Builds Reconstruction after rollover - building The Champ 2. (6 Viewers)

[baldilocks]

I took delivery of a beautiful set of RCV 4340M (300m) two piece rear axle shafts to replace the Nitro’s. I don’t want to spend much time berating the Nitro shafts but, I’ve broken two right rear Nitro’s in a span of five years. My experience is that they don’t stand up well to a heavy truck that’s being forced over buggy lines wearing 37” tires. See the photo of one each broken shaft and one each rather twisted shaft. The fracture happened right where the splines terminate.

The splined end that remained in the ARB carrier wouldn’t come out with a magnet and I knew it was too long to allow me to remove the third member and I wanted to avoid chopping a hole in the axle house like others have had to do when a shaft brakes in an oem locker.

After some thinking and looking into the axle housing from the drivers end I decided to try and snake a 1/4” dia steel rod past the carrier center pin in order to drive the axle piece from the carrier on the passenger side. I’m happy to report that this approach did work.

With the chunk of axle laying in the housing the job became a simple matter of removing the third member for inspection and housing clean out and then reassembly.

The third member checked out ok and now it’s going back together. For the past week I’ve debated whether I’d use the axle shaft oil seal and grease the wheel bearing per FSM procedure or leave the oil seal out and let gear oil lube the wheel bearings. My right rear has been running in gear oil since 2017 when I broke the first Nitro and the seal sustained some damage. The left side seal was still doing its job since 2016 allowing no oil into the hub. The right side wheel bearings and spindle looked like new when I took the axle apart. The left side showed minor signs of contamination and corrosion. I decided to follow the manual and install new oil seals in the end of the spindles even though they are notorious for failing and letting oil in anyway. This way I can at least try to avoid ever dealing with a gear oil leak from the large seal behind the inner wheel bearing. That would cause a mess and possibly ruin the brake pads. If anyone can tell me of positive long term,

no leak, experience running no oil seal and lubing wheel bearings in their 80 with gear oil I’m listening.

 

[baldilocks]

The oil deflector and cone assemble took a beating after the axle broke. I was able to straighten out the vertical deflector and reinstall it.

 

[Bambusiero]

Does this kind of graphic violence violate our community standards?

 

[2fpower]

Facts are Facts.... truth. You don't need to spend "much time berating the Nitro shafts". Pictures are proof of their quality.

 

[Box Rocket]

Sheesh! Glad I've stuck with the OEM rear shafts until I can do RCV's, especially since I've got OEM lockers.

 

[baldilocks]

Sheesh! Glad I've stuck with the OEM rear shafts until I can do RCV's, especially since I've got OEM lockers.

I’m not sure that my stock axle shafts would have survived this long either. Time will tell how well the RCV’s hold up in the rear. My front RCV’s have given me no grief during the six years they’ve been in service.

I know one member who, while in front of me on the trail, stripped the splines out of his RCV rear drive flanges. It’s my understanding that the flanges are standard 4340 where as the shafts are 4340M (300M) which is said to be about 15% stronger.

I’m set up with a spare hub and RCV flange just in case. At this point I think that the hub studs and flange splines will give up before the 300M shaft.

 

[Broski]

I’m not sure that my stock axle shafts would have survived this long either. Time will tell how well the RCV’s hold up in the rear. My front RCV’s have given me no grief during the six years they’ve been in service.

I think the stock shafts are stronger then the Craptro/ Nitro's, Ran my OEMs on 37s for years never a problem . Laid down good money on the Craptro's and in just a few runs twisted them up. Put the OEMs back in ran them for another year with out issue. JMHO

 

[2fpower]

I only had 35" tires in FOO before the portals went in, but the stock rears never had issues and I beat the crud out of them.

 

[Box Rocket]

I think the stock shafts are stronger then the Craptro/ Nitro's, Ran my OEMs on 37s for years never a problem . Laid down good money on the Craptro's and in just a few runs twisted them up. Put the OEMs back in ran them for another year with out issue. JMHO

yeah my point was similar to this. I think I'd rather have stock shafts than Nitros. @baldilocks I don't disagree that stock shafts probably wouldn't have survived in your truck either but I think they probably would have faired better/longer than the Nitros.

 

[baldilocks]

yeah my point was similar to this. I think I'd rather have stock shafts than Nitros. @baldilocks I don't disagree that stock shafts probably wouldn't have survived in your truck either but I think they probably would have faired better/longer than the Nitros.

And before I know it I’ll be wishing I had tons. I’ve never sheared hub studs and hopefully the six 8mm dowel pins that the RCV kit comes with will actually aid the ARP studs, which get torqued to 30ftlbs, in standing up to the 300m shafts.

