Toyota drive flange failure

44BRAND · Jun 15, 2016

Got to agree with Nick on keeping everything tight being key. I run stock knuckles with trunion eliminators, ARP studs in everything up front. After every ride I find some hub nuts loose and usually a couple high steer arm nuts loose. I run rcv 30 spline shafts and cromo hub gears with lock outs, beat the **** out of it regularly and so far has held up. But as said I take **** apart and clean, inspect and retorque every 2 rides and retorque every ride. Cant afford them bouncer axles so I make do.

Rjhoward32006 · Jun 15, 2016

I strongly agree with keeping stuff tight this is a fresh build and I made sure everything was tight. I'm religious about going back and checking everything.
I never had this issue before on heavier rigs with just as big of a tire until I put these 39" red labels on...

Rjhoward32006 · Jun 15, 2016

also to add those are lock washers under the bolt head not flat washers

Neal3000 · Jun 15, 2016

This mod will move your weak link to the r&p

grcthird · Jun 15, 2016

Neal3000 said:
This mod will move your weak link to the r&p

Agreed, when I did the ARP studs and chromolly hub gears in my buggy, I started breaking teeth on the ring gear. Granted I was using stock 4.10 gears and not newer upgraded hardened gears. I had new extra dowel pins laying around and used the drive flange as a template to drill the hub body for extra pins, then I drilled the back of the lockout as well. My thinking was if the hub breaks it would be easy to swap a flange on and keep going, but if I tore up a set of gears, locker, whatever, I could unlock the hubs and drive back out without screwing around getting out tools and such. Did fine and is probably still in the buggy today.

TBItoy · Jun 15, 2016

Neal3000 said:
This mod will move your weak link to the r&p

Once you get to this point, I really see you have 3 choices

1. Maximize your maintenance to minimize breakage (Check torque on EVERYTHING before EVERY ride, tear down axle at least once a year to check bearings/gears/shafts, be very judicious on cleaning and loctiting everthing on assembly). More work-less weight

2. Swap to bigger axles to minimize maintenance and breakage. Less work-more weight

3. Change your driving style to crawling only. Less work- Less fun?

I chose option #3.

Planning for option #2. laughing1

Tlh89 · Jun 15, 2016

https://www.trail-gear.com/TG/Drive_Flange_Kit_w__Dowel_Pins__Drill_Bit_and_Dust_Shield/i_0_0_3488/_140134-1-KIT.aspx#.V2HJGTZlm9Y

I run these TG flanges and my R&P is the weak link. Actually just broke the front a few weeks ago.

TacomaJD · Jun 15, 2016

I broke arp studs on my fj80 front axle, but the hubs and flanges are flower shaped, not round on the fj80, so there is only room for 6 bolts and 2 dowels. I drilled and tapped for 3/8 bolts and never had another issue out of it, so you shouldn't have a single problem here.....but I agree with the previous posts of now making your r&p the weak link.

Also, running washers like that, you likely will have to grind off the edges after everything is tightened properly so the wheel will fit onto the hub, I had to. Yours might clear though, hard to tell. Looks like my washers stuck out a little more than yours.

Neal3000 · Jun 15, 2016

You had a hi-pinion front, that helps a lot unless you get stoopid in reverse

TacomaJD · Jun 15, 2016

Neal3000 said:
You had a hi-pinion front, that helps a lot unless you get stoopid in reverse

How does that affect breaking hub bolts/studs? When I said he shouldn't have a single problem here, I meant with the added 12 bolts. I highly doubt he'd ever break that over a ring and pinion in a low pinion mini truck axle.

Rjhoward32006 · Jun 15, 2016

TBItoy said:
Once you get to this point, I really see you have 3 choices

1. Maximize your maintenance to minimize breakage (Check torque on EVERYTHING before EVERY ride, tear down axle at least once a year to check bearings/gears/shafts, be very judicious on cleaning and loctiting everthing on assembly). More work-less weight

2. Swap to bigger axles to minimize maintenance and breakage. Less work-more weight

3. Change your driving style to crawling only. Less work- Less fun?

I chose option #3.

Planning for option #2. laughing1

Once a year!!! thats a joke, i wish the would last a whole year, then i'd be the happiest man on earth.
I'm usually in my axle rebuilding it about every three months.
And i agree with everyone it will move the weak link to the ring and pinion, i'm okay with that. I'd rather bust a ring and pinion ever once in a while then to fight fixing hubs every weekend from broke studs.

