What are the best rear axle shafts

dahreno · Jan 6, 2013

I have bent my rear pass. side axle shaft and need to replace it . Dealer wants $600 for one shaft only, excluding installation ! For that price I could buy RCV 300m shafts and never have to worry about it again ! But I am only running 35s and just want Chromolly shafts and I don't know which are the best . Also there are 4140 Chromolly , and 4340 , I think 4340 are stronger . There are - G2 , Ten Factory , Superior , Alloy USA , to name a few .I guess I should say that I have a 2008 JKUR . I would like to hear from people that have tried Chromolly axles , do pretty major rock crawling , not armchair pontificators . Real world experience only please . Thanks for any information you may provide !

The Wandering Jeeper · Jan 6, 2013

I'll get blasted here but I like my RCV's and wouldn't trade them for anything. This is based on real world use on the rocks.

rinkishjk · Jan 6, 2013

I just recently ordered rear alloy shafts. I havent got them just yet, but they were about 500. I wheel in the rocks and i bent my rear flange as u did. I dont think I will have any issues with the chromo shafts.

MTG · Jan 6, 2013

bdmckenna said:
I'll get blasted here but I like my RCV's and wouldn't trade them for anything. This is based on real world use on the rocks.

I don't think you'll get blasted. Some will argue they are not worth the money. Whether they are worth it is completely relative.

I'm subscribed because I need to upgrade mine as well.

RCV does make a 300M rear shaft, but I'd have to swap out my locker to Arb and don't want to do that yet. I'd prefer to stay stock and run my factory shafts as spares.

The Wandering Jeeper · Jan 6, 2013

I guess the one thing I like about RCV is their customer service. No questions asked and overnight replacements. Now that being said, I only have worn out those orange CV covers and they sent them to me overnight on a Saturday. I was impressed. When I ordered my D60's I spec'd RCV's for those too.

biggy · Jan 6, 2013

I bent a flange as well. I went with Foote chromos from Northridge.

Neptune · Jan 6, 2013

dahreno said:
Also there are 4140 Chromolly , and 4340 , I think 4340 are stronger .!

4140 is more stonger if you have static load becouse this alloy made with more carbon
but 4340 have other elements and less carbon, as made for more dinamical loading and if you plane jumping and heavy crowling(agressive) you will use 4340
for myself I use 4340 US Alloys

Prime8 · Jan 6, 2013

Neptune said:
4140 is more stonger if you have static load becouse this alloy made with more carbon
but 4340 have other elements and less carbon, as made for more dinamical loading and if you plane jumping and heavy crowling(agressive) you will use 4340
for myself I use 4340 US Alloys

This is incorrect. The "40" at the end of both 4140 and 4340 refers to the carbon content. Both of those alloys have an average of 0.40 carbon. The 41xx series is a chromium-molybdenum steel, otherwise known as chromoly. It is used heavily in the auto industry and in tooling. The 43xx series is also a chromium-molybdenum steel, but it also has nickel. The addition of nickel is expensive but serves to harden the steel. Sometimes it pays off being a metallurgist.

For a brief metallurgical run down, check out the two reference pages below.

http://books.google.com/books?id=6V...O8A&dq=43xx+steel+properties&output=html_text

http://books.google.com/books?id=6V...O8A&dq=43xx+steel+properties&output=html_text

wayoflife · Jan 6, 2013

dahreno said:
I have bent my rear pass. side axle shaft and need to replace it . Dealer wants $600 for one shaft only, excluding installation !

So, why not look for a used 44 shaft that's in good shape? There are lot's of guys who've upgraded to something more expensive and might be willing to free up some space in their garage for cheap.

For that price I could buy RCV 300m shafts and never have to worry about it again !

You'll forgive me but, we're talking about a semi-float Dana 44 rear shaft - not some kind of super shaft made out of alien kryptonic alloy. If you wheel hard enough, flanges BEND.

I would like to hear from people that have tried Chromolly axles , do pretty major rock crawling , not armchair pontificators . Real world experience only please . Thanks for any information you may provide !

I have run both Alloy USA and Foote and both worked about as well as stock and that's saying a lot because for what they are, I have found stock to perform exceptionally well. :yup:

wayoflife · Jan 6, 2013

bdmckenna said:
I'll get blasted here but I like my RCV's and wouldn't trade them for anything. This is based on real world use on the rocks.

:cheesy: Well, if I "blast" you for anything, it'll be for you saying that you'll get blasted here just for expressing your opinion.

MTG said:
I don't think you'll get blasted. Some will argue they are not worth the money. Whether they are worth it is completely relative.

For a set of rear Dana 44 semi-float shafts that cost upwards of $1200? Yeah, not exactly what I'd be throwing my money at but hey, that's just my opinion.

RCV does make a 300M rear shaft, but I'd have to swap out my locker to Arb and don't want to do that yet. I'd prefer to stay stock and run my factory shafts as spares.

