Doh, not again..

[compleckz]

it looks like this time the axle is ok, and i have spare caps from the last failure, so this should be a quick fix.. (right side inner, last time i broke the ears off the slip yoke)

i was not hammering on the truck, and hadn't at all that night on the trail.. i got into this wash out section, and decided to see if i could fully flex the truck out for the first time. (lockers f/r now, and matching 4.56's finally)..

below is how the right side was when it happened.. i was creeping forward in 4 low, and it just went POP, i backed up a few feet and hopped out with a flashlight, found the cap and seal, didnt find either circlips.. the right rear tire came off the ground as i pulled forward more, so that probably put more force on the right front

 

[4x4junkie]

I'd get out the blocks/jackstands, jack that thing up, take the coils out and cycle the suspension to full flex and check that the passengerside shaft isn't hitting on things (somethings obviously binding if it's just going "pop" like that without any stress on it).

When I did mine, not only was it hitting on the axlebeam window, it was hitting on the ends of the radius arm bolts that protrude into the beam, too.
(note where the shaft is within the beam window here... it moves around a LOT)

I assume those were new shafts from the last time this happened? (not ones with stretched yokes)?


.

 

[compleckz]

well its a new inner shaft, the drivers side still has the stretched yokes (i guess i'm a bit lazy)..

ever since i put in the new pivot bushings, and spaced the radius arms forward, my beams don't drop under their own weight like yours do in the pic (i made sure not to overtighten the radius arm bushings.. they used to just fall to the floor and bend the dust shield..

i took what i thought to be a lot of metal, out of the window of the passenger side beam.. but u know what i just noticed, i never jacked up one side, while standing on the other hub (required to get it to fully flex down without the weight of the tire).. i only jacked up one side at a time and checked clearances.. but still there is no wear on the axle, so its hard to believe its rubbing on the window.

i have noticed how close the radius arm bolts are to the axle while installing it though.. i guess i have more testing to do.. first off i have to go through and repack all the bearings, both spindle and wheel bearings got mucked up already.. then i'll cycle the suspension and see whats up.. btw i never did figure out my alignment problem, the right side i couldn't get the camber in spec, if you remember.. im kind of just waiting till i get a super runner kit, then try and get it aligned again, hoping the coils settled or something

 

[4x4junkie]

It's tough to see if the shaft is hitting the bolts when it's together. There should be some obvious marks left on both the shaft and the ends of the bolts if that's where it was hitting though.
I found the easiest way to tell if its binding, just lock the hub and try spinning the rotor. It won't turn if it's bound up.

BTW, did you happen to measure the flex you got there? Looks like it might be a good 12-14" maybe (although I hope that's not your brake hose I see pulled tight over the front of your shock).

 

[compleckz]

yea thats the brake hose i have it zip tied to the shock to keep it away from the tire, but that causes it get pulled when i droop..i originally did it to pass inspection (guy was being a dick, he made me change the stock way of it running in front of the coil, maybe he read the tech article, lol) if it flexed anymore it would probably break, but i'm pretty sure the shock wont let it..

i really need to fix that too, how do you keep your lines off the tire? also how long are they? you have 18"+ travel right?

i've measured 12", and it wasnt to the bumpstops, in the pics you'e prolly dead on for 12-14..

 

[4x4junkie]

Mine are the Skyjacker DOT braided 6" lift hoses (I forget the pt#... FBH36 or something?)

I have them zip-tied to the 5th or 6th coil winding down from the top.

Thats with the old Rancho coils BTW, since swapping in the SJ coils, I might be at 20" or more travel now, although I need to get it out and try to flex it to see (I don't have that awesome wooden ramp you may have seen anymore, it got turned into firewood lol)

 

[compleckz]

nooo, not the sketchy wooden ramp, it can't be!!!

i have the procomp 6" lines, i used to have them through a little hoop bracket which was ziptied to the coil, it held the lines out from the coils, and let it slide through for up and down travel... the guy at the inspection station would not pass me, and i had already been back and forth 3 times trying to get it passed, so i ran some hard line to the other side of the coil bucket and drilled a hole.. so really i should have even more line than before, i think i might try ziptying that old loop bracket to the shock, and see if that works..

so i just spent the last few hours working on the truck, i enlarged the pass. axle beam window a TON.. i removed the coils and did what you said, it was hitting still, i even went past the travel of the shocks, so i should be all set there, at least we can rule one thing out if it happens again.. my axles did seems quite close to the radius arm bolt-ends, but i couldn't get them to touch..

i repacked the wheel bearings (actually picked up a packer today, the grease gun style, i should have gotten this tool about 50 re-packs and 3 bearing replacements ago!!), and the spindle bearings (which were caked up solid already)..

next step is get the caps tacked, and super-runner steering..

thanks for the help

 

[4x4junkie]

Hey, don't be knockin' on that ramp, It took me a whole 20 minutes to build, and worked f'in' killer (well, except that it did collapse 3 times before I figured out that the blocks had to go lengthwise and not sideways (and that I didn't have enough blocks, so I had to supplement them with an old tire also) and that things would probably start collapsing again if I tried to raise the angle of it any more )



j/k

It sounds like you might be due for some new seals too though, with mud and crap getting into your bearings that easily (either that you just spend too much time submerging it in the goo)

Anyway, good luck with it