30 housing flex

[tomsbrokeagain]

Just a little question for those that use and abuse a D30 front in either a XJ or TJ.

How are some users keeping these housings from flexing i.e. truss, bearing girdle cover etc.

This question is focused at the people that abuse these with 35" or better tires locked and you have broken a few shafts.

I have a problem child axle on my books and just curious as too what other fixes people are doing to cure the problem.

 

[crash2]

You have to look at the housing. Typically once you hit 35-36" tires you are exceeding the housings ability to live no matter what you do. You might cure the shaft issue by running good shafts. You might be able to cure the flex by trussing it. You are still stuck with a little ring gear, small C's and so on.

 

[Pony-boy]

My Fullsize Bronco 8.8 has the same issue.
I dont know what kid of clearance you have but
I did a truss on mine, Of course you can design it
to better suit your rig but I think the truss is a
really good idea for it.
Here is how I did min but I had a lot of clearance to work with

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

Typically once you hit 35-36" tires you are exceeding the housings ability to live no matter what you do.

Ya I know that 35 or larger on hard use is pushing it.

I just would like to see what everyone else has come up with to help polish this 30 turd.:corn:

 

[pokey]

You have to look at the housing. Typically once you hit 35-36" tires you are exceeding the housings ability to live no matter what you do. You might cure the shaft issue by running good shafts. You might be able to cure the flex by trussing it. You are still stuck with a little ring gear, small C's and so on.

X2 this axle was only engineered for 27" tires even 33s with a heavy right foot is a gernade with the pin pulled out.

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

X2 this axle was only engineered for 27" tires even 33s with a heavy right foot is a gernade with the pin pulled out.

I agree and dissagree with this.

I have seen many 30's survive for years under hard use 35-38" rubber. But the 30 almost always has to be trussed.

Two people on this board FiFo and Karl both have 30 fronts trussed and break little for how heavy their right foot is not to mention point and shoot driving style.

 

[timothy]

D 30

I to run 35's altrains, & 35" boggers on my Tj . I, for few, had great sucess with my stock d30 , H gears, no loks, no broken axles & 97,000 mls. I ,Just installed a frnt D44 , 4.10's,& O.X loks (F &R) 2900.$ & change out the door for frnt end frm BILLY BOB's OFFROAD . And it was less $ than 4 WHEEL PARTS, WITH WAY BETTER INTERNALS.:awesomework:

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

timothy is your Jeep in your Avatar?

If so the kind of wheeler I would like to here from have rigs that look like this

 

[benw1]

Well theres your problem. Your front axle is missing.

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

Well theres your problem. Your front axle is missing.

No just polished on the 30 and reinstalled.

 

[Boonie Buster]

i HAD 30 in my S-10 for 4-5 years, I was pretty rough on it, broke one shaft, hopped it, banged it, I dont have nay trussing on it... Just buy my housing and throw it under! :awesomework:

 

[Spanaway Mudder]

Dirty 30 Spiders sound Awesome when they let go:haha: :awesomework:

I got the whole swapping them out thing down now!!:haha:

 

[ChrisStewart]

check blue torch fab for a front truss, or make one yourself. (I think they have one) Then just carry every part that could break for a 30, and get very good at changing them. When I wheeled my tj I carried everything for a front axle except a ring and pinion. I busted ball joints, u joints, hubs, lockrite, and finally the shafts. Carry extra crap, and wheel with people who don't mind drinking on the side of the trail when your **** breaks. That's what I did for 6 years, and then I bought a toyota.

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

check blue torch fab for a front truss, or make one yourself. (I think they have one) Then just carry every part that could break for a 30, and get very good at changing them. When I wheeled my tj I carried everything for a front axle except a ring and pinion. I busted ball joints, u joints, hubs, lockrite, and finally the shafts. Carry extra crap, and wheel with people who don't mind drinking on the side of the trail when your **** breaks. That's what I did for 6 years, and then I bought a toyota.

Not the point of the question.

Just intereseted in what other people are doing or done to polish up the dirty 30.

FYI I sometimes wheel a ARB 30 TJ (girlfriends Jeep)and NO NO NO I do not carry spare parts I just pull head out of the arsss.

 

[KarlVP]

Well, tom knows my story. I had him truss my 30 and it had held up to some pretty major abuse.

The thing we are concerned about is housing flex. I saw Johnathans D30 which was out of an XJ with leaf spring perches on it not flex at all when at Crash's place. The same front end in FiFo's jeep flexs like a champ when lifted with a floor jack.

Tom's truss works wonders, but you lose a little ground clearance. To me, it isn't a big deal, as I beat my jeep hard. Jumping it and trying to hang with the big dogs, my housing is phenomenally stout.

The only other way I can think of, is the STU offroad package.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/guards/orffab/fab-1.htm

 

[TooRisky]

the only true cure is to go bigger, beefier...I have a FSJ running 37's and can snap an axle in a heartbeat with D-44....Plans are for a rockwell front and rear in the future....
Its all a matter of HP/torque to the ground....if you are pushing a big motor the drive train has to be as big if not bigger...Cause when everything works and grabs one of two things happen....you go forward and not....

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

Thanks Karl! This is what I would like to see, a real world fix that someone has done to upgrade the 30 flex issue

The only other way I can think of, is the STU offroad package.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/guards/orffab/fab-1.htm

This is what I found on his site

I like how it is clean-------but it lacks adding strength from knuckle to knuckle. I have thought about doing the truss on top but would have to raise the coil buckets a couple of inches to do so. But then again when have you put too much energy into polishing a junk axle.

 

[Horus]

http://www.gotreks.com/page.asp?pageid=126

These look pretty stout. The only problem I see with many trusses is how well they connect to the short side tube. The one in the link only seems to contact about an inch of the tube and into the factory spring bucket.

I kinda miss my D30. During the couple years I ran it it never failed me. Several times I've had someone in my group bust a shaft. Thanks to the sealed unit bearing design we could have the shaft swapped out in twenty minutes provided dude was carrying a complete w/ bearing spare assembly.

That is key IMO. Carry spare complete assemblies. As long as you don't have to play with the 36mm nut you'll be rolling in no time.

 

[Little Red Zuk]

I just pull head out of the arsss.

This is key.

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

This is key.

I know this:redneck: I actually like wheelin Penny's Jeep and it has the, OH MY GOD ITS GONNA BREAK, d35/d30 combo w/4.88's and ARB's. And to think I have only broke a axle once in her Jeep:redneck: