Extended Travel CV Axle Half Shafts

[Fire]

I posted this over on the Explorer forum, but wanted to share here for those interested:

I was checking into Trakmotive and their extended travel CV axles they now offer. They don't list them for front SLA IFS Ford Ranger/Explorer/Sport Trac, but I got word from their sales rep that they are working on it for this year. Coverage would be 00-10 Ranger, which would also fit the 01-05 Sport Trac, and maybe some 95-01 Explorers. Here is their flyer:

03/2020: New Extended CV Axles Designed Specifically for Lifted Vehicles | TrakMotive

Sounds like great news, as I tend to get some binding or clunk when I am on the trail and maxing out the stock CV axle travel.

 

[MaicoDoug]

Well waiting for the chinese to manufacture more junk is like waiting for their virus to finish up. Sounds nice. Question: Isn't an engineered USA made alternative better? Certainly more expensive. It would be really nice if the CVs' also came with wider A arms. With these limits specified in their webpage, I think these would have exceptionally lower torque output before failure as any CV joint would have... at it's limits, which is what they are marketing. However there is no specified length increase of the CV axle it's self, just a pair of longer jaws with radiused corners? What about the stock ball joints? You know if you start into something up front, there is a looong way until things get right, again. If you do one thing to increase the travel, then what about the rest of the system?

I believe the front suspension is where you have to get it right from the start. While I rebuild my front end here in a few weeks, I will be installing new ball joints & coilovers (T bar delete & 2" increase in travel). This is where their product would be perfect, but then my ball joints will cause me to loose sleep.

I will be documenting everything in preparation for fab'ing new upper & lower A arms with some aftermarket heavy duty ball joints. Chrome-moly is easy to TIG. Just not east to bend. Or stay bent. Like a few dozen old friends of mine. Hey thanks for the post Mr. Fire.- MaicoDoug

 

[Fire]

Update on the extended travel and angle cv axles -- Trakmotive has added P/Ns for Ranger/Explorer/Sport Trac on their updated product flyer!!! Woo hoo

Product Info Link

I haven't found the P/Ns listed at any retailers yet, but I emailed Trakmotive for more info on how to order them. I'll update as soon as I hear.

On my RBV with CV half axles, when the front is jacked up and the stock suspension is at full droop, one or both cv axles wants to bind when you try to spin the wheels. And then having the steering turned makes it worse.
I was wheeling last weekend and worrying about my CV axles with the jeep trails I was on. The clunking they do sometimes with just the right combination of suspension travel and steering angle is pretty loud.

Heck I've swapped out the DS CV axle between an OEM unit and cheap replacement, and they behaved the same. It's just kinda sad that we only have 5" of front travel to start with, and then actually less because of binding before it gets to full travel. I read somewhere about having the sway bar attached helps, so I'm doing that as insurance. I'm also running a front locker (on a CAD axle), so when I have a front wheel off the ground, fully drooped, it's not spinning and binding like crazy anymore, like it did with the open diff.

So my dream is a CV with more angle to make the front end bullet ... resistant, and get full droop and steering turn, and maybe shave the bump stop some for more compression.

 

[Blmpkn]

Question: Isn't an engineered USA made alternative better?

Not necessarily, but nationalism has a way of blinding people so.. depends on how severely afflicted they are.

 

[Fire]

Got an email response from Trakmotive --

Thanks for your interest in our XTT axles. Those particular axles aren’t available quite yet. I would say within the next month or so. When they are released but your local auto parts store should be able to order the axles from their nearest distributor. TrakMotive products are also available online through e-tailers.

 

[MaicoDoug]

"Not necessarily, but nationalism has a way of blinding people so.. depends on how severely afflicted they are" Say what? chinese quality & metallurgy is junk. I guess that is what you refer as being blind.