| Author | Message | ||
     Greg Perron (Gregp) New Member Username: Gregp Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2003 |
How many of the Disco owners with a Detroit locker in the rear have broken a stock LR axle? I just put a Detroit in and I am wondering if I need to immediately upgrade my axles also. Thanks for the help. | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 333 Registered: 02-2003 |
Upgrade! | ||
| One_Bad_Metro (Koby) Senior Member Username: Koby Post Number: 386 Registered: 02-2002 |
It has been recommended to me that an axle upgrade is necessary not only to prevent axle breakage, but also to prevent your Detroit from potentially being damaged when the half-shaft breaks. | ||
| Mike Rupp (Mike_rupp) Member Username: Mike_rupp Post Number: 209 Registered: 02-2002 |
I can tell you from first hand experience that axles can break with the Detroit. My brother's lasted about 500 miles before it snapped, taking the Detroit with it. Do not skimp. | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) New Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 29 Registered: 05-2003 |
Get some Maxi drive axles | ||
| Brian Dickens (Bri) Senior Member Username: Bri Post Number: 426 Registered: 08-2002 |
What size tires are you broken axle dudes running. The more torque you place on stock axles the more likely to brake. Most people that complain a lot about axle breakage are running lockers AND much larger tires. I would suspect that breakage would be less with smaller tires. I must admit as well that most of the people I personal experience with are using ARB. | ||
| Chris Browne (Chris_browne) Member Username: Chris_browne Post Number: 155 Registered: 02-2003 |
I recently posted the same question. Bottom line is upgrade | ||
| Mike Rupp (Mike_rupp) Member Username: Mike_rupp Post Number: 210 Registered: 02-2002 |
Brian, My brother has 265/75, not exactly the biggest tire out there. I really don't understand the debate. Any way you look at it, there is a much higher chance of breaking the stock axles with the Detroit. Your whole argument is not really valid, since it is uncommon that anyone has stock tires and a Detroit. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 140 Registered: 02-2003 |
I've been running stock 24 spline axles, a detroit, and 34" tires for nearly a year. What's all the fuss about? I have a friend who's running 33x12.50s on stock axles for nearly 6 years. And he lived in Colorado and wheeled daily. No breakage. Not saying you shouldn't upgrade, but I don't see the hurry if you take care of your truck. -P | ||
| Mike Rupp (Mike_rupp) Member Username: Mike_rupp Post Number: 212 Registered: 02-2002 |
"but I don't see the hurry if you take care of your truck" That's exactly what my brother and I thought. He was dying to get that the Detroit in the Disco and had to wait to get the axles. We tryed to climb a ledge to check out the Detroit. We got one wheel completely off the ground as we were climbing and snap! No more axle! Of course the Detroit was busted up as well. The decision is simple to me. Spend $1050 for the Detroit & axles rather than $1500 for 2 Detroits and axles. | ||
| Rob Davison (Nosivad_bor) Senior Member Username: Nosivad_bor Post Number: 510 Registered: 02-2003 |
there is always an exception to the rule. i also think the fact that you have VC transfercase helps prevent axel brakeage too perrone. | ||
| Greg Davis (Gregdavis) Senior Member Username: Gregdavis Post Number: 882 Registered: 08-2002 |
13 months and so far, so good. Of course, I've probably just jinxed myself.  | ||
| Jack Quinlan (Jsq) Senior Member Username: Jsq Post Number: 380 Registered: 10-2002 |
It's not worth the risk of not buying HD axles. Once you get that locker in you're only going to try harder stuff (I should hope so at any rate) and as Mike pointed out you can buy a locker and axles or you can buy two lockers and axles. | ||
| Brian Dickens (Bri) Senior Member Username: Bri Post Number: 432 Registered: 08-2002 |
It is very easy to snap stock axels if you are not careful. Any thrashing/spinning of any type with large tires and you are basically doomed if you get traction with too much throttle or too much torque due to lifted wheels and larger tires. If you are careful, it sounds like the stockers can last a long time. If you are not they might last only to the first ledge. Don't put all of your confidence in the locker, you still need to pick good lines and keep all the tires on the ground if possible. I still have a question about why the detroit fails. I have seen people break axles on ARB and never tear up the locker or diff. | ||
| OLIVER CLOTHSOFF (Everythingleaks) Senior Member Username: Everythingleaks Post Number: 283 Registered: 10-2002 |
In the d1 owners manual it recommened spare axles as part of the trail gear. That was with a stock truck | ||
| Brian Dickens (Bri) Senior Member Username: Bri Post Number: 434 Registered: 08-2002 |
