Why do people **** up rockwells???

slytowncrawler2 · Sep 15, 2016

I'm sitting in deer stand waiting on deer and decided to pose a question...... Why narrow a Rockwell???? Most will build their rims so why not just in-set them instead of cutting up an axle and doing all that work??????
I'm running mine flipped out and with rear steer I have yet to not fit where anyone else does..... Are there strength advantages to running short inners???
I've run it over in my mind time an time again. Someone please shed some light on this.

lowbudgetjunk · Sep 15, 2016

Where is it legal to hunt deer right now?

And, no idea on the question.

86chevota · Sep 15, 2016

lowbudgetjunk said:
Where is it legal to hunt deer right now?

And, no idea on the question.

GA and KY

TBItoy · Sep 15, 2016

Because "Back In the Day"

Everyone ran 15" wheels, and big tires only came in 15s and 16.5s... and you can only build a 15" wheel so far back spaced to narrow up the track width.

Same reason people used to narrow Dana 60s down to 63-64" wide then run 2.5-3" back spaced wheels.

86chevota · Sep 15, 2016

slytowncrawler2 said:
I'm sitting in deer stand waiting on deer and decided to pose a question...... Why narrow a Rockwell???? Most will build their rims so why not just in-set them instead of cutting up an axle and doing all that work??????
I'm running mine flipped out and with rear steer I have yet to not fit where anyone else does..... Are there strength advantages to running short inners???
I've run it over in my mind time an time again. Someone please shed some light on this.

Good question and I have no answer. Rode with a guy the other day that had some very narrow rocks? Don't get it myself but a lot of people wanting a more narrow rig these days! Am never cutting mine. Good luck with the deer way to hot for me to think about deer hunting. My daughter and I are waitng on late October and November !

86chevota · Sep 15, 2016

TBItoy said:
Because "Back In the Day"

Everyone ran 15" wheels, and big tires only came in 15s and 16.5s... and you can only build a 15" wheel so far back spaced to narrow up the track width.

Same reason people used to narrow Dana 60s down to 63-64" wide then run 2.5-3" back spaced wheels.

I like my Rockwell a lot better with the 43sx than the 44's with 15 wheels. It was to wide for me

slytowncrawler2 · Sep 15, 2016

Low budget it's bow season in south ga. Mostly killin time an scouting some.....

86 chevota I like the extra width sure sometimes I have to squeeze places but my **** feels stable to me:/
And my 43s make mine feel like a go kart on crack rock. I agree

slytowncrawler2 · Sep 15, 2016

But people still do it TBItoy.... ?:/

86chevota · Sep 15, 2016

slytowncrawler2 said:
Low budget it's bow season in south ga. Mostly killin time an scouting some.....

86 chevota I like the extra width sure sometimes I have to squeeze places but my **** feels stable to me:/
And my 43s make mine feel like a go kart on crack rock. I agree

You coming to Dixie Run?

TBItoy · Sep 15, 2016

Re: Re: Why do people **** up rockwells???

slytowncrawler2 said:
But people still do it TBItoy.... ?:/

I reckon they just ain't got good sense.

Lol

I have seen some narrowed to use 2 stub shafts on the short side, to push the chunk way over to one side. That looked like a pretty cool setup for a smaller buggy

infamous1 · Sep 15, 2016

Re: Re: Why do people **** up rockwells???

lowbudgetjunk said:
Where is it legal to hunt deer right now?

And, no idea on the question.

NC season is in also.
no idea on the question, we put them axles under mud whumpers round here

1tonyj · Sep 15, 2016

86chevota said:
You coming to Dixie Run?

I already tried to get him to come....no luck....something about a hale Mt run. One of these days big Will we gonna be at the same place to ride lol.

86chevota · Sep 15, 2016

1tonyj said:
I already tried to get him to come....no luck....something about a hale Mt run. One of these days big Will we gonna be at the same place to ride lol.

Dang that sucks.

slytowncrawler2 · Sep 15, 2016

Our harlen trip is coming up an I ain't got a fo dog to split costs (wife goin) so I gotta stick close to the house til October....:/

TBItoy I've thought of that. If I ever built a 14bolt front with rock knuckles I would set it up for two stubs on one side .... Help with clearance

clemsonjeep · Sep 15, 2016

Bow season is in here in SC too.

I guess if you were really chasing a "performance" rig with rockwells you might want to get the scrub radius right where you want it. Having really inset wheels would screw with this the same as having the old school backspaced wheels.

Other than that...must be bored?

Nuts · Sep 16, 2016

Narrowing let's you run all short inners so you only have to carry one spare, but I tthink most people do it because "its what you do" . Mine are full width,hubs out and awesome! With the rear steer it gets around as good as anything else and is stable as ****.

zayne2427 · Sep 16, 2016

Seen several done that way. My 14 bolt rear steer axles that Ben Minded built several years ago has Rockwell outers and runs rockwell short side shafts on both sides

RebelRider · Sep 16, 2016

I used to be into tractor trucks way back when. People would narrow them to get the diff centered to run a center drop case most of the time. Taking 7" out of the long side would make it where you would run short side shafts on both sides. 95% of the time people would break the short side because the short side shafts don't allow any deflection due to their length. This resulted in a shortage of short sides since there wasn't as much aftermarket support besides Ouverson.

If I had continued with mud riding, I was going to try and add 7" to the short side and flip the hubs in. This would allow me to run 2 long side shafts. Would still be pretty wide, but worth it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

fordcontraption01 · Sep 16, 2016

zayne2427 said:
Seen several done that way. My 14 bolt rear steer axles that Ben Minded built several years ago has Rockwell outers and runs rockwell short side shafts on both sides

how does the brake setup work on that? I've thought about cutting the ends off my rocks and putting them on 14 bolts but don't know how to get brakes to work with 15" inch wheels because it would e the same setup I run now but I would rather have wheel brakes rather than pinion brakes because I have been know to brake a front shaft and rear shaft at the same time. When that happens I have a Detroit locker in the front so it comes open and then I just have one tire with brakes at times

blacksheep10 · Sep 16, 2016

fordcontraption01 said:
how does the brake setup work on that? I've thought about cutting the ends off my rocks and putting them on 14 bolts but don't know how to get brakes to work with 15" inch wheels because it would e the same setup I run now but I would rather have wheel brakes rather than pinion brakes because I have been know to brake a front shaft and rear shaft at the same time. When that happens I have a Detroit locker in the front so it comes open and then I just have one tire with brakes at times

14 bolt hubs on rock outers. regular 3/4t front rotors with wilwood calipers. Custom drive flange. 2 ways to do it, spin the rock spindle down to 14B dimensions and put a sleeve on for the seal, or cut a flange and weld the 14B tube/spindle into it to make a bolt on spindle. Put rock side gears in the 14b carrier, weld up. Some have said there are detroit parts that swap if you want a locker, or have some arb sides broached if you can get blanks.