Roasted Another Poly Perf. Chromoly FJ40 Axle

[Sputnik40]

Well - one week to leaving for GSMTR, doing a few mods including swapping from 4.11's to 4.56's. Can't get the long side axle shaft out? Have to pry it off with a lever - as I feared, it's warped and the splines are twisted. Bummed.

This is the second one. Mind you, this is wheeling on rocks in Florida - which is pretty ironic given that Florida is flat right.

Called up Ethan and caught him before close - paying to have another shipped overnight for reinstall on Saturday - am afraid to see what the bill will be, but after just putting in an Orion and setting aside $1,000 for diesel - bit the bullet.

In all fairness to Poly, they warrantied the last one - and one of the obstacles we wheel has taken out several axles, pinions and birfs in 4 out of the last 4 runs. Everything from a 40, two 60's, an 80 and most recently an 06 Rubicon on 35's. Funny enough - while I've wheeled hard, I've been really genteel on the gas pedal since breaking the first one - hard obstacles and lines, but no getting on it - damn, I miss getting on it!

Guess I'm gonna have to throw in the towel on wheeling after GSMTR until I can find some money to build up the Dana 60 in my back yard - which is way too wide for my 30 spline longed front axle .

So there's my pity party for the week - here's hoping it all goes back together .

What do you think of that Al? Will download some pics after dinner....

 

[Bret]

Holy crap man! I could a loaned you a long side Poly, I got the rest of the ARB parts to put mine back together. So it's coming apart anyway. You forgot to mention the spider gears on a ARB that blew chunks when the pinion failed. Or vice versa.

Just "baby it" Not "Bill it!!"

 

[Sputnik40]

Holy crap man! I could a loaned you a long side Poly, I got the rest of the ARB parts to put mine back together. So it's coming apart anyway. You forgot to mention the spider gears on a ARB that blew chunks when the pinion failed. Or vice versa.

Just "baby it" Not "Bill it!!"

Ha! Yeah, I didn't realize that's what did that one in. I'd lay even odds that just like that 4.11 I loaned you, if I were to borrow your new Poly it might not come home in the same condition .

 

[lowtideride]

Ooohhh man.

Sorry brotha. I tell you what, remembering the last trip with you were not all that hard on the rig at all. Hell I was harder on mine til I broke but then again both of my rear axles let loose.

Not 2 minutes after you broke the very first poly rear axle I thought to myself oh fawk they will never hold up under my rig. Went home thought about it for about a day and sold the cruiser running gear out from under my rig. Then I thought hell why not sell the whole rig and start over. So, now here I sit with a TPI 350, 1 tons, dual cases, a few 45 parts and some tube. I blame it all on you

Bummer man, let me know if I can help anyway...

 

[TURNMEOVER]

Bill Well s*** I have all of your other take offs . So the ? is how much for the front and rear with the new diffs? Hell just take mine and save the trouble of pulling every thing .

 

[Sputnik40]

Ooohhh man.

Sorry brotha. I tell you what, remembering the last trip with you were not all that hard on the rig at all. Hell I was harder on mine til I broke but then again both of my rear axles let loose.

Not 2 minutes after you broke the very first poly rear axle I thought to myself oh fawk they will never hold up under my rig. Went home thought about it for about a day and sold the cruiser running gear out from under my rig. Then I thought hell why not sell the whole rig and start over. So, now here I sit with a TPI 350, 1 tons, dual cases, a few 45 parts and some tube. I blame it all on you

Bummer man, let me know if I can help anyway...

Still hoping to stop by your place the Saturday after GSMTR - will be wanting to see the progress on your 14 bolt, and take a few measurements to see one could be modded to fit my 40 and match the front axle width (2" spacers).

Yeah - I'll be thinking it thru while I'm in Tellico - either finish the build on this one, or go with a mini-truck buggy on 35's - they seem to have all the fun with less breakage.

 

[lowtideride]

Rear 14 Bolt is narrowed to 61" WMS...

Don't forget your board we will paddle out.

 

[Mace]

Bummer amigo..

If you have the 60 already, build it.

Cut the sides down and make an offset SF d60 that is 35 spline with good shafts..

 

[Eskimo]

centered mini-truck hybrid if you want to keep it toy.. they take a huge beating. not that much work, either.

 

[lowtideride]

centered mini-truck hybrid if you want to keep it toy.. they take a huge beating. not that much work, either.

Just wondering why would that be tougher than a cruiser set up?

 

[bustanutley]

centered mini-truck hybrid if you want to keep it toy.. they take a huge beating. not that much work, either.

Why would he want a centered axle with the orion

 

[Eskimo]

Just wondering why would that be tougher than a cruiser set up?

