[Jim B]

Below you will find my front inner long side passenger axle shaft. Three years of use (only on road use... ), 35 spline. As you can see it has slightly twisted splines. Would really not have known as I would not have pulled them out if I was not doing service work to the diff.

The question is... 1. Should the axle shaft be replaced? 2. Should I throw it back in and keep on running since the twisted splines don't look that bad... or do they?

[Stu Olson]

Jim,

I can only comment based on one data point.....my front shafts. I bought a used set of Warn inners from Garry last fall and put them in when I did my Warn hubs. They too were slightly twisted....pretty close to yours....maybe a tiny bit less (but not much). I don't worry about them letting go on the trail although I do still carry spares.

[JeepinIan]

Looks to me like that would make a good spare shaft. Get a set of treated ones and keep that set for emergencies.

[Jim B]

Stu,
Glad you told me that the ones you are running are also slightly twisted, how long have you been running them? For all practical purposes I could have been running like this for two years and not have been aware of it. I've sent Dynatrac a pic to see how they are going to back this up.

Ian,
I have a clean never been use spare which are the same "cut spline". We agree that rolled splines are much better. I called Superior and they advised that theirs also would be cut instead of rolled as it is too expensive to set up the machinery for a 35 spline 1.5 axle.

There is a guy on the interned advertising Superior Axles rolled splines for a 35 spline axle. Superior advises that there is no one making it, that this person buys from them and he has made a mistake on his advertising. The do roll the D44 and D30 though.

So I'm back to square one. If I put on my good spare and it happens again, now I have two that are twisted. Like Stu mentions, they don't look that bad and who knows.... if I only had a crystal ball. Guys, I'm still very undecided in what to do. :disguise1:

[Rollbar]

Save it for a spare. You never know if you will need one @ Moab

Question is, what are you going to do w/ the dime. :lroll: :lroll: :lroll:

RollBar

[Stu Olson]

Jim B, on Jul 17 2003, 09:09 AM, said:

Stu,
Glad you told me that the ones you are running are also slightly twisted, how long have you been running them?

I put them in last fall when I did the Warn hubs. (I know you knew that cuz I wrote it in my previous post....is this some kind of test?)

[Jim B]

Stu,
I kind of read to fast on your post, you got me. You and Rollbar need to get together, him with the dime and you with taking a test.

Well, I think (did I just say that) I've decided after reading the few comments and speaking with Dynatrac. I'm going to put back this shaft and run with it! Will keep my good spare as a good spare.

Btw, the dime is dual purpose. You throw it inside the diff (it will polish & clean as it turns), you can also use it to help you buy whatever you trash. :ereatic:

[Rollbar]

Jim B, on Jul 17 2003, 02:44 PM, said:

Btw, the dime is dual purpose.  You throw it inside the diff (it will polish & clean as it turns), you can also use it to help you buy whatever you trash.  :ereatic:

:jump: :jump: :jump: :lroll: :lroll: :lroll: :jump: :jump: :jump:

I love it!

[jeepincj78]

Hey Jim I think You should Junk the whole diff assembly, throw it out in big garbage pickup(I could use a 35 spline pig)

[Daless2]

Hi Jim,

Like you said, you almost need a crystal ball on things like this. Could last for years more, or could break tomorrow.


I take a different view of things like this.

I question; Why is it twisted? Answer is Unknown? Are twisted spines a good thing or a bad thing?

Answer; If it was a good thing they would come that way from the MFG'er I think.

Fact is they shouldn't be twisted.


What does the twisted really mean from a reliability perspective? Unknown.



If I had the axle out and had a new (un-twisted) spare I would put the spare in and save the twisted axle as my back up.


Why?

Well it is not suppose to be twisted, and what do I want to happen when I drive it? I want it to stay in one piece and be as reliable as I can get it.


So the question is, which is most likely to stay in one piece and be most reliable? the twisted or the straight?


I don't know but I would go with the straight for the reason I gave above, it is designed to be straight, and not twisted.



Just my two cents. Good luck with it regardless of how you go,

Frank


Edited to fix typo's

[Hellbender]

Jim, I agree w/ Frank on this one, why put something in you KNOW is not 100% and could fail at an unknown time? Keep it for a spare and run on the good one, what is there to lose, except maybe a break at a dangerous moment?

It would be different if, for some reason, you HAD to run it.

Just my thoughts.
HB