Welded u-joints

[Hopper]

I had a u joint cap walk out on the front driver axle. I have an auto locked Dana 30. I would like to go chromoly with circle clips but can't justify the cost until work picks up. Want to get Yalls input on these little plates tack welded over the caps.
https://www.ironrockoffroad.com/product/almost-alloy-kit.html

 

[NashvilleTJ]

It seems to me that welding the caps with the u joints in place would melt the seals, and then guarantee you are replacing the entire shaft in the case of a u joint failure.

I also can't see how that reenforces the ears. That is not the location of the bend when they fail

I may be missing something, but I don't get it.

If you were planning just to tack them in place to retain the caps and hold you over until you replace the shafts, why not just tack the caps?

 

[Hopper]

It seems to me that welding the caps with the u joints in place would melt the seals, and then guarantee you are replacing the entire shaft in the case of a u joint failure.

I may be missing something, but I don't get it.

Ive seen people tack directly on the caps on a truck. This is a plate that sits over the cap and the sides of the caps are stacked. But yeah heat would be a concern so tack, cool tack, cool.

 

[02GreenTJ]

I always tack welded the caps of my u joints to my axle shafts. Really helped keep that from happening. In about 5 years of hard wheeling on 35s locked with stock shafts I only broke two shafts and that was me being stupid and it was full lock in an undercut. Before tacking them the clips would eject and leave the caps walking out. I also always carried a full set of spares unit bearings and all!

 

[jjvw]

The u joint cap walked out because the yoke is deformed. Welding stuff to the yoke does not change that the yoke is deformed causing the u joint cross and cap to be out of alignment.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Ive seen people tack directly on the caps on a truck. This is a plate that sits over the cap and the sides of the caps are stacked. But yeah heat would be a concern so tack, cool tack, cool.

Beat me to it, Hopp. I added that to my post while you were posting.

 

[mrblaine]

I always tack welded the caps of my u joints to my axle shafts. Really helped keep that from happening. In about 5 years of hard wheeling on 35s locked with stock shafts I only broke two shafts and that was me being stupid and it was full lock in an undercut. Before tacking them the clips would eject and leave the caps walking out. I also always carried a full set of spares unit bearings and all!

And had you ever gotten over your stubborness, you would not have broken a good set of alloy shafts so there is that. I don't want to break on the trail if I can help it. What I can do to help it is not run shit shafts.

 

[Hopper]

I dont run this thing hard anyway. The yokes looked fine when I recently replaced the u joints. I think the detroit locker puts just enough stress to flex and push the c clip out, then the cap just walks out turn by turn. Think I will just order these plates and tack them in, then order some good shafts in a few months and keep these for back up.

 

[mrblaine]

I dont run this thing hard anyway. The yokes looked fine when I recently replaced the u joints. I think the detroit locker puts just enough stress to flex and push the c clip out, then the cap just walks out turn by turn. Think I will just order these plates and tack them in, then order some good shafts in a few months and keep these for back up.

Yokes work mostly on interference fit. If the cap is leaving, the yoke has lost interference and is entirely dependent upon the snap ring for retention which is a poor way to do things. One of the reasons alloy shafts break far less is the material is tough enough to retain the caps by maintaining the interference fit.

 

[02GreenTJ]

And had you ever gotten over your stubborness, you would not have broken a good set of alloy shafts so there is that. I don't want to break on the trail if I can help it. What I can do to help it is not run shit shafts.

Maybe, I've seen both tj/xj and jk dana 30/44 alloy shafts break at both the shaft and ears when locked on 35s; however, they were always Yukon, Motive Gear, or similar in quality. I'm also not denying that they're shit, but they survived probably 10 JV trips and even more trips to the sierras (Rubicon, Fordyce, Shaver trails). It was purely due to the fact that I was running a lunchbox locker, low pinion front, and knew that I was replacing the entire axle eventually; so I didn't want to spend the money on alloy shafts. I always kept a complete set of spares because they were free and always made sure to have unit bearings installed so that replacing them was a 15 minute delay, which happened twice since I started wheeling the thing in 2017. Prior to years of abuse the caps would stay seated. Your comment on the interference fit is right on the money and the shafts slowly lost that. I'm merely saying I think it helped keep the shafts alive and I never had the issue with backing out clips after tack welding (also it was free). I now have alloy shafts with full circle clips on my JK 44.

 

[srimes]

I had a u joint cap walk out on the front driver axle. I have an auto locked Dana 30. I would like to go chromoly with circle clips but can't justify the cost until work picks up. Want to get Yalls input on these little plates tack welded over the caps.
https://www.ironrockoffroad.com/product/almost-alloy-kit.html

Did the same thing with fender washers on my XJ. Keeps the yokes from stretching.

But it won't unstretch a yoke that's stretched out.