Axle Truss - When/Why would I use one?

[Krondor]

axle shafts break. that is part of their function. no amount of trusses will save your shafts. trussing is really only necessary if you are going to hard core rock crawl often. with the FAD my guess is ill buy another axle before i bother trussing this one. the tube has too many pieces already. just my $.02

I'm sold on RCV's but not trusses yet. I was being talked into doing it while getting regeared to save on labor, but haven't seen many bent or broken housings.

I already bounced through the desert too.

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[Krondor]

i agree, now hold my beer! And watch this! lol

lol

I'll get on that road someday. Hopefully my girl doesn't get too beat up on the trip. I will be tent camping.

 

[jlopes68]

Agreed...there are a lot of people wheelin halfway responsibly on 37s/38s with stock JL d44 axles without problems. Sounds like adding RCV's to the front and chromally shafts to the rear would be a worthwhile upgrade for long term peace of mind. Thoughts?

I've also read that welding on a truss properly is tougher than most think and many shops accidentally and unknowingly end up bending the axle. Considering having a shop add a truss is around $1000 per axle + $1200 for RCV's up front + $800-1000 to regear each axle....it's over $3k for most to have a front axle built in this manner. Considering you can probably sell the front stock axle for $1500, an ultimate 44 front for $4400 looks attractive when you consider it offers:

• Heat-treated high-grade SAE-4340 nickel chromoly steel axle shaft offers superior abrasion resistance and strength, and uniform surface hardness
• Thicker, 1/4″ steel bracket mounts
• Upgraded u-joints outperform the competition, with Nm load ratings of 3000 (1350 series) and 3600 (1410 series)
• Thicker 9.5mm tubes for added strength
• Clearance increased by 1/2″ for brutal terrain
• Expanded gear ratio options to accommodate different tire sizes
• Bolt-in design
• Smaller, 220mm ring gear than the gearing in Dana 44™ axles for greater strength
• Track width is identical to OEM track width
• No FAD (front axle disconnect) means increased strength
• Aggressive nodular iron diff cover

Agreed. I try to stay away from getting to brand specific unless i really love a manufacturers stuff but you hit all the major points, i think. I've got chomoly shafts front and back now plus deleted the fad, so that increased the strength a bit. But it all transfers. If you strengthen one thing it just moves the weakest link down the line. I beat the heck out of my stock housing on 35's doing all the local "name" trails so i truly dont see the need of trusses unless you are on a sport d30. But i still have a problem with nickle and diming an inferior tube rather than just cry once and get a real housing? Idk im kind of old school, run it, break it, upgrade it. If it ain't broke? Don't fix it.

 

[ChattVol]

Agreed. I try to stay away from getting to brand specific unless i really love a manufacturers stuff but you hit all the major points, i think. I've got chomoly shafts front and back now plus deleted the fad, so that increased the strength a bit. But it all transfers. If you strengthen one thing it just moves the weakest link down the line. I beat the heck out of my stock housing on 35's doing all the local "name" trails so i truly dont see the need of trusses unless you are on a sport d30. But i still have a problem with nickle and diming an inferior tube rather than just cry once and get a real housing? Idk im kind of old school, run it, break it, upgrade it. If it ain't broke? Don't fix it.

Which shaft did you break? Were you turning locked up when it happened?

I'm of a similiar mindset...wheeled 35s 1-2 times a month for a year and have been running 37s for 6 months wheelin 4 times. I cant justify paying $1200 for RCV's unless I go to 38s or 40s. They seem like overkill running 35s or 37s. I've got a local friend that's been wheelin hard and several times a month on 37s for a solid year on stock jl rubi axles. He's a good driver and is doing trails that would prob be rated 6-8 and a few buggy trails that I have zero desire to get near. His undercarriage is beat to heck and his winch has seen alot of use, but his stock d44 axles are holding up...impressive stuff.

