44 and 9 or 60s

[4x4junkie]

Well, I'm just telling you what facts are out there, there's certainly no requirement that you have to believe it. However I also know trying to compare axles only by seeing one guy break his and another who doesn't can be extremely subjective (one guy might bounce himself up a ledge, only to land back down and bust his Ford 9", where someone else comes along without a bounce and scales that same obstacle without any fanfare from his Super-Duper 30-spline-converted D35 rear. Obviously this doesn't change the fact a 9" rear is a stronger axle than a turd-polished D35 could ever be.

As for my rig not doing something yours can do, it's only obvious the difference in size tires you run vs. what I run (an the fact I'm not ready to chop half the whole entire body off and turn it into a "truggy" yet), but I think calling the trails I run "a completely different caliber" is a little bit off lol... We both wheel rocks. We both put our rigs into precarious situations like standing on 3 wheels where you can almost stand upright under the 4th, we both lean it against rocks to "pivot" the truck on the slider to squeeze it through something, and so on & so forth. Where we differ is in the size of the rocks traveled, and how far we want to take it to the point of breaking something (you trailer yours around, I do not wish to trailer mine, therefore that does come with the limitation I do have to be more careful if I want it to get me home). That does not change the dynamics of it at all. If anything, just the scale of it.

And about that ZJ you say has a 9"... I can't say for sure, but I'm thinking 9" shafts might not be 1050 steel like 8.8 shafts and is why it snapped as easy as you say it did, but I could be wrong.


Anyway, no I don't think you were shrugging me off, however I do think my opinion and experiences are just as valid as yours, and will express them just the same to allow others who may be reading this thread a chance to form an opinion of their own. It's all part of having an intelligent discussion, which is what these boards are here for.

 

[NMB2]

And about that ZJ you say has a 9"... I can't say for sure, but I'm thinking 9" shafts might not be 1050 steel like 8.8 shafts and is why it snapped as easy as you say it did, but I could be wrong.

the ZJ has 1541h shafts in it.

as for 1040 vs 1050 I finally had a chance to do the research. 1050 is 18% stronger in an axle shaft application, not 38%, big difference. That changes things quite a bit, and puts it at 6700lb in according to your method of calculation. I would also like to add that although I see what the pirate chart is saying, and once again... everything looks good on paper, the axle breaking machine said otherwise, in which case the 1 extra spline nets 7.7% strength increase.

So really we have either a 6700lb shaft (which is just slightly above where I said I could believe it)

or we have a 6350lb shaft, which is exactly where I said I thought the shaft was.

either way, the 8.8 shaft failure is not common, (nor is 30spline shaft failure used in the same application an 8.8 is) because it usually breaks in one of other places first. tubes bend and pumpkin spins (yes, even if you weld it in) I have personally watched it several times, and read about it 1000 more times, main caps break - once again, seen lots of pictures and read about it alot. Of course this is when its used on fullsize rigs or in trucks like mine. Yours is well within its limits. the 8.8 is a good medium duty axle, it is not a heavy duty wheeling axle, and it is not comparable to a D60 of any fasion, other than the 19spline of course.

 

[4x4junkie]

either way, the 8.8 shaft failure is not common, (nor is 30spline shaft failure used in the same application an 8.8 is) because it usually breaks in one of other places first. tubes bend and pumpkin spins (yes, even if you weld it in) I have personally watched it several times, and read about it 1000 more times, main caps break - once again, seen lots of pictures and read about it alot. Of course this is when its used on fullsize rigs or in trucks like mine. Yours is well within its limits. the 8.8 is a good medium duty axle, it is not a heavy duty wheeling axle, and it is not comparable to a D60 of any fasion, other than the 19spline of course.

All failures that happen pretty much on ANY axle maybe aside for the spinning tubes (which wouldn't spin if PROPERLY welded ). I don't s'pose you're gonna tell me you don't see blown-out main caps and pinion supports blown off 9s with similar frequency?
We can go on forever & ever about this if you want.

I didn't call the 8.8 a "heavy duty wheeling axle" either, however I also will never call a FF 30-spl D60 rearend that too.


Edit:
So I just caught this & read it again:

my rear 60 is semi-float because it was easier/cheaper to make 35spline... FF doesn't make the shaft any less prone to breakage, and with a 35spline alloy I'm not worried about breaking it.

All this time you've been talking about your rear 60 and the abuse you give it as if it's a 30 spline FF axle?? If it was so great as 30 spline, why did you upgrade it?

 

[NMB2]

it was never 30spline. It is a factory 35spline axle.....

its not a 30 or 31 because neither could handle the abuse I dish out.... I think I said that previously

 

[NMB2]

All failures that happen pretty much on ANY axle maybe aside for the spinning tubes (which wouldn't spin if PROPERLY welded ).
and then the thin axle tubes bend

I don't s'pose you're gonna tell me you don't see blown-out main caps and pinion supports blown off 9s with similar frequency?

alot more 9's being run than 8.8's in hardcore apps

We can go on forever & ever about this if you want.

we could, but resistance is futile

I didn't call the 8.8 a "heavy duty wheeling axle" either, however I also will never call a FF 30-spl D60 rearend that too.

what you type and what your post projects are two different things then.
Edit:
So I just caught this & read it again:


All this time you've been talking about your rear 60 and the abuse you give it as if it's a 30 spline FF axle?? If it was so great as 30 spline, why did you upgrade it?

My rear 60 is a factory 35spline axle. replacement shafts were only $150 and I still have the stockers for spares. I have a grand total of about $500 into my rear axle.

 

[4x4junkie]

So you wouldn't even know how well a 30-spline 60 would hold up under your junk cuz you never had one lol

I continue to stand by my statement.

On a different note...
Where did you find the figures for the 1040 vs. the 1050 being 18% different anyway? (link?) I'd like to look into that some more myself (that 38% figure from the magazine site I was a bit surprised to find, I admit, and if wrong, it certainly wouldn't be the first time lol).

 

[wahlstrom1]

So, how's about everyone grabs a creeper and rolls under their rig and gives their rear axle a big hug......

If it works for ya, great! If not... then build it bigger! If your gonna make the jump to 8 lug, I'd go full floater whatever your choice may be. It's easier to service if you do break a shaft, your tire doesn't fall off (been there, done that) and why not have 2 sets of serviceable tapered bearings vs. 1 roller bearing?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

I don't even need a creeper to hug my full floater...its sitting on axle stands in the shop waiting to get some attention...

Anyways, I must say I've never EVER had to change a set of bearings in a full float diff before at work. The last for ever when submersed in oil.

 

[NMB2]

So you wouldn't even know how well a 30-spline 60 would hold up under your junk cuz you never had one lol

I continue to stand by my statement.

On a different note...
Where did you find the figures for the 1040 vs. the 1050 being 18% different anyway? (link?) I'd like to look into that some more myself (that 38% figure from the magazine site I was a bit surprised to find, I admit, and if wrong, it certainly wouldn't be the first time lol).

I had a 31splined axle under my truck before the 60. Although I never broke a shaft, when I sold the axle I did pull the shafts for the buyer to see, and one of the shafts were twisted a little bit, approximately 2 splines shifted over.

and here is the link for strength increases

http://www.nsor.com/featureditems/yukon axles/