yea i went out last weekend and just put brand new u-joints in the front along with my locker and i walked a cap out on the driver side i need new shafts as well good thread

 

The cvs from advance or orileys or wherever u get them are ok for like a 33 tire but if u go bigger. Or have an exo cage they are like grenades I bought the lifetime warranty ones and they held up about like a stock small u joint shaft but everytime u break one u just care it back and get a new one for 150$ can't really complain u have to tell them u need axels for like a 96 grand if u want to put them in an older xj

 

CVs are stronger than u-joints in that when turning a u-joint will bind and that's why you break them with the wheels turned whereas a cv works fine while turning. The problem is most people don't take care of cvs, they need to be properly greased and sealed from any dirt, mud etc or they will die pretty quickly. That being said I wouldn't run a cv for the simple fact it's not a perfect world and stuff will get inside the boots and I don't see me remembering to grease them all the time.

 

rcv's are the only cv shaft you can romp on the throttle and full lock and not worry about breaking. i would not trust a stock cv shaft over a spicer u joint with full circles.

 

agreed

 

Great info and opinions!
Thanks

 

X1.When I installed my front locker I replaced the joints too I bought some of the Brute Force ones at Advance because I just happened to be close to one.Knocked the old joints out...replaced one side moved to the next and the u joint would go in one way without the caps on but not if you flipped it around!I was thinking Wtf?I took it back along with the stubby side of the axle to show the counter monkies.They put a micrometer on it and it was nearly 1/8" off on one side of the joint I kid you not.Wonder what would have happened if I actually was able to get it in !Just my opinion but if that kind of work got past QC I don't want it in my Jeep ,Spicer for me or even Duralast Gold ifI have to

 

Got a somewhat local guy here that has broken 3 sets in a 60 but he's also broken Rocks. I beat on my Yukons pretty hard with CTMs and so far so good. Don't think you can use full circle clips on stock shafts without some moding which would weaken them.

 

Broke 3 sets of rcv's? U grind the shafts for full circles. You are barely removing anything to fit the clips I doubt it weakens the shafts that much if any

 

clearancing the shafts for full circle clips is a fairly common practice

 

Agreed, last ones I did took about 30 seconds with a Dremel and a highspeed cut off wheel. You are only removing material 1/16th or less deep on the last 1/3 of the shaft that isn't already done.

 

I'm going to go with 27 spline CroMo axles and CroMo joints w/ full circle clips.