 

[jlopes68]

I was actually trying to order RCV's when i ended up with my Yukons. The guy from RCV that i had a business card from one of the shows was a couple days too slow in responding and Yukon responded immediately guess who got a new customer. I broke the stock shaft, rear passenger tire was wedged and the spotter couldn't see it, so i torqued it till it snapped. No whiskey throttle, just built up tension till it popped. I don't think i could break the yukon in the same manner. Housings on mine are fine. The issue with the bigger tires is that you will prematurely wear things like ball joints, bearings and such. Unless you are jumping your rig or bouncing it off rocks bending the tube is really harder than you think, sadly "stupidity" bends them all the time tho lol

 

[Remmy]

I wheeled my rig on 37s pretty hard...all stock running gear. It held up good. I never would have performed all the upgrades if I wasn’t going bigger....

With that said, the performance increase I have realized by going to the 5.13s and 40s still impresses me...This jeep feels like a straight up beast now on the trail...and with the FAD engaged it still drives about as smooth as glass on the highway when I re-enter into mall crawler status.

 

[ChattVol]

I wheeled my rig on 37s pretty hard...all stock running gear. It held up good. I never would have performed all the upgrades if I wasn’t going bigger....

With that said, the performance increase I have realized by going to the 5.13s and 40s still impresses me...This jeep feels like a straight up beast now on the trail...and with the FAD engaged it still drives about as smooth as glass on the highway when I re-enter into mall crawler status.

Are you running stock axles and 40s?

 

[Remmy]

Are you running stock axles and 40s?

Yes and No...post #41 page 3 of this thread has the details

 

[Krondor]

Agreed. I try to stay away from getting to brand specific unless i really love a manufacturers stuff but you hit all the major points, i think. I've got chomoly shafts front and back now plus deleted the fad, so that increased the strength a bit. But it all transfers. If you strengthen one thing it just moves the weakest link down the line. I beat the heck out of my stock housing on 35's doing all the local "name" trails so i truly dont see the need of trusses unless you are on a sport d30. But i still have a problem with nickle and diming an inferior tube rather than just cry once and get a real housing? Idk im kind of old school, run it, break it, upgrade it. If it ain't broke? Don't fix it.

Almost a year later and I'm finally ready for a re-gear. My shop now uses Revolution, and I went with 4.88 gears. Ordered in 12/1/2020, the parts only got in a couple of weeks ago. Supply chain is a mess?

Anyway, all advice leads me to save my axle and truss cash until I break something. Had to re-read this thread and others to confirm my direction. lol

 

[Therby]

Almost a year later and I'm finally ready for a re-gear. My shop now uses Revolution, and I went with 4.88 gears. Ordered in 12/1/2020, the parts only got in a couple of weeks ago. Supply chain is a mess?

Anyway, all advice leads me to save my axle and truss cash until I break something. Had to re-read this thread and others to confirm my direction. lol

truss it !

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

Yes and No...post #41 page 3 of this thread has the details

Hey Remmy... if you are still around in the forums... how are things working with the 40s and upgraded stock axles? Thanks!

 

[Gorilla57]

Hey Remmy... if you are still around in the forums... how are things working with the 40s and upgraded stock axles? Thanks!

He hasn’t been on the forums since Aug 2020.....

Wished he was, pretty curious too.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

He hasn’t been on the forums since Aug 2020.....

Wished he was, pretty curious too.

So you are curious huh? LOL... are you going the same route? I am !!... I just installed Atturo Baja BOSS 40x13.50x17 on Method 105 Beadlocks .. man ... the vibration is really bad after 50 MPH.. I ordered Magnum balancing beads.... not too hopeful is going to solve the side to side vibration.. I will post updates... BTW... right now I am on stock Dana44 (M210 / M220) 4.10 gears ... I am going to truss them.. .. not sure I am going to get RCV axle shafts or even regear...

 

[Zandcwhite]

@jlopes68

I believe he does have a video of what did the deed.

He’s way off the actual trail in that video, I’m going to blame the karma gods for that one. Stay on the trails before you get them closed.

 

[jessedacri]

He’s way off the actual trail in that video, I’m going to blame the karma gods for that one. Stay on the trails before you get them closed.

That's the boneyard on Gold Mountain, pretty sure that's just how that area of the trail looks. Multiple entrances/exits to the rock pile last time I was up there and traveling across it is permitted unless something changed in the last couple years.

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