Revolution Gear Supply Chain Update

There are two reasons to kill and skin a rabbit. One is to eat it, and the other is to put up the fur. In either case, expedience of method trumps elegance of method. Sometimes elegance and expedience meet, but if they don't, elegance will more often then not fall out. Same with manufacturing methods.
See, we have different meanings for the word elegant. Elegant is where the design delivers everything you need, nothing you don't, and does so at a price point that is right where it delivers everything you need and nothing you don't without excess cost.
 
Excellent post (#40), Mr. Blaine! I'm new to Jeeps and straight axle vehicles, but not to vehicle design, so I'm not at all familiar with the history of axles. Your post sounds like many, many stories in my career. For the vehicle (or aftermarket part) design engineer, the marketing folks were not always helpful. Sometimes I'd cringe when the new model year brochures came out...
 
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See, we have different meanings for the word elegant. Elegant is where the design delivers everything you need, nothing you don't, and does so at a price point that is right where it delivers everything you need and nothing you don't without excess cost.
I don't think we're that far apart. It's just that I had bean counters breathing down my neck most of the time. That incessant push for lower cost is like brainwashing...
 
I'm no longer in vehicle design, and I finally have the funds to do a cool project for myself, so the only one counting beans is me!
 
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I don't think we're that far apart. It's just that I had bean counters breathing down my neck most of the time. That incessant push for lower cost is like brainwashing...
We all have bean counters somewhere in the mix. I can design lots of things for the TJ, if I let myself run wild, I can price myself right out of the market. That is especially true on the R&D into protype phase of a product. My greatest skill in design is just how cost effectively I can get something into prototype and first article status.

Some of the stuff I've done have astoundingly low R&D costs. Oddly, some of the folks I have done them for have zero appreciation for how much talent that takes. I took the first aluminum snatch block I did for TRE from concept in my head to functional prototype to flesh out and test the design for less than 1000 dollars. They weren't happy about that. To put that sorta into perspective, the same pulley and axle are essentially unchanged from that original design except for a few small bits to improve some dimensional errors which were minor and only done to make me feel better about the tolerances.

I did the Superior Ford 8.8 C-clip eliminator off of one aluminum prototype (faster to machine to cut costs) that got converted to a single steel prototype, and one axle drawing that was never changed after the first one.
 
Nothing new, I will be contacting them soon for an update and will post here when I do that.
So, I called Revolution this afternoon. Here's what I gleaned (I've posted my original post below, for reference):

  • USA Made Front Axles won't be available any time soon. They did visit the supplier as noted below, but it wasn't encouraging. He quoted six months. I'm still going to wait, but, man, this stinks.
  • Gears are about a week out, but bearings are a few weeks longer. Since the re-gear kits need bearings, it'll be a few more weeks.
  • He also noted that they just received a shipment of their offshore front axles, but they're not received, yet, so they don't know what they have.
I also called T and J about the Barnett Covers. No real news there, either. I think I may be dead and in the ground before I get this LJ build done :cry:

Back in December, I contacted Revolution Gear to order chromoly axles front and rear and a 4.88 re-gear kit for my LJ Rubicon. They had the rear axles in stock and shipped them within days, but the front axles and re-gear kits were out of stock with no definite delivery date. They apparently had the inner axle shafts and U-joints, but were waiting for the outers. Today, I called them to see if they had an update for me, and I thought I'd pass along what I was told.

Front axles - their supplier has gone dark and won't respond to them. Apparently, they are actually sending a human to the facility to see if they can get some answers. I'm going to call them back in about a month and see what news they have. Fortunately, I have so many elements of my build that many of these supply-chain issues won't affect me much - to a point. As I knock off the to-do list, I have a sneaky feeling that I'm going to eventually come to a stand-still. These supply-chain issues so do challenge a feller!

Re-gear kits - the supplier is pumping them out, but the issue is getting them shipped. Apparently the container ship issues will be with us for a while. He did say that they expect them in early March, so that's a better situation than the axle situation.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass this info on. I also called T and J today about the Barnett covers, but the sales rep just got in from KOHs and was still getting caught up. If he calls me back, I'll start a new thread with an update on those, too, because I know I'm not the only one trying to get my arthritic hands on a couple of those!
 
Appreciate the update sab. In the same boat. Feels like I've been chasing/waiting on a 5.13 set for a year. Last mechanical item on my ljr build and it's driving me nuts
 
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Appreciate the update sab. In the same boat. Feels like I've been chasing/waiting on a 5.13 set for a year. Last mechanical item on my ljr build and it's driving me nuts
Once you do get 'em (or another reputable brand for that matter) and break them in, you'll forget the wait.
 
