My "Hero" Blog

[Jeep450r]

2 low i think is a good suggestion. Chromos and full case lockers are a must for reliability. I think you are probably set at that point with 33s. You wheel alot. This setup will take alot of stress out of your life.

I like the sound of that. I need a reliable setup. a full case locker, chromo shafts, and a quality gearset sound nice right about now.

I wonder if something is tweaked causing the ears to bind under certain circumstances? Housing? knuckles? C's?

I don't think so. Well, at least I hope not. Ill explain what I think caused this breakage below. But wanted to point out that I have broken 297x joints and 760x joints both tacked and not tacked, both spicers and napa's heavy duty line. Never with full circle clips that I can remember - which I think may be part of the problem. The one time I welded the caps, the welds broke on the caps and then it spat them out. I think that a lot of the breakage has occurred due to old ujoints, or the lack of full circle clips. Although I have only broken 1 broken shaft while hammering down or binding it up, I can relate one more broken joint to happening within a mile after doing soup bowl, and two more after very hard wheeling. Regardless, I'd like to upgrade and take the guess work out of it. I'm in desperate need of some reliability up front.

I pulled the diff cover today and went panning for dana 30 parts. Turns out I broke two teeth off the ring gear, chewed up the pinion, chewed up the cross pin, and the pin that secures the cross pin fell out.













So here's what I think happened. The pin that secures the cross pin slipped out and got wedged between the ring gear and the pinion gear and bound up. When it couldn't bind up any more, tooth #1 broke off and threw another piece of metal into the ring gear which once again, got bound up with the pinion and popped tooth #2 off. I can only assume that the u-joint and axle shaft blew when the ring gear released all of its bound up energy as it broke one of its teeth off. I was making a hard left when the teeth went out and I am assuming that the jolt of energy running through the shaft/u-joint at that time took it out. That's my theory at least.

So I need:
Shafts
Ring and Pinion
Locker cross pin and set pin


Can someone please recommend a quality gearset to me? I have USA Standard gears in there now (which to my knowledge are Yukon or AlloyUSA blemishes), but I might as well spend a few extra bucks and not have to do this again.

Since I have to put new gears in, it is a perfect time to do a full case locker. I really want air actuated and if I don't do it now, I never will.

Dana 30 Yukon Zip Locker:
RWKHaus: $725 + shipping +tax +compressor
DavesOffroad: $805 shipped including tax AND a free compressor if I order by 9/30/15

Obviously leaning towards Daves.

Now for shafts. I am looking at RWKHaus' shafts and ten factory shafts. Robert at RWKHaus claims that his no name shafts are the exact same shafts as ten factory, but with a 1 year warranty, rather than a 10 year warranty. I'm not sure I believe this, but people have had good luck with them from what I hear. I just really like the idea of utilizing a no questions asked quick warranty exchange 9.5 years from now if needed.

RWK No name shafts w/ 760 U-joints: $370 + shipping + tax
Ten Factory Shafts w/760 Ujoints: $500 + shipping + tax


I am also toying around the idea of 30 spline shafts. I have always hated this idea because of the lack of available spares on the trail, but I can always throw a rag in the tube and toss the stub/hub back in and drive it out in 3wd. I doubt id break a 30 spline chromo anyways. I will only entertain this idea if the 30 spline zip locker and 30 spline shafts are the same price or close to that of their 27 spline sibling.

So total pricing for a full case locker and chromo shafts before a gearset is:

Cheap route: $725 + $370 = $1095 + tax + shipping + compressor
More expensive route: $805 + $500 = $1305 + less tax and less shipping with compressor

So actually, they both work out to about the same price in the end after you factor in the compressor and the tax/shipping. Still hurts a bit too and I still need to address the actual gear set as well as figuring out something to do in the rear. This is turning out to be an expensive wheeling trip haha.

So any thoughts about the above? Any reason not to go with the zip locker (6 year warranty - 2 of which cover up to $2,000 in collateral damage)? Any thoughts on the axle shafts - would the ten factory shafts really be worth it? Thoughts on 30 spline shafts?