That makes sense because if one breaks you no longer have 4 wheel drive and could potentially not get out. You should probably keep your old stockers as spare if you have HD installed. | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 336 Registered: 02-2003 |
I had stock axles for 6 months with no problems. On the last 2 trips out I have broke one rear axle each time out. Yesterday I broke an axle and broke the Detroit. I called Tracktec and the locker has a year warrenty. I have to send the locker to them so they can look it over and send out a new one. Just a pain in the ass that could have been avoided by using a set of HD axles. | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 995 Registered: 09-2002 |
You could make your stock axles last inefinatly with a locker but if you wheel hard they will break. Of course you still need to pick your lines but the fun part about hockers and modifications is that you can pick more and more difficult lines (thus having more fun imho of course). Spinning tires is not the only thing that will break an axle, simple torque will do it too. | ||
| Rob Davison (Nosivad_bor) Senior Member Username: Nosivad_bor Post Number: 519 Registered: 02-2003 |
in my opinion the ticking timebomb combination of detroit and stock axels has a lot to do with the life those axels lead before the detroit was installed. if they were already twisting with stock diff and then you throw in the detroit it doesnt take but one or two high tracktion situations for the detroit to finish the job. or i guess to sum it up. the more miles you have on the axles probably the weaker they are. if you have low miles but beat the truck offroad they are probably not a good idea with a detroit also. if you are going to roll the dice with this, keep all that in mind. rd rd | ||
| Jack Quinlan (Jsq) Senior Member Username: Jsq Post Number: 382 Registered: 10-2002 |
OK Daniel, now that our deal is done I can finally ask you, if you put in HD axles to go with your ARBs, why were you trying to corner the market on used stock axles? I couldn't figure this out, but didn't want to throw off the sale?! are they for a different truck or are they spares to back up your HDs? | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 339 Registered: 02-2003 |
Jack, I have not got HD axles, Yet. I figured, ok I broke an axle that has lasted this long, oh well. Then I got new ones from you thinking I will have a spare. Then I broke the other one yesterday. Now I have two broken axles, one on each side, and a busted detriot. So as soon as I can get the wife out of the house I will order the HD's. | ||
| James (Jimmyg) Senior Member Username: Jimmyg Post Number: 326 Registered: 10-2002 |
Throw the Detroit in the trash and get the ARB, in the rear and front.... you know you will in the front no matter what, so quit dicking around! Mike will take your Detroit. LOL You've already seen the worth while advantages. Anyone need a spare MT/R? | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) New Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 32 Registered: 05-2003 |
Maxi-drive lockers are stonger then ARB units and they come with billet axles. The maxi-drive lockers also have billet diff cages and bigger cross shafts. They use vacuum rather then air to engage, they are a bit slower to engage. Can't you blokes get them in the US. | ||
| Kyle Van Tassel (Kyle) Moderator Username: Kyle Post Number: 352 Registered: 11-2002 |
A few people mentioned it already. If you aint doing anything with the truck they will last a good long time... Commuting to work certainly isnt going to make them suffer much. Kyle "Blow me" | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 142 Registered: 02-2003 |
Shaun P., yes we can get Maxi-Drives. They cost us about 3 times what they cost you and that's about twice as much as an ARB. And there is only once source for them in the US, which makes warranty service rather difficult. Kyle. Agree. The harder you use the truck, the more likely you'll really need the HD axles. -P | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) New Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 37 Registered: 05-2003 |
Have you considered getting them from Australia,Aust dollar is only worth 65c US. Remember you also get the axles. It may work out not so bad. How much do ARB lockers cost in the US | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 344 Registered: 02-2003 |
600.00, give or take 50.00. | ||
| Brian Dickens (Bri) Senior Member Username: Bri Post Number: 438 Registered: 08-2002 |
Brian: How are those stock axels holding up with the lockers and 35s? | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) New Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 38 Registered: 05-2003 |
$600 Us would be about right considering the exchange rate Aust/US. I wonder why the Maxi's are 3 times what they cost here. | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 146 Registered: 02-2003 |
