JKUR broken rear axle shaft

JFLAMBERT

New member
Hello,

Last trip I made to JJUSA in Bethel Maine I broke my rear left axle shaft on my first day losing my whole week end....

I was full lock in a steep rock garden and was slowly going reverse to get in better position and axle suddently snap...

I have a 2016 JKUR stock gears on stock 44 with 37 inch STT Pro tires. My dealership cover the shaft under warranty so nice but I dont want that to happen again so I was wondering if getting chromoly shafts is really worth it and would have saved my week end?

If chromo shafts are really needed to run 37 do you have any recommendations?

Thanks
 

JFLAMBERT

New member
In what manner did it break? Twisted spline snapped in by the carrier?
Snap by the flange?

Sent from my SM-G950U using WAYALIFE mobile app

Unfortunately I wasnt there when dealership chage it and they wasnt able to told me. But I think it wasnt snap by the flange since I was able to run around a mile on it to get out of the trail. Pretty sure near the carrier.

Why are you asking?
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
It's a shame you didn't see the break as you could have learned a few things from it. If I could guess, you had twisted splines before getting to Bethel and then it finally let go on the trail. Chromoly shafts would be stronger but more splines would be even better. Of course, to do that, you'd need to be running a different locker/carrier.
 

wjtstudios

Hooked
If you were able to drive it at all, it wasn’t broken, just severely bent. When a SF breaks, the wheel practically and can fall off the Jeep.

There are better shafts out there from Revolution, Ten Factory, and Carbon. But no matter what, it will always be a risk. Check out this thread:

Dynatrac ProFloat XD60[emoji769] Axle
https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=58840

Not for the ProFloat, but for the discussion of how and why a Semi Float Axle can fail. All Jeeps come from the factory with SF rear axles. But when you really start pushing your Jeep on bigger tires, going to a full float axle is a very good idea.


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler
 

jdofmemi

Active Member
If you were able to drive it at all, it wasn’t broken, just severely bent. When a SF breaks, the wheel practically and can fall off the Jeep.

There are better shafts out there from Revolution, Ten Factory, and Carbon. But no matter what, it will always be a risk. Check out this thread:

Dynatrac ProFloat XD60[emoji769] Axle
https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=58840

Not for the ProFloat, but for the discussion of how and why a Semi Float Axle can fail. All Jeeps come from the factory with SF rear axles. But when you really start pushing your Jeep on bigger tires, going to a full float axle is a very good idea.


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler

Not to argue, but the way the wedding band holds the bearing to the shaft, if the break is by the splines, you can still drive it, at least on a JK.

I broke a shaft last year in Big Bear, and drove the rest of the trail, plus all the way home with no problem.

The design of the shaft is such that if it fails by torque load, it will normally break at or near the splines, so you can still drive.

If it breaks due to a side load or impact load, it may break outboard of the bearing, and the wheel will fall off. This is less likely, as usually it will bend but not break, except for extreme impacts.
 

JFLAMBERT

New member
If you're going to get new shafts, get chromoly. If you're gonna get 60s, get a full float.



--
Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407

Problem is I got a new stock shaft driver side and checked passenger side today and all good splines straight so do I really need to get chromo anyway to avoid breakage ?

I only see bent flanges with stock or SF axles and dont really see any shaft break problem with stock shafts so honnestly when all of you guys build new jeep on 37 with stock axle are you throwing away your axle shafts to get chromo or just replace them with chromo when it broke?


Sent from my iPad using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

wjtstudios

Hooked
Not to argue, but the way the wedding band holds the bearing to the shaft, if the break is by the splines, you can still drive it, at least on a JK.

I broke a shaft last year in Big Bear, and drove the rest of the trail, plus all the way home with no problem.

The design of the shaft is such that if it fails by torque load, it will normally break at or near the splines, so you can still drive.

If it breaks due to a side load or impact load, it may break outboard of the bearing, and the wheel will fall off. This is less likely, as usually it will bend but not break, except for extreme impacts.

Valid point. I was thinking and describing an outer break verses at the spline.


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler
 

BaddestCross

Active Member
Problem is I got a new stock shaft driver side and checked passenger side today and all good splines straight so do I really need to get chromo anyway to avoid breakage ?

I only see bent flanges with stock or SF axles and dont really see any shaft break problem with stock shafts so honnestly when all of you guys build new jeep on 37 with stock axle are you throwing away your axle shafts to get chromo or just replace them with chromo when it broke?


Sent from my iPad using WAYALIFE mobile app
I waited for my bent flanges to annoy me to the point I felt like spending money on chromoly. Installed them with my 1st set of 37s.

Knock on wood, I haven't had a bent flange since, and I've never broken a shaft. Of course, I'm not a "send it" kind of driver, so there's that.



--
Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
 

wjtstudios

Hooked
I waited for my bent flanges to annoy me to the point I felt like spending money on chromoly. Installed them with my 1st set of 37s.

Knock on wood, I haven't had a bent flange since, and I've never broken a shaft. Of course, I'm not a "send it" kind of driver, so there's that.



--
Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407

And you have a skills in a nimble two door!

Weight and speed were always my killer with bent flanges. 50 mph down a dirt road and I’d catch a pot hole or wash out wrong and that was it. Revolution did great for me warranting them.


2015 JKUR AEV JK350
1985 CJ8 Scrambler
 
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