I don't know why.. the thirds are the same, axles are still 30 spline, but those minitruck shafts can take one helluva beating. It's one of those "it just works" things. Of all the crap I broke, I never broke a rear minitruck shaft.

Why would he want a centered axle with the orion

as long as the driveline angles are OK, it won't really matter.. My rear diff is offset, and I run a 205 case.

 

[bustanutley]

Makes it a bitch to get a wrap bar under there

 

[lowtideride]

I dont know I really dont see a toy axles lasting with 39" stickies but that just me.

Busta I think he has plans of linking it. I think.

 

[woody]

if this were a front, I'd tell ya to swap in a 30-spline Longfield setup...I busted a short side Poly inner, got it warrantied, and promptly put in Bobby's full 30-kit....zero breakage since, even with 37's, a 4:1 case, and no steering stops at all...LTR remembers my driving at GSMTR a couple years back in the campground rock pile...I don't back out

The poly shafts still sit on the shelf....ah well....

I likewise haven't busted anything with my hybrid rear fj40/mini setup...figger it's a matter of time tho....

I have NOT checked out Poly's rear shafts, but do they use the same neck-down system like their fronts, allowing them to twist by keeping them a smaller diameter throughout, or do they shape the same as stockers?

 

[lowtideride]

Haha, I remember steping back. I thought I was gonna get hit by some sort of an exploded chunk of an axle

The polys next down "smooth" unlike the step downs of a stock axle.

 

[Sputnik40]

if this were a front, I'd tell ya to swap in a 30-spline Longfield setup...I busted a short side Poly inner, got it warrantied, and promptly put in Bobby's full 30-kit....zero breakage since, even with 37's, a 4:1 case, and no steering stops at all...LTR remembers my driving at GSMTR a couple years back in the campground rock pile...I don't back out

...I have Bobby's 30 spline longs - out for the diff rebuilds and you can feel the weight that suggests higher quality product. Agree they're the bomb - and they've been with me two years now and thru two Poly rear shafts, two busted pinions, etc.

The poly shafts still sit on the shelf....ah well....

...Thinking that's where mine are going

I likewise haven't busted anything with my hybrid rear fj40/mini setup...figger it's a matter of time tho....

...just like above, just seems like a centered mini works!!!!! Wish it was an option - but like Mace's suggestion wtih my FF D60 - just will be asking Al and others lots of questions to make it happen.

I have NOT checked out Poly's rear shafts, but do they use the same neck-down system like their fronts, allowing them to twist by keeping them a smaller diameter throughout, or do they shape the same as stockers?

... Yes way smaller necked down axle shaft. You can see that the twist principal is not working. They are twisting at the splines, which suggests that they're slightly stronger there than stock, but then where they're thinner up the shaft - they're twisting and then bending. Busted the last one in half. This one has twisted splines and then is bent pretty severely. Just not holding up - and I'm honestly wondering if they're just "barely" stronger than stock overall. Not happy - and don't think that being able to run stock axles up to 35" and mayber 37"s and then only being able to run 39"s is worth all the extra money. Gonna give it a third shot - but I think I know the answer already .

Like above - if only Bobby was making something like better for the rear, like he's done for the front - I'd have more confidence. But I understand the rear is waaaaay different than the front. Oh well.

Hoping I make GSMTR and don't suffer any major carnage.

 

[Sputnik40]

centered mini-truck hybrid if you want to keep it toy.. they take a huge beating. not that much work, either.

Once I committed to running a non stock ratio (thanks Al, I think) I think in the back of my mind sticking with toy axles went out the window. I hemmed and hawwed about staying offset (Orion HD) versus going centered (Stak or Atlas) and I went Orion. So that's that - I'll be learning how to narrow down a FF D60 (have one) or do what Al is doing - narrow the 14 bolt.

 

[woody]

IIRC, Marlin has something, but not sure if they are the same design or not...

I never broke stock rear FJ40 shafts and 38.5's....got really good at coarse pinions tho....

 

[LC_Hamma]

I'll be learning how to narrow down a FF D60 (have one) or do what Al is doing - narrow the 14 bolt.

I have both of these under the rears of each of my projects. In the long run, IMO it's a cheaper option, R & P's for both of these are stouter (i.e. ring gear is 2X thicker than LC's), lockers are *cheaper, both could have pinion flanges like the LC's, & w/ 6 lug hubs I've seen for both available. Besides, your not limited on 1.3" shaft dia. Shave the bottom, & before you make the cut on the right side, you may want to run wheel spacers up front & have a little wider track width in the rear. I'm sure Steve at differentialengineering.com (he's also in FL.) can hook you up easy.