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keep blowing front axle ujoints and shafts

trialsallday

NAXJA Forum User
i got a 94 xj with tsl q78's. im not too crazy on the skinny pedal, but i still manage to blow axle u joints and usually it takes the ears with it. should i cough up the money for new superior axle's inners and outers with new spicer u joints. or maybe even ox lockers new shafts and ujoint combo. there both a lot of money and im afraid if they blow also im pissing $ away. any advice, has any one but money into strengthening there front dana 30 shaft / ujoints? any thoughts?
 
How do you like those Q78s?

There are several options for axles and u-joints in the D30 that hold up better than the stock setup. The guys who are toughest on their junk seem to think that the Warn shafts are the best out there. FarmerMatt managed to trash one recently, but that's the first one I recall ever hearing about. I believe that the Warn outers only work with their replacement hub set and not the stock unitbearing. Yukon and Superior make well reputed alloy axles for the D30 as well.

The CTM u-joints are practically unbreakable, although pretty pricey. They're an extra-beefy alloy joint that replaces the needle bearings with a bushing und use full-circle clips. They require regular greasing but really hold up. Good things are also being said about the Longfield u-joints. They are a standard Spicer 760 that gets a special heat treat and a cryogenic treatment, as well as bushings like the CTM. They are significantly less expensive than the CTMs, I think along the lines of $70 a piece. I've yet to hear of anyone using the OX axles or joints.
 
hay thanx for the reply. i thought ctm only made ujoints for d44 and bigger. for some reason i thought they didnt make ujoints for the dana30.
 
oh and the q's are awsome. i only wheeled them once so far (broke an axle/ujoint) but besides that i cant think of a better tire for me and my jeep
 
Part of your problem could the the shafts and joints your replacing the broken shafts with. Most likely you have the wonderful 260x joints. Those are trash. You can do a simple upgrade to 297x or even 760x IIRC. And if you are toasting those joints... you may have to do some serious work to your axle, or your drving habbit. Not saying your hard, but you CAN make it work. Search around on here for cheap simple D30 upgrades. You'll find good stuff.
MATT
 
trialsallday said:
hay thanx for the reply. i thought ctm only made ujoints for d44 and bigger. for some reason i thought they didnt make ujoints for the dana30.

The later XJs (96 + IIRC) came with Spicer 297 U-joints, as did the ones with ABS. The earlier 260 joints are smaller, but the 297s and their newer replacement the 760s are the same u-joints used in the D44.
 
stock 297 size shafts w/ welded caps. (297 or 760 joints, I'm runnin 760s, welded w/ 36x12.5 TSLs and have yet to break one (one run through paragon, 2 local trail runs, and a skinny pedal happy snow wheelin trip)
 
if you can wait till my then you can get Yukon 4340 CrMo inners and outers fitted with 5-760x joints with full circle clips for $500 shipped. if you want them earlier then you have to go with Yukon inners and Superior outers for $600.
 
well i think i made up my mind. brandnew stock oem danaspicer inners and outers left and rights with dana spicer u joints 760 allready assembled just bolt them in. both sides for $290 + shipping. what do ya think. What is the differnece in 297 and 760 , are they the same u joint but one is greasable?
 
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760 is the replacement and is supposted to be alittle stronger due to the cold forging over the hot forging of the 297. IIRC.
 
Rawbrown said:
if you can wait till my then you can get Yukon 4340 CrMo inners and outers fitted with 5-760x joints with full circle clips for $500 shipped. if you want them earlier then you have to go with Yukon inners and Superior outers for $600.
Sounds like advertising to me. Become a sponsor and please don't advertise in our forums.
 
trialsallday said:
well i think i made up my mind. brandnew stock oem danaspicer inners and outers left and rights with dana spicer u joints 760 allready assembled just bolt them in. both sides for $290 + shipping. what do ya think. What is the differnece in 297 and 760 , are they the same u joint but one is greasable?

Try DriveTrain Direct. I just got some Dana TJ axle shafts with the 297/760 joints installed for $220.
 
thats a sweet deal. but come to think of it , i de rather wait till may and spend another 250 and get the yukon combo axle ujoint.
 
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