Ultra4 Rigs: Spidertrax axles? And why not Mud Grapplers?

[TrainWreck618]

View attachment 195274

Just a idea of how soft and sticky them k-spec tires are, this is Mel's after the KOH race.

Dang! I know that race is brutal, but I had no clue that's what a set would look like after the race. Insane..

 

[iRonin]

As far as the tires go, all those guys are running stickies (which mud grapplers aren't). Not to mention the mud grapplers suck in the rocks at 20psi which is what these guys run. Mud grapplers are also heavy! My 35's weigh the same if not more than my 37" trail grapplers. Also the mud grapplers are a hard compound not a soft compound. You would be amazed at how soft the sticky 40" trail grapplers are.

Spidertrax are builder axles and are designed to be light weight much like the rigs they're built for. Through it's design, it also provides good ground clearance and that's something you'd want in a place like the hammers. That being said, your JK isn't an Ultra 4 rig and even EVO 1 has gone through a weigh loss program to be more competitive but is still a pig by comparison. With a JK, a bigger and stronger ring and pinion is something you'd want.

Regarding Mud Grapplers, everything that OverlanderJK said is spot on but the one thing he didn't mention is that they do not perform well in loose terrain at high speeds. This is especially true in sharp curves as its tread is not designed to hold you on the course the way a more modern and race designed 40" K-Spec Trail Grappler can.

Nice, this makes a ton of sense, especially around weight savings and the tread design having to perform well in balance with the terrain.

Thanks fellas :beer::beer:

 

[Rancho]

A few reasons the SpiderTrax seem to be the preferred axle in ULTRA4

Drop out center chunk. Imagine breaking a R/P and having to set that up out there. In theory you can just drop your "spare" in out there.
Serviceability too, a lot of guys run BEEFY unit hub bearings too.
Also a lot of ULTRA4 teams use a trophy truck 10" R/P. These don't come cheap, at over $4000 for the chunk but let you run 40+ spline axles too.
In regards to axle housing out there. I have seen all the major players break/bend out there. ULTRA4 is tough on parts, real tough.
Also, as mentioned, sponsorship too.

My next "dream build" is an LJ on Spidertrax's. A man can dream can't he?
:beer: :thinking:

 

[wayoflife]

A few reasons the SpiderTrax seem to be the preferred axle in ULTRA4

Drop out center chunk. Imagine breaking a R/P and having to set that up out there. In theory you can just drop your "spare" in out there.
Serviceability too, a lot of guys run BEEFY unit hub bearings too.
Also a lot of ULTRA4 teams use a trophy truck 10" R/P. These don't come cheap, at over $4000 for the chunk but let you run 40+ spline axles too.
In regards to axle housing out there. I have seen all the major players break/bend out there. ULTRA4 is tough on parts, real tough.
Also, as mentioned, sponsorship too.

My next "dream build" is an LJ on Spidertrax's. A man can dream can't he?
:beer: :thinking:

Great info right here ^^^ :yup:

 

[OverlanderJK]

A few reasons the SpiderTrax seem to be the preferred axle in ULTRA4

Drop out center chunk. Imagine breaking a R/P and having to set that up out there. In theory you can just drop your "spare" in out there.
Serviceability too, a lot of guys run BEEFY unit hub bearings too.
Also a lot of ULTRA4 teams use a trophy truck 10" R/P. These don't come cheap, at over $4000 for the chunk but let you run 40+ spline axles too.
In regards to axle housing out there. I have seen all the major players break/bend out there. ULTRA4 is tough on parts, real tough.
Also, as mentioned, sponsorship too.

My next "dream build" is an LJ on Spidertrax's. A man can dream can't he?
:beer: :thinking:

I've seen someone change a R/P out there. Only cost the team 3 hours. :crazyeyes:

 

[Rancho]

Now that you say this, I remember that one of the teams I was with had to do a R/P on race day too, it was a Currie rear.
And it was over an hour but under 2, but as you know this is a huge disadvantage when you are fighting the time restraint, the elements and getting ahead of other teams.

