i havent personally done this mod to my axle shafts but i thought i would post it up for a descion, i was talking to my brother about doing it when i got my 4.10 ratio dana 30 from a junk yard, but i put brand new 760x u joints in the shafts and have been out a few times i carry two spare shafts (drivers and passanger side). i also have heard that the u joint caps come loose and thats why axel shafts break and people grind the inner ears and put a full snap ring in the shaft. but with these the caps shouldnt come loose i have heard of people tack welding the caps to the shafts too. i may do this mod if i break these shafts im running right now im not worried about trying something for $30. but i am worried because i drive my jeep too and from trails and idk if welding those tabs on the shafts will throw them so out wack (balance) it will mess up my carrier bearings. idk though because the shafts themselves are not balanced from factory or anything? anyways yeah i didnt know that the u joints didnt come in greable form because i was at drivelines northwest and he asked me if i wanted greaseable or non greaseable, i have heard the 760 u joints were the strongest so i said i wanted those. really if these work till a u joints shot to crap and they stand up to my 35's and spartan locker then i have no problem going to the junk yard buying a set of axels for $30 ujoints for 50$ and tabs for $30 still cheaper than chromos twice around. just when welding (i am not the best welder) but m thought would be keep heat at just enough to penetrate shaft and not pentrate shat and heat up u joint and burn up all the grease, and not hot ehough to warp stuff.

 

that would be awesome to walk up to randys ring and pinnion and say i broke this chromo shaft, may i please have another haha

 

Dave (PopcanCherokee) did it a couple of times.

 

It's luck of the draw. I wheeled the same axle with stock 760 shafts with 31's, 32's, then two sets of 35's and only had one break because I lost the c-clip on one of the u-joints. After that I put in chromos and never had an issue. I'm not super lead footed, but I'd still spin tires once in awhile - locked up too.

 

I still have a brand new d/s inner and outer in plastic waiting to go back in the cherokee when i get home.thanks to the great warrenty they have.but they did tell that they will not warranty the outer shafts because i have broke to many (actually me and the guy i bought them from broke to many)but i have 3 xtra spare outers.

 

He ain't lien I remember follwing him last year at the Cherokee Forum run at Elbe last year old man was hopping rocks gotta say he can drive haha and maybe I shouldn't say old man he's just a fellow in his prime

 

i have to say that when you jump from 33's to 35's your jeep can feel a big difference. i notice my steering feels like its always going to rip the box off the uni body on the trails, i can tell the stress it puts on my front axle shafts, and the big parts is im only runing 4.10s idk how guys run 3.55s haha

 

i never broke 1 thing with my 33s i wheeled with for a year. I switched to 35s and every trip i go on something breaks lol. Of course i locked the front at the same time i switched to 35s, so im sure that has something to do with it lol.

3 axle shafts, draglink, ball joints.

And it is way harder to turn with the 35s, i have a inner steering box brace that i really need to get installed! Also going to be looking into the durango steering box upgrade soon.

 

Discussions like this are the reason I am waiting to get chromo shafts before I re-gear the Jeep. Yes, my Jeep feels gutless running 35" tires with 3.55 gears, but as anyone who has wheeled with me knows I have a lead foot and like to go really fast through the trails. I am fully locked and beat on my Jeep really hard and have not broken a single shaft front or rear (knock on wood). $500 bucks is not a bad deal for lifetime warranty shafts, but if I am going to drop coin like that I would probably just pony up the extra bucks to get the shafts from a local shop like Billy Bobs, or Randys so that I can more easily get warranty replacements when I need them.

 

Yeah i went from never breaking anything on 33's 3.55's and open in the front to locked 4.56's and 35s in one fell swoop! Should have done something about my shafts then=[

 

It's kinda hard to tell from the pics, but wouldn't putting these on make it much harder to change the u joints? And if not, I could easily make a set with metal I already have lol. Either way, seems interesting.

 

You cant change the ujoints unless you grind the metal peices off. they hold the caps in place.

 

Hmmm...

 

well, found a good sale on yukon 4340 chromo shafts with u joints for 562 out the door and free shipping. Cant really beat that price! Ordered them today.

Lifetime warranty=D