I got advice on this forum saying I shouldnt upgrade the shafts
because if you have to have a weak point in the axle, it should be the shaft
because its the easiest and cheapest to replace
if you upgrade, it means that something else is going to be the breaking point and its probably going to be more expensive.
but I'm really not sure if thats true.

 

This isnt speaking from experience, but what you say sounds very true. One way you might be able to get around that is by getting something like the warn locking hubs, and the idea behind that is the hubs will break before anything major in the axle. Hubs are also a lot easier and cheaper to replace than shafts, or something inside the pumpkin.

 

But by all means, please correct me if I am wrong.

 

a guy down the street built an xj last summer. custom 6" long arm, snorkel, custom welded bumpers, onboard air... blah blah blah.... he had the 36" iroks originally on d44 rear and hp30 front. he replaced everything in the d30, not just the shaft, so that breaking points wouldnt be the issue... and he has warn locking hubs...and disc brake conversion. so by the experience ive seen, running a locker that replaces the whole carrier, upgrading the shafts and u-joints, and running locking hubs is more than good enough for 33's

 

if you're worried about getting better shafts then just get the shafts with the bigger 760 u joints and grind them down or have them machined to accept full circle clips or tack weld the caps on so the shaft is the same strength but atleast you dont get stuck in the middle of nowhere because a u joint cap came off or the smaller u joint gave out its just a small upgrade and if you blow up you're ring and pinion in the d30 the only reason it should be expensive to replace is cause you obviously need a bigger axle

 

d30 locking hubs from warn are crap.


the hub is WAY to small and very easy to break, especially when locked

 

iro makes an almost alloy kit that could help as well