You know, maybe I'm thinking of the McNamara's that cost so much. I had looked at getting the Maxi's at one time (still am for front applicaton) but I'd have to find someone to do the install, and that would be relatively difficult. I need to check those prices again. Maybe tomorrow. -P | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) New Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 39 Registered: 05-2003 |
I reckon any diff shop could it. | ||
| Zach Jaggers (Mountenn) Member Username: Mountenn Post Number: 156 Registered: 03-2003 |
I plan on trying to tackle the Maxi-Drive install myself (well, with a few mechanic buddies and some Miller Lite)...it may be a month or so, but I'll let y'all know how it goes. | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 999 Registered: 09-2002 |
Brian: How are those stock axels holding up with the lockers and 35s? My rears are GBR HD and they are holding up fine. The front cv and axles are stock. What I can't fgure out is hwy they havnt' broken yet. As many times as I broke them with 265/75 I figured they would break right away. I do have a theory though. My theory is that because i am still running stock gears i am not transfering as much torque. Feed back on that? | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 348 Registered: 02-2003 |
I may be totaly wrong, but this is what I think: The front does not see as much stress as the rear. Why? When you are locking your ARB in the front most of the time you are going up hill or crawling rocks on other wise level ground. With the weight of the disco combined with the tork in low range pushing on the rear wheels, that is a lot of stress on the rear axles. With the short trailering arms on the disco the front end wants to "float" anyway. So if the front end is "floating" it does not get near as much traction as the rear which equels less stress. It's just a theroy. There was a post a while back about using a formula to set your truck up by centering the weight on the rear axle VS. the weight pushing behind the axle. Had something to do with lift, weight, wheel base, etc... | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 1001 Registered: 09-2002 |
D., Yes that makes sence but I have broken the fronts lots of times with the smaller tires, now that I am on 35 I figured they would break that much faster. The gear range is so high now that in the right circumstances I can actually floor the truck in first gear low range on an obsticle and not even spin the tires. I did that in Moab, no wheel spin and no vehicle movement and no breakage. Im thinking it had to be from the higher gear ratio or my torque converter is going out? | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1693 Registered: 02-2002 |
I've been to Detroit many times in my Disco and have never broken a stock axle. I know Woodward has some rough spots, but broken axles? Peace, Paul | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 349 Registered: 02-2003 |
I guess what I was trying to say is that sence your truck now has 35" tires the weight of the truck is higher. With the weight being higher it is pushed farther back on the rear axle, taking the stress off the front end. I dont know if 1.5" really makes that much difference. We used to brake the birfields and mansfields in toyotas all the time with 35's. Put in the Longfields and never had a problem with them even with 38's. What did you brake, the cv or the inner axle with 35's? | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 1002 Registered: 09-2002 |
That's the strange thing D, I havnt't broken anyhing yet with the 35" but I used to all the time witht the 265.75. | ||
| Brian Dickens (Bri) Senior Member Username: Bri Post Number: 440 Registered: 08-2002 |
Sounds like there is a lot at play and that D and Brian are both on the right track. With that said, you likely want to be careful, coming down something difficult. Especially with the front locked if you need to turn at all, that might find the weakest link! of course, then again you might not need the front locker all that much in that situation. I betcha redcone might be fun with your rig geared the way it is. Brian | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 1005 Registered: 09-2002 |
Brian......Downhills are scary. Lots of brake riding, that is one of the reasons Hell's Revenge freaked me out so much. | ||
| James (Jimmyg) Senior Member Username: Jimmyg Post Number: 327 Registered: 10-2002 |
From what I know, what breaks axles (if not cross shafts) is the full on spinning of a tire coming to a complete stop. A 265/75 tire will spin much faster than a 35 and stop faster. I blew my diff on the overlook on Hell's Revenge with 265/75 MT/Rs. A 35 has more traction which means less spinning and MAYBE less power transfer? Just a thought??? Or, maybe the newer parts have just been better? | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 43 Registered: 05-2003 |
Link to Maxi-Drive Australia www.4wdworld.com.au/products/maxidrive/index.htm |