Don't worry, now that you're running 37's, your factory rear locker will go sooner than later

Having said that, I too would rather stay stock and run factory shafts as a spare until I could afford to upgrade to a ProRock 60. But of course, that's just me. :yup:

rinkishjk said:
I just recently ordered rear alloy shafts. I havent got them just yet, but they were about 500. I wheel in the rocks and i bent my rear flange as u did. I dont think I will have any issues with the chromo shafts.

But, that's $500 for the PAIR. A Pair of RCV 300M will set you back about $1200 for the pair.

bdmckenna said:
I guess the one thing I like about RCV is their customer service. No questions asked and overnight replacements. Now that being said, I only have worn out those orange CV covers and they sent them to me overnight on a Saturday. I was impressed. When I ordered my D60's I spec'd RCV's for those too.

I guess the one thing I like about the competition Foote shafts with CTM u-joints that I have in my ProRock 60 is that I haven't had to call customer service for anything since getting them over 3 years ago. With over 60,000 miles on them, I guess I can say that I'm really impressed. Of course, none of those miles are based on real world use on the rocks - Just teasin

dahreno · Jan 6, 2013

Thanks Prime8 and Wayoflife you guys make the most sense . No offense to anyone else . I have found some factory shafts locally that are brand new as in never used , for really cheap . I think I would rather spend a little more money for chromolly , just because I think they will hold up a little better . I can tell you for the amount of money the guy wants for the ones I found locally vs. what the dealer wants is ridiculous !The stock axles are very tempting just to have for that price .By the way , I have not looked into it yet , but I guess I'll ask now , how hard are they to change ? Is it something I could attemped to change at home with the right tools ? I had new ball joints installed by a friend once and with the right tools I would now attempt it again by myself , so I would imagine the rears are alot easier ?

wayoflife · Jan 6, 2013

dahreno said:
I have found some factory shafts locally that are brand new as in never used , for really cheap .

I would take them.

I think I would rather spend a little more money for chromolly , just because I think they will hold up a little better .

You can think that but, I have NOT seen that to be the case. The shafts themselves might be stronger BUT, I have yet to personally see a factory shaft break at the shaft. Not saying that it can't happen, just that it doesn't happen enough to be something everyone is scrambling to address. What I can tell you is that I have seen plenty of flanges bend REGARDLESS if they are chromoly or not. It's just the nature of the beast.

I can tell you for the amount of money the guy wants for the ones I found locally vs. what the dealer wants is ridiculous !

For the price your dealership wants, you could get a brand new PAIR of chromoly shafts.

I have not looked into it yet , but I guess I'll ask now , how hard are they to change ? Is it something I could attemped to change at home with the right tools ? I had new ball joints installed by a friend once and with the right tools I would now attempt it again by myself , so I would imagine the rears are alot easier ?

So long as you have the bearings and tone ring already pressed on, the install is super easy. If you get the shafts without them pressed on, you'll want to take them to a shop to have it done or find a friend who has a shop press to do it. Otherwise, just a few simple tools and about half an hour of your time is all that you'll need to do both sides.

dahreno · Jan 6, 2013

Don't you think that there is less of a chance of them bending at the flange when they are made of chromolly . I mean given the same amount of stress , I would think factory shafts would bend faster than chromolly . What says you Wayoflife ?

wayoflife · Jan 6, 2013

dahreno said:
Don't you think that there is less of a chance of them bending at the flange when they are made of chromolly . I mean given the same amount of stress , I would think factory shafts would bend faster than chromolly . What says you Wayoflife ?

I have not seen this to be the case. I have personally run chromoly shafts of two different makes and seen them bend at the flange and I have seen plenty of other chromoly shafts of all makes with bent flanges. If you play hard enough, you cannot make a semi-float shaft behave like a full-float. The JK is a heavy vehicle and when you build it up, it becomes that much heavier. It would be one thing if your shafts only needed to be concerned with turning your tires but, on a semi-float shaft, they have to support the weight of your vehicle as well.

The Wandering Jeeper · Jan 6, 2013

wayoflife said:
I guess the one thing I like about the competition Foote shafts with CTM u-joints that I have in my ProRock 60 is that I haven't had to call customer service for anything since getting them over 3 years ago. With over 60,000 miles on them, I guess I can say that I'm really impressed. Of course, none of those miles are based on real world use on the rocks - Just teasin

Touche Eddie! :clap2:

Prime8 · Jan 6, 2013

wayoflife said:
I have not seen this to be the case. I have personally run chromoly shafts of two different makes and seen them bend at the flange and I have seen plenty of other chromoly shafts of all makes with bent flanges. If you play hard enough, you cannot make a semi-float shaft behave like a full-float. The JK is a heavy vehicle and when you build it up, it becomes that much heavier. It would be one thing if your shafts only needed to be concerned with turning your tires but, on a semi-float shaft, they have to support the weight of your vehicle as well.

