Hey All ! So .. This is the second time it’s happened, probably my fault for not turning my E-locker off while making a hard left on a very soft rock island . I have 33’s and I was just looking to get a new half shaft . Anyone have any suggestions on maybe a stronger option? Thanks in advance! Kurt
Shredded my Dana 30 Front Axle Shaft Assembly; Driver Side
- Thread starter Keg
- Start date
what exactly is a 'soft rock island', and what exactly did you shred? There is no shortage of bigger stronger axles you could put in but given the rarity of issues with D30s on 33s it seems something else might be going on here...
A island basically made of gravel that is soft , you tend to sink down, just real soft . Pictures tell 1000 words so here goes
holy shit you weren't kidding 
. I really don't know how that sort of thing happens on a soft surface as you've described. It would seem to me there has to be a shock to the shaft to rip it apart like that, the kind of shock you experience when the wheel suddenly gains traction, or when bouncing. A free spinning tire in mud or soft gravel shouldn't be putting much stress on that shaft. Are you telling us the whole story 
Consider upgrading the shafts to chromoly, many here will recommend RGA 27 spline because they're a direct swap and require no additional parts. But if you've got an e-locker up there it sounds like you probably already have those, unless the locker you were referring to was in the rear? RGA makes a 30 spline front shaft too but that'll require a whole lotta new parts. Moving to a TJ Dana 44 front isn't going to help as it'll have the same parts at your point of failure (not 100% sure on this, someone will correct if necessary), so a whole new housing seems like the next step.
. I really don't know how that sort of thing happens on a soft surface as you've described. It would seem to me there has to be a shock to the shaft to rip it apart like that, the kind of shock you experience when the wheel suddenly gains traction, or when bouncing. A free spinning tire in mud or soft gravel shouldn't be putting much stress on that shaft. Are you telling us the whole story Consider upgrading the shafts to chromoly, many here will recommend RGA 27 spline because they're a direct swap and require no additional parts. But if you've got an e-locker up there it sounds like you probably already have those, unless the locker you were referring to was in the rear? RGA makes a 30 spline front shaft too but that'll require a whole lotta new parts. Moving to a TJ Dana 44 front isn't going to help as it'll have the same parts at your point of failure (not 100% sure on this, someone will correct if necessary), so a whole new housing seems like the next step.
Yes sir I promise that’s the whole store .. like I said I should have not hit the accelerator so hard while the front E-locker was on and I was turning hard left . I have never upgraded the axels and that’s kind of the advice I was looking for . Thank you !
Looks like a u-joint failure which led to shearing the ears off of your shafts. 4340 chromolly shafts and spicer 5-760x u-joints will probably solve your worries.
This. Mainly because stock shafts do not take full circle clips on U-joints. The c-clips spit out and its a fun ride from there. Chromoly shafts will accept full circle clips. Make sure whatever you do, use full circle clips.
X2, 4340 chromoly 27 spline shafts need to be in your short-term future.
Failures there are usually caused by the non-hardened OE axle shaft ears failing first which releases the u-joint to spin and bust up everything in its path. The world's strongest Dana 30 u-joint like a CTM can't prevent that kind of failure.
This shows mine, you can see where the ear broke when I was also at full turn-lock while giving a bit too much gas. We were doing some very low-speed rock crawling so things were quiet enough that everyone heard the 'TINK' as it failed. Had I been hammering the gas mine probably would have looked like Keg's.
Wow man ! Thanks for the pictures and the information! I appreciate it ! Kurt