Half shafts for rear Detroit Locker?

[Lutzgaterr]

Rupp,
Nope, don't have Detroit locker, just TTs. Know of only 1 person who runs with locker and stock axle. I do support the borrowed time premise with stock axles. Axle flex, true it's the wrong word, twist is the active verb.

 

[LostInBoston]

Like I knew would happen, Lostinboston chimed in saying he offroaded for a year with a Detroit with 33s and stock axles and he didn't take it easy. I'd love to see some pictures of this.

The real question is, Andrew, whose advice will you take?

If you take lostinboston's advice, I will love to read with sadistic pleasure when you post a thread like one of these:

How do I remove a broken axle from my diff?
Can you repair a broken Detroit?

"You won?t really know unless you have your stock axles examined by a pro for signs of stress or twisting, which is what they should do BTW, flex." Huh? The stock axles will not flex, they will twist to the point where they will snap. It's just a matter of time. Lutzgaterr, do you have a Detroit?

If you wanted pics all you had to do was ask. Dean Brown, Jaime C and Peter B have wheeled with me and my 33's with a detroit and STOCK axles if you would like a reference to my drivign style and rig. These pics are form last fall. I have since moved up to HD axles and swampers. I would not recomend using stock axles becasue it may just be a time bomb. i was just relaying my personal experiece.

Heres the pics in use.
http://time4beer.tripod.com/rover/pinebarrens.html
mines the big green one.

 

[rover4x4]

why are the DII axles such a bitch to change?

 

[D Chapman]

why are the DII axles such a bitch to change?

A D1 uses what they call a "full foating" axle. With a D1 you take out 6 bolts and slide the axle shaft out, 5 minute job. If you have steel wheels you don't even have to remove them. But, with a D2 the shafts are pressed into the hub.

 

[rover4x4]

I understood about the full floaters, thats interesting about the DII. so how so you get the shaft out on a DII

 

[LostInBoston]

I understood about the full floaters, thats interesting about the DII. so how so you get the shaft out on a DII

leave it bolted to the hub but loosely, then bang it out with a rubber mallet

 

[Mike_Rupp]

"If you wanted pics all you had to do was ask." That's exactly what I did.

"I would not recomend using stock axles becasue it may just be a time bomb. i was just relaying my personal experiece." Really? From what you you replied earlier, it sounded to me exactly like a recommendation. Here's what you said: "i had a detroit with stock axles and 33' AT's for over a year and wheeled with it inthe pine barrens without taking it easy. Of course i may have been lucky, but if you 're careful you should be fine." Hmm, that sounds like you're saying he'd be fine with a Detroit with stock axles. What I don't understand is why you would get new axles and then tell someone he should be fine with stock axles?

You might consider looking a little deeper before making a recommendation that could cost someone some money. Did you consider Andrew's location before making your casual recommendation? He's from CA, not NJ. I'm sure that offroading in rocky conditions will stress the axles more than sliding around in the mud. How would you have felt if he took your advice and tried to take it easy but still blew up an axle and took the Detroit with it?

 

[AndrewClarke]

Much as I appreciated EVERYONE's opinions, including Mr. LostInBoston's, the beauty of being an adult is that I get to be responsible for my OWN decisions

I think my GB axles should be here today or tomorrow. Now if I somehow break THOSE I'll be pissed!!

- Andrew.

 

[kln]

so, let's say stock shafts are strong enough to be with lockers. then for how long should one hang on to the stock shafts? would you eventually change out to HD shafts?

If I could live with the limitation, I'd probably never switch them out and they would be added to my list of items to check out a couple of times a year.

I have upgraded to HD shafts and did so as soon as the extra money was available. It took 8 months or so.

When my rear diff went, I had 2 choices. Replace it with the stock component or throw in the locker and wait to get the HD shafts. I chose the latter based upon my search of the archives (this topic kills me ).

I came to the decision that the set-up should not give me any problems as long as I did not press the vehicle too hard in certain circumstances (the limitation IMO). In some cases more rolling momentum, another line, or a bypass would let me clear the obstacle. For the rest I'd get yanked and sometimes by myself, I've had to turn around and do another trail.

I've been wheeling with some very experienced and well set-up j**pers for the last year and a half so we're not talking about cheese toast trails. We run in the Rocky Mountains and their foothills so our terrain consists of rock, hard pack, bog, mud, water, etc.

kln