 

[Broski]

If you need tons it time to move on to a different platform JMHO

 

[baldilocks]

If you need tons it time to move on to a different platform JMHO

The 80 is perfect for a host chores……

 

[baldilocks]

The RCV rear axle shaft installation didn’t go so well and it took time to figure out what was going on and then to deal with it. Firstly, I should report that RCV has owned their mistake and made it right.

In the photo you can easily see the difference in the linear length of the two oil seal lands. The smaller seal land is correct and worked fine in its location on the drivers side. The passenger side axle has the longer oil seal land. This is incorrect. Once the flange is mounted up to the hub that seal land extends too far into the spindle and binds up on the inner diameter of the spindle. A pry bar between tire lug studs was required to rotate the hub. You can see the damage marks on the inside end of the seal land.

I emailed pics to RCV and then called them to discuss the issue. They didn’t hesitate to take responsibility but have zero replacement shafts in stock. I bought my set from cruiser outfitters, their only available set. So, RCV agreed to my taking this shaft to a local machinist to have the oil seal land reduced at RCV’s expense and my warranty remains. I know of an 80 year old fella still operating his own machine shop. He chucked it up and had it done quickly for a small fee. This shaft now installs and works without seizing the hub.

Corrected here below:

 

[FMC80]

The RCV rear axle shaft installation didn’t go so well and it took time to figure out what was going on and then to deal with it. Firstly, I should report that RCV has owned their mistake and made it right.

In the photo you can easily see the difference in the linear length of the two oil seal lands. The smaller seal land is correct and worked fine in its location on the drivers side. The passenger side axle has the longer oil seal land. This is incorrect. Once the flange is mounted up to the hub that seal land would extend too far into the spindle and bind up on the inner diameter of the spindle. A pry bar between tire lug studs was required to rotate the hub. You can see the damage marks on the inside end of the seal land.

I emailed pics to RCV and then called them to discuss the issue. They didn’t hesitate to take responsibility but had zero replacement shafts in stock. I bought my set from cruiser outfitters, their only available set. So, RCV agreed to me taking this this shaft to a local machinist to have the oil seal land reduced at RCV’s expense and my warranty remains. I know of an 80 year old fella still operating his own machine shop. He chucked it up and had it done quickly for a small fee. This shaft now installs and works without seizing the hub.

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Corrected here below:
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I’ll be lucky to be able to wipe my own ass at 80 years old let alone machine anything.

 

[baldilocks]

I’ll be lucky to be able to wipe my own ass at 80 years old let alone machine anything.

Ole Bob seems to have it all together. He’s been in the same shop over 40 years.

 

[FMC80]

Ole Bob seems to have it all together. He’s been in the same shop over 40 years.

That’s amazing. Really. I work with a Bob. He’s 70. Retired O-6 22.5 years. Retired Lockheed Martin Skunkworks 24 yrs. Now he is serving time under me as a Booze Allen Hamilton contractor. Best time of his life!!

 

[chappysfj40]

Facts are Facts.... truth. You don't need to spend "much time berating the Nitro shafts". Pictures are proof of their quality.

did you start the ftoy?
sorrt high jacked a bit

 

[baldilocks]

Today was a long and productive day in the garage while Mother Nature rained most of it. I finally got these fancy shmansy axle shafts installed. I also smashed the left rear brake line while having fun on Chocolate Thunder back in early February so I spent some time making a new one today. My rig has been down more than two months this time. Hopefully I drive it tomorrow and for an extended period of time before the next ………….. I want to build drawers and get a fridge. Love my Yeti but the fridge guys I know have shown me a better way.

 

[White Stripe]

I’m not sure that my stock axle shafts would have survived this long either. Time will tell how well the RCV’s hold up in the rear. My front RCV’s have given me no grief during the six years they’ve been in service.

I know one member who, while in front of me on the trail, stripped the splines out of his RCV rear drive flanges. It’s my understanding that the flanges are standard 4340 where as the shafts are 4340M (300M) which is said to be about 15% stronger.

I’m set up with a spare hub and RCV flange just in case. At this point I think that the hub studs and flange splines will give up before the 300M shaft.

That's disappointing the flange stripped out. Rcv could easily make the outer splines longer and the flange splines longer for more engagement area to fix that from happening.

 

[TYM4FUN]

Today was a long and productive day in the garage while Mother Nature rained most of it. I finally got these fancy shmansy axle shafts installed. I also smashed the left rear brake line while having fun on Chocolate Thunder back in early February so I spent some time making a new one today. My rig has been down more than two months this time. Hopefully I drive it tomorrow and for an extended period of time before the next ………….. I want to build drawers and get a fridge. Love my Yeti but the fridge guys I know have shown me a better way. View attachment 2987739View attachment 2987740View attachment 2987741

A fridge!?!? You are getting soft on us.