I've seen someone change a R/P out there. Only cost the team 3 hours. :crazyeyes:

 

[OverlanderJK]

Now that you say this, I remember that one of the teams I was with had to do a R/P on race day too, it was a Currie rear.
And it was over an hour but under 2, but as you know this is a huge disadvantage when you are fighting the time restraint, the elements and getting ahead of other teams.

Game changer for sure. Minutes for a 3rd member, hours for a r/p.

 

[Rancho]

If it was me, this is what would happen,
"Hey Matt grab that spare 10" R/P now!!!"
Me, " I am on it!!!"
Runs to the trailer and grabs it, "Boy this is slippery and heavy....."
And I drop it on a rock chip it and cover it in dirt....
:cheesy:

Game changer for sure. Minutes for a 3rd member, hours for a r/p.

 

[wayoflife]

If it was me, this is what would happen,
"Hey Matt grab that spare 10" R/P now!!!"
Me, " I am on it!!!"
Runs to the trailer and grabs it, "Boy this is slippery and heavy....."
And I drop it on a rock chip it and cover it in dirt....
:cheesy:

Kinda sounds more like you're speaking from experience than imagining a scenario :shock: :crazyeyes:

 

[iRonin]

Kinda sounds more like you're speaking from experience than imagining a scenario :shock: :crazyeyes:

rofl that's what I thought

 

[Rancho]

Ha!!!! Never happened honestly.
Imagine if that did and I had to pay for that?
:icon_crazy:

 

[OverlanderJK]

Ha!!!! Never happened honestly.
Imagine if that did and I had to pay for that?
:icon_crazy:

Just expense it.

 

[jkwebbie]

Yea I've always wondered why I never saw a JK on Spydertrax axles! But it totally makes sense why race teams would use them when they are that easy to change out parts! Thanks for all the info guys

 

[Desert Crawler]

Game changer for sure. Minutes for a 3rd member, hours for a r/p.

Coming from a racing background I will add having a 3rd member allows you to easily change gear ratios from one race location to another. If your racing at a place you haven't been to before, you may want to play around with the gear ratio at the track/race course. Without the 3rd member this wouldn't be very feasible.

 

[Dynatrac]

hinrichs,

Have you seen a broken Dynatrac housing?

I have tried to find one via google fu and only found a post way back in 2002. I just wonder if there are so few broken Dynatrac housings because there are so few sold. I guess a lot more Currie axles are sold, leading to a lot more possibilities of a break? Just my guess.

We don't claim you can't break a Dynatrac axle, but we're confident you'll have a hard time finding a photo of one because it's a rare sight, and not because of how many are out there. We've sold more ProRock 44s than all similar competing axles COMBINED.

 

[JAGS]

We don't claim you can't break a Dynatrac axle, but we're confident you'll have a hard time finding a photo of one because it's a rare sight, and not because of how many are out there. We've sold more ProRock 44s than all similar competing axles COMBINED.

That's a manufacturers version of a mic drop.

Great fact I didn't know about axles sold. And, thanks for supporting Wayalife. [emoji106]

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

We don't claim you can't break a Dynatrac axle, but we're confident you'll have a hard time finding a photo of one because it's a rare sight, and not because of how many are out there. We've sold more ProRock 44s than all similar competing axles COMBINED.

Thank you for that information. Just so you know, that info played a big roll is my going with a ProRock 44 front and a XD60 rear on my JK. Thank you for making such amazing products.

 

[WJCO]

That's a manufacturers version of a mic drop.

Great fact I didn't know about axles sold. And, thanks for supporting Wayalife. [emoji106]

Indeed.

 

[jkwebbie]

We don't claim you can't break a Dynatrac axle, but we're confident you'll have a hard time finding a photo of one because it's a rare sight, and not because of how many are out there. We've sold more ProRock 44s than all similar competing axles COMBINED.

I can just see someone saying "challenge accepted" to having a hard time breaking an axle lol. Now someone's gonna jump off a bridge with them lol