Keeping the wheel and axle contained to limp home. Broken axle.

 

Last year my so and his wife were with us he was in his 98 XJ and he got stuck on a hillside, instead of waiting for me to turn around up ahead so I could hook-up to him with my winch he kept heavy on the skinny peddle till he broke a rear axle.


The important things to him when he goes wheeling are his hat, sunglasses and mp3 player. Which boils down to him having zero parts or tools, I winched him up the hill and onto flat ground. Then he "Borrowed" my spare axle till next week when he would go buy a couple of them..........I'm still waiting for him I bought a spare 3 weeks later. I was just glad he wasn't wheeling with strangers or not knowing someone well.

 

Nice picture. Got a bigger copy??

 

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner.
Yes me and another guy rigged that up because the wheel was walking out and would eventually come completely off. Broke the brake drum too, which made it even more fun trying to get back to the trail head. Went through an entire can of PB Blaster too. Used it to keep the tree from burning through the sidewall. Yet another reason I'll NEVER run c-clip axles again, even with disc.

 

So how does that even move, the differential would just spin the broken inboard piece of axle, or is the drive totally dependent on the front axle?


I've never managed to break an axle yet. Back when I was doing the crazy off road stuff I had a K-20 Chevy with a full floating rear axle

 

C-clip axles are held in place by the c-clip in the pumpkin. If the axle shaft breaks, the inner half with the c-clip will stay in place, but the outer half can walk right out. People use a tree branch (or something) to hold the outer half in the tube (in the bearings hopefully). Brakes are mounted to the tube but drums will just separate and make things worse--at least a disc brake can help to hold the outer in place a little.

 

We used the front wheel drive to get it out and as far as disc yes they will hold it for a while but you'll kill the pads and possibly backing plate because the axle wobbles, ask me how I know that.

 

Yeah I'm surprised the broken end of the axle doesn't wobble around and just tear the heck out of the inside of the housing tube.


Or is the idea that when you get home you don't replace the axle, you just replace the whole rear end?




Also, I bet getting the inboard end of the broken axle out is a pain!

 

The idea is to replace the shaft once you get off the trail and somewhere you can work on it, like the parking lot. You don't want to drive very far like that

 

I don't have people to wheel with or a cell phone, so I carry a mountain bike in case of being stranded.
Also carry full compliment of self-recovery gear and tools, a few spare parts but no axle shafts or wheel bearings.

 

No kidding!

 

Steve and others who wheel alone like he and I do might consider becoming a Amateur Radio Operator with a FCC License to do so. These radios aren't like CB's you can talk over longer distance's or around the world if you wish. It will work when I have no cell service and the CB can't reach anyone.


You can contact local radio clubs in your area for information on free class's to take that get you ready to pass the tests. There are 3 license class's Tech, General, Extra each step gives you more band width and use of power up to 1500 watts for Extra.


These tests aren't that hard I teach each all of them and I also administer the FCC Exams as I'm licensed to do that also. We have a motto that says "When All Else Fails" it means we can still get through in all emergencies and have done so numerous times even as late as this year in places all over the world.


This will work for you in an emergency on the trails for anyone interested contract the ARRL online for more info.

 

Back when I ran a 35 I carried spare shafts and swapped them more than once on the trail. Not fun but better than what we had to do with the TJ. Getting the broken chunk out is tons of fun especially if you have a locker. And you go really slow. I doubt it's good on the housing but you do what you have to.

 

Another remedy for broken axle..

 

If you run a full float axle you can snap a axle shaft and not lose your wheel but all full floats are pretty much 1 ton axles.