I wheel pretty damn hard, especially with liquid encouragement, so far i've broken alot of parts, but not enough for me to want to change my driving style.
I'm okay with fixing broke parts, it keeps me busy and i'll never have enough money to do drugs lol.
I'm also hardcore toyota and i've been thinking about tons i just can't seem to do it.

TacomaJD · Jun 15, 2016

Rjhoward32006 said:
Once a year!!! thats a joke, i wish the would last a whole year, then i'd be the happiest man on earth.
I'm usually in my axle rebuilding it about every three months.
And i agree with everyone it will move the weak link to the ring and pinion, i'm okay with that. I'd rather bust a ring and pinion ever once in a while then to fight fixing hubs every weekend from broke studs.

I wheel pretty damn hard, especially with liquid encouragement, so far i've broken alot of parts, but not enough for me to want to change my driving style.
I'm okay with fixing broke parts, it keeps me busy and i'll never have enough money to do drugs lol.
I'm also hardcore toyota and i've been thinking about tons i just can't seem to do it.

I'd say go FJ80, but by the time you put 30/30/30 RCV's, Hellfire knuckles, gears, etc in it, you could have just done a 1 ton axle swap molaugh

My FJ80 was tough as fawk! I beat the **** out of it on 39 reds and it done well. I broke ARP hub studs once, replaced with bolts, no more problems. I broke 2 inner 24 spline Longfield shafts, finally replaced with the upgraded 30/30/30 spline rcv's and never had another problem. Ran factory e locker always in locked mode (not wired up to unlock), and 5:29 gears, never had a differential issue.

Rjhoward32006 · Jun 15, 2016

JD you just need to bight the bullet and buy another rig

smbroady82 · Jun 15, 2016

TacomaJD said:
How does that affect breaking hub bolts/studs? When I said he shouldn't have a single problem here, I meant with the added 12 bolts. I highly doubt he'd ever break that over a ring and pinion in a low pinion mini truck axle.

I think he was referring to r&p failures. Meaning, your hi pinion is what 30-35% stronger than a regular low pinion, which probably helped in not breaking a r&p.

TBItoy · Jun 15, 2016

Rjhoward32006 said:
Once a year!!! thats a joke, i wish the would last a whole year, then i'd be the happiest man on earth.
I'm usually in my axle rebuilding it about every three months.
And i agree with everyone it will move the weak link to the ring and pinion, i'm okay with that. I'd rather bust a ring and pinion ever once in a while then to fight fixing hubs every weekend from broke studs.

I wheel pretty damn hard, especially with liquid encouragement, so far i've broken alot of parts, but not enough for me to want to change my driving style.
I'm okay with fixing broke parts, it keeps me busy and i'll never have enough money to do drugs lol.
I'm also hardcore toyota and i've been thinking about tons i just can't seem to do it.

Hahaha yeah that's once a year if it don't break!

I used to carry 4 spare diffs to ride tellico for 3 days...

I also was younger and dumber and had a lot more want-to.

And I used to ride for the adrenaline rush, now I ride to relax.... And now I have a high pinion front, and don't have a v8!

smbroady82 · Jun 15, 2016

Rjhoward32006 said:
Once a year!!! thats a joke, i wish the would last a whole year, then i'd be the happiest man on earth.
I'm usually in my axle rebuilding it about every three months.

I never made it more than 3-4 rides without breaking in 4-4.5 years before the ton swap. Granted I did start with stock everything in the axles except for gears and traction devices.

And yes, for anyone wondering, you can most certainly put 1 ton money in Toyota axles trying to keep them alive...ask me how I know.

Rjhoward32006 · Jun 15, 2016

Yes, i have one ton money in toyota axles now. I am the same way hell i've been known to take spare complete axles lol. I am still young and go for both the adrenaline and the relaxing with good friends.

TacomaJD · Jun 15, 2016

Rjhoward32006 said:
JD you just need to bight the bullet and buy another rig

Oh I still look at em all the time, nailing down the exact buggy design I want to build one day. Really like the Jim's Garage style buggies in the 4 seat flavor, but really anything Ultra 4 style I like....I don't care for bouncer chassis. Mild v8, with a t-case setup that still allows for super low crawl gear, tons, coilovers, 4 seater, etc. I am not gonna get back into it until I can afford to build or buy exactly what I want without cutting any corners, which won't be cheap. AND...I'm bout to put a ring on it and building/buying a new house will follow shortly....AND I'll be in school another few years....ain't got time to fawk with a buggy. All I have to do to the Ranger is wash it, put gas in it, and change oil. :****:

zukimaster · Jun 15, 2016

I have nightmares at night about Toyota axles! I have been on 4 rides this year, and have broke something in the axles 3 times. I'm done, already parted my rig out and going tons.