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Interesting update I forgot to mention previously (I don't think it's old news, but could be - if so, I apologize) - The last time I called Revolution, the phone message said, "Thank you for calling CHA Industries, home of ProActive Gear and Revolution Gear & Axle." I'd not noticed that before. I think that's a recent change (CHA buying Revolution).

One thing I've learned over the years is that when mergers and acquisitions occur, things change. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. What's the forum's feeling about ProActive Gear? Any issues?
 
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Interesting update I forgot to mention previously (I don't think it's old news, but could be - if so, I apologize) - The last time I called Revolution, the phone message said, "Thank you for calling CHA Industries, home of ProActive Gear and Revolution Gear & Axle." I'd not noticed that before. I think that's a recent change (CHA buying Revolution).
The only reason Revolution exists is so CHA industries has a direct to consumer sales outlet. They have been owned by CHA from day one.
One thing I've learned over the years is that when mergers and acquisitions occur, things change. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. What's the forum's feeling about ProActive Gear? Any issues?
I don't know anything about Proactive Gear.
 
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Interesting update I forgot to mention previously (I don't think it's old news, but could be - if so, I apologize) - The last time I called Revolution, the phone message said, "Thank you for calling CHA Industries, home of ProActive Gear and Revolution Gear & Axle." I'd not noticed that before. I think that's a recent change (CHA buying Revolution).

One thing I've learned over the years is that when mergers and acquisitions occur, things change. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. What's the forum's feeling about ProActive Gear? Any issues?

I believe it's been that way since at least the summer (when I started talking to them). Edit: see Blaine's response above.

Also, when I spoke to R&G's rep last week I mentioned that I read about their Discovery (India sourced) axles expected to arrive at some point (I believe I saw the comment in this thread).

The Rep said that they really don't want that information shared publicly because it's basically a hopeful eta that could get bumped if the supplier doesn't come through (they can only go off of what they are told until they arrive).
 
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Well, it's good to know it's not a recent merger. There are enough market forces at work already!

There were two pieces of information leading me to think otherwise - I didn't remember the outgoing phone message in previous calls, and the human dispatched to the axle manufacturer to get a response (see my first post) was described as "Revolution's former owner" to me by the rep. I didn't note it in my initial post because it wasn't relevant.
 
Another update on the Revolution Gear supply chain issues. The 4.88 kit I ordered is supposed to be shipping after the superfinishing is done by the end of the week! Another forum member placed an order last week and was told that he got the last kit until more bearings arrive. So, it appears that parts are starting to trickle in. However, the USA front axle shafts I've had on order since the holidays are still at least three months out.
 
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Another update on the Revolution Gear supply chain issues. The 4.88 kit I ordered is supposed to be shipping after the superfinishing is done by the end of the week! Another forum member placed an order last week and was told that he got the last kit until more bearings arrive. So, it appears that parts are starting to trickle in. However, the USA front axle shafts I've had on order since the holidays are still at least three months out.
This is all a bit odd, surely. Why would it be the domestically sourced ones that have the biggest delays?
 
This is all a bit odd, surely. Why would it be the domestically sourced ones that have the biggest delays?
Not really odd at all if you know just a smidgen of the back story and can read between the lines some. The domestic shafts are the bigger u-joint versions. Previous, they were made by Foote Axle and Forge here in SoCal. Foote was acquired and then shut down about a year or so ago. That put Revolution in the position of hoping the new company would still be able to fulfill their orders. So far due to various issues, that hasn't been easy.
 
This is all a bit odd, surely. Why would it be the domestically sourced ones that have the biggest delays?
The variables are endless. My company can't get a particular electrical connector now because GM bought all the supplier could make for the next 2 years.
 
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Not really odd at all if you know just a smidgen of the back story and can read between the lines some. The domestic shafts are the bigger u-joint versions. Previous, they were made by Foote Axle and Forge here in SoCal. Foote was acquired and then shut down about a year or so ago. That put Revolution in the position of hoping the new company would still be able to fulfill their orders. So far due to various issues, that hasn't been easy.
Well that's discouraging. If a new company will be making them, they really aren't the same axles...
 
Well that's discouraging. If a new company will be making them, they really aren't the same axles...
Yes they are because that isn't what Revolution does. They have specs, meet the specs, it is the same axle shaft. FYI- Foote never forged a single yoke based axle the entire time they were in business. They bought raw forgings from folks like Ulven and then did the machining, splining, and heat treating in house. As I understand it, the new company does in house forgings for the yoke based axle shafts which I view as a plus.