Correct. Given that bent flanges are typically a single cycle overload failure, if the chromoly shafts are 10% stronger than stock (not sure of the actual figure, just a guess), but the force is 2 times the tensile strength, both shafts will fail. Large forces will make parts fail, period. With a nominal strength increase, there is only a small window where the stock shafts would fail and the chromolies would not.

dahreno · Jan 6, 2013

What I'm saying is the 4140 chromolly's are 35 % stronger and the 4340 is 40% stronger , so they say . So I would think if I put a force that will bend a stock shaft that the chromolly's will take 35 , to 40 % more force to bend . Why else would one pay the extra money on chromolly shafts if they are going to bend at the same exact force ? I would think they will take more force to bend than the stock shafts . Don't get me wrong , I have put alot of force on the stock shafts for over 5 years and they have done very well , but I think going chromolly will give me more strenth given the same force. By the way , wayoflife , you have chomo axles now right ?

wayoflife · Jan 6, 2013

dahreno said:
What I'm saying is the 4140 chromolly's are 35 % stronger and the 4340 is 40% stronger , so they say . So I would think if I put a force that will bend a stock shaft that the chromolly's will take 35 , to 40 % more force to bend . Why else would one pay the extra money on chromolly shafts if they are going to bend at the same exact force ? I would think they will take more force to bend than the stock shafts . Don't get me wrong , I have put alot of force on the stock shafts for over 5 years and they have done very well , but I think going chromolly will give me more strenth given the same force.

I believe that you're misunderstanding the primary purpose of axle shafts and that is to turn your wheels. Depending on what you're doing, a lot of torque or twisting force can be placed on them and that more than anything will cause a break. Because of this, alloys like chromoly and greater spline counts are utilized to help mitigate the damage that can be caused by this force. While the use of chromoly may offer a bit more sheer and yield strength, there really isn't a whole lot you can do to prevent a flange from bending without redesigning or changing it's size and/or cross section. But, you don't have to take my word for it. Either way, a pair aftermarket chromoly shafts are still about the same price as just one factory shaft from the dealership and it would definitely make more sense to just get them instead. :yup:

By the way , wayoflife , you have chomo axles now right ?

If you're referring to our Dozer JK, nope, not in the rear. Still running factory shafts there. Up front, I did blow a factory front driver side shaft and have since replaced it with a chromoly shaft with full circle clips. The passenger side shaft is still factory. I don't like to throw money at things that don't need to be replaced but, that's just me :yup:

If you don't like bent axle shafts, you really need to get a full float axle.

dahreno · Jan 7, 2013

Again I want to thank you for the info. and quick response . I don't like spending money where it is not needed either. The guy I know only wants $80 bucks for each factory shaft . I am going to pick them up either way I go ! That is what I call cheap insurance . Without looking it up , I probably just take the diff. cover off , remove the gearset , remove the c clips with the tires , and brakes already removed , and slide the shafts out , right ? I will have to get the tone rings removed from old and have them pressed onto new shafts , then reverse the install . I think I should be able to remove the gearset all together and put in back in without removing anything like shims .Does that sound about right ? anything I'm missing ? Thanks .

wayoflife · Jan 7, 2013

dahreno said:
Again I want to thank you for the info. and quick response . I don't like spending money where it is not needed either. The guy I know only wants $80 bucks for each factory shaft . I am going to pick them up either way I go ! That is what I call cheap insurance . Without looking it up , I probably just take the diff. cover off , remove the gearset , remove the c clips with the tires , and brakes already removed , and slide the shafts out , right ? I will have to get the tone rings removed from old and have them pressed onto new shafts , then reverse the install . I think I should be able to remove the gearset all together and put in back in without removing anything like shims .Does that sound about right ? anything I'm missing ? Thanks .

Whoa, "c-clips"? Just to make sure, you do have a JK right and these are shafts from a JK too? If so, if you have a Rubicon, you will need to make sure the shafts are from a Rubicon too as they are different spline counts and even lengths left to right. If you have an X, Sport or Sahara, you need to make sure the shafts come from one of those and, it won't matter what side you use as they will be the same.

Having said that. You don't need to open up your diff. You just need to do the following:
1. lift your Jeep up from the pumpkin and set your axle on jack stands.
2. Use a 19mm socket to remove your rear wheels.
3. Unplug your ABS lines.
4. Use a pair of vice grips to disconnect your e-brake cables.
5. Use an 18mm wrench to remove the 2 bolts securing your brake calipers - hang caliper with a bungie cord or zip tie.
6. Remove rotor.
7. Use an 18mm wrench to remove the 4 nuts securing the backing plate to the axle.
8. Pull out the axle shaft.

Assuming that the used shafts you're getting are the right ones, everything should still be pressed on and you should be able to just slide them in and re-assemble things.

What are the best rear axle shafts

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