limited slip OOC, broke front drive shaft!

[Wygate]

broke front drive shaft!, guess the D-shaft!!!!

Was out on a maintained logging road near my house, just wanted to walk my dog in the snow. Parked on a landing (flat area logs are brought and stacked) and took a walk. When I went to leave I had a bit of trouble getting turned around in the snow. Got most of the way turned around and herd a bang and some clunking. Thought it might be a axle shaft u-joint, when I got out to look and saw my front shaft in the snow. And no I was not on the skinny pedal, just enough to move through the foot or so of snow.



I build and run rock crawlers so I have a very good understanding of the stresses on the 4x4 parts, I would have never thought a one ton truck would spit out a drive shaft on fairly level ground in the snow!



It seems every time I start to trust my truck, something stupid happens.



To make it worse I have a family trip planed with my 35' trailer to visit family and see the redwood's starting the 27th.

There is no way I will drive the mountain passes around the Northwest without 4wd.

 

[Bob4x4]

tom Woods can build you a stronger shaft. . I am on number 3 my self, next one will be a custom. The front ends just are not strong enough for those of us that actually use them

 

[Wygate]

I build front and rear shafts on a bench using an eye-cromiter and a hammer that hold up to 60mph road and rock crawling and the occasional rock rash and have not broken one in many years. I have turned them into jump ropes though.

Bob where did yours break?
Mine was the u-joint ear/ shaft side. Looks like a 1310 maybe 1350 not a 1400 class
Just can't understand how they send a truck out knowing that the parts are that weak.

My wife put her Jeep liberty in mud bogs and has not broken anything!
guess I should have bought a CRD liberty!

 

[RVTRKN]

I have never liked the full time axles that just float in the transfer case, until you engage it. I believe it adds stress on the shaft, u-joints and mechanism, that may have contributed to your failure. When my front u-joints fail, Dynatrac will be installed. Hope you can get it fixed before your trip.

 

[cerberusiam]

My wife put her Jeep liberty in mud bogs and has not broken anything!
guess I should have bought a CRD liberty!

That is cuz it doesn't weight 8000 lbs and have a medium duty engine in it. :-laf

 

[Wygate]

Just got a new u-joint, like I thought, same one is used in cars. Older gasers, 60/70s Med size cars GM & Ford

 

[Bob4x4]

One broke at the cv housing the other at the yoke on the axle end
Neither one was doing anything extreme
I carry an extended tip torx in the center console

 

[Wygate]

View attachment 83662View attachment 83663View attachment 83664View attachment 83665
Guess the drive shaft
Explorer or 1 ton