Rear Axel Failure!!

Hell_Fire

New member
Hey guys, has anyone here seen an Axel failure like this before? I was on a very steep incline when the failure occurred, too my knowledge isn't it that the weakest part always fail first, 1. U-joints 2. Side Shafts 3. Ring and pinion. Not the whole diff housing rotating 45deg up.

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I see little to no plug weld to hold the pumpkin to the tubes.... or am I missing something?

The right hand drive is messing with my head ;)
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
If you didn't break two control arms, the rosette welds on your diff housing broke and allowed the tubes to spin free of it. Is it safe to assume you were giving it hell and had some axle hop going on?
 

Hell_Fire

New member
Ha ha ha mind boggle, never say I don't keep you guys on your toes lol, No there was no hopping, the JK just died on the incline for no reason, started sliding backwards, managed to keep it from sliding sideways and pushed it into a side slope to stop the slide, got it started again drove it out the obstacle with a bit of speed and heard a massive noise, and that is what I came across.

I also think the diff was never tick welded.
 
Looking on the bright side.... You can now rotate the tubes for good spring perch alignment and reset pinion angle before re-welding. (If it ever was)

Seems like a pretty odd break. Although I can tell you my plug (rosette) welds look pretty chintzy.

In theory, there really shouldn't be much more to deal with beyond the new rear shaft, but I would definitely open the case to have a "looksee".
 

Hell_Fire

New member
Well that's what they need to prove now, or at least Jeep South Africa needs to prove it was in fact welded, I am just curious as to if anyone has had a similar failure, no one here has seen a diff do that.
 
Well that's what they need to prove now, or at least Jeep South Africa needs to prove it was in fact welded, I am just curious as to if anyone has had a similar failure, no one here has seen a diff do that.

I have seen three failures like this. None on Jeeps. All at the drag strip and two with a BUNCH of wheel hop as previously eluded to with Eddie's response. The third was from a newly built axle that had custom narrowed tubes. (Safe to say poorly welded.)

In fairness though, I am fairly new to the Jeep thing so I'm interested in other responses.
 

Hell_Fire

New member
I am still convinced, that the sideshafts should go before the whole pumpkin twists, even the control arms should go before that goes.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
The last time I saw this happen was on piginajeep's JK on the JKX. This is when he busted his drive shafts and tie rod on that steep climb with a bump half way up. The rosette welds on all factory axles are more like robot tacks and not even very good ones at that. Glad to hear you got off the trail without too much fuss but it sounds like you're in need of a new rear end.
 

Hell_Fire

New member
The last time I saw this happen was on piginajeep's JK on the JKX. This is when he busted his drive shafts and tie rod on that steep climb with a bump half way up. The rosette welds on all factory axles are more like robot tacks and not even very good ones at that. Glad to hear you got off the trail without too much fuss but it sounds like you're in need of a new rear end.

Oooo was that what happened to him as well, so it isn't really that rare then, yeah I will need a new Axel but it's $$$$ here, that's why I am pushing for Jeep too fix it on the grounds that there was no welds on the Axel.
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
I am still convinced, that the sideshafts should go before the whole pumpkin twists, even the control arms should go before that goes.

Mine spun about an inch, arms were fine. The only thing that broke was the driveshaft. I'm still running the axle, just added adjustable control arms.

I can't imagine how much throttle was needed to spin it that much!!'
 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass
Oooo was that what happened to him as well, so it isn't really that rare then, yeah I will need a new Axel but it's $$$$ here, that's why I am pushing for Jeep too fix it on the grounds that there was no welds on the Axel.

My dealer laughed, I can't argue as I'm running 37's. Trail 60 is on the list
 

Hell_Fire

New member
My dealer laughed, I can't argue as I'm running 37's. Trail 60 is on the list

Ha ha ha well that's pretty much what I got from them aswell lol, I am also running 37s maybe I can just get the guys to push it back an weld it properly seeing as nothing els broke, you also got lucky on that, the Axel was almost the last worry on your mind lol, I would have left a little skid on the seat lol
 

CH10

New member
Two of the guys here in El Paso that I'm aware of have had the diff rotated up. Both were 2012 models and in both cases they were off of the trail and on the road when they found it. Neither felt any difference driving, it was the driveshaft smoking that gave it away.
 

Cschueren

New member
That is correct, the 2012 out of El Paso have been giving some problems. One had 37" and the other 35".

Holy Crap, mines a 2012!!!!!
 

suicideking

New member
That is correct, the 2012 out of El Paso have been giving some problems. One had 37" and the other 35".

Holy Crap, mines a 2012!!!!!

I have a '12. How do you tell if it came out of El Paso and/or if it needs to be fixed? It's just an area that needs to be welded?
 
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