer? Do you really think you'll be breaking it? ;) The 1610 is 38% stronger with the wheel at a 45° angle than the 1480 is straight on, AND the caps are BOLTED on.

Semi's use an 1810
Click to expand...

Yeah, I read that. I understand how much stronger it is suposed to be, and I know that the shaft (outer) is probably over 2" in diameter, but there is no safety built into it, meaning that if one part of it fails then the whole thing is junk. No, I don't expect everyone to agree with that.:rolleyes:
I wonder how they are able to support the wheel with those bearings so close to each other. No spindle, the bearings must ride on the axle shaft pretty close to each other. That would seem to me to make the wheel "feel" loose. They talked about how sloppy the kingpins (and balljoints) are on a regular D-60. Still, I would likely buy one if the price was right.
What is the biggest shaft you can put into a ford 9" carrier anyways? 40 spline? There is no way your going to break an outer first.
HOLY CRAP I think I highjacked a thread big time. Sorry Chad!
Weld the caps on your spares (non Chromo's) and not on your main shafts (chromo's, 35 spline, ctm'ed stuff). ;)
CR
 
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