Sorry if the pictures are a bit big. At least you can see all the details of the breakage :gee:

Thanks a lot for the input and the humor guys. I appreciate the help.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Dont go 30 spline. You break enough shafts so id say go for the 9 extra years for only 130$ more but 30 spline inner spares are not cheap. Thats only 14$ extra dollars per year .

Go with daves offroad and tell him blondejon sent you and see if he will give you a better price . I spend alot of money with him.


If you dont go with a zip get a grizzly but i reccememd a selectable up front if you have the cash.

I am still toying around the idea of doing revolution 5.13s my mj. They are supposedly
US made. So i say order revolution 5.13s and regear the
Rear with a grizzly

 

[goodwilljeeper]

Kev, I have a stock Dana 30 with no shafts but gears and ready to bolt up if you want it and just switch your stiff over.

 

[Jeep450r]

Dont go 30 spline. You break enough shafts so id say go for the 9 extra years for only 130$ more but 30 spline inner spares are not cheap. Thats only 14$ extra dollars per year .

Go with daves offroad and tell him blondejon sent you and see if he will give you a better price . I spend alot of money with him.


If you dont go with a zip get a grizzly but i reccememd a selectable up front if you have the cash.

I am still toying around the idea of doing revolution 5.13s my mj. They are supposedly
US made. So i say order revolution 5.13s and regear the
Rear with a grizzly

5.13s in a dana 30?? Didn't know that was a thing. I wonder what the strength difference is.

So what's your reasoning against 30 spline? The cost of spares? I can agree on that and can honestly say I probably wouldn't carry spare 30 spline shafts. I would rely on 3wd to get out and just wait for my warrantied replacement to come in before I wheel again. There's a used 30 spline zip locker on pirate for sale which is what spiked this idea.

EDIT: I realize this is pretty dumb to wheel without spares. Although I doubt I would break a 30 spline shaft, spares are always a good thing I have. I'm still interested in the idea though.

Kev, I have a stock Dana 30 with no shafts but gears and ready to bolt up if you want it and just switch your stiff over.

Thanks for the offer Sam. I'll text you.


Now back to homework for the night...

 

[Luke95]

Consider the grizzly instead of the zip and I had zero issues with my Yukon's even hammering down and bouncing off the red limiter trying to make a few buggy lines. Granted I have 4.55s in my Dana 44. YMMV

 

[GordoSmasho]

5.13s are only available in the d30 from revolution. They are supossedly just as strong as the 4.56. However they dont make them for the 8.25. So your goong to need stick to 4.88. I would have done 5.13 when i regeared last year if they were available. I personaly think an auto in front is fine. Selectable rear is really the benefit for us in the tighter trails.

 

[XJensen]

All this breakage sucks. Are you going to have a shop do the gears?

I have a like new ARB compressor and wiring harness if you end up needing one

 

[831_xj]

Are you only breaking them at the ears?

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Are you only breaking them at the ears?

Yea i think he is like 80% of the time

And Kevin spend the extra $$ and get something with a solid warrantee, your probably going to need it.

All this breakage your having makes me scared of putting a lunchbox in my d30.....any one else have issues like this on stock shafts and stock gears with a lunchbox?

 

[Bryan C.]

Selectable lockers are the way to go. I had a full detroit for years in my rig and then went to an ARB. Night and day difference. Turning on the trail is much easier and more predictable with the locker in the open position. I have no comments on the knock off air lockers other than saying if you want bargain prices you will sacrafice on quality, just a simple fact of life.

For gears, I have been out of the gear game for some time but I have run a set of Precision 4.88 gears in my D30 for the last 9 years with no problems. Even broke a couple alloy shafts at the splines along the way with no ring gear damage. That's no guarantee that they have the same quality now as they did then. I did set up the gears in the most recent giveaway rig, they were Motive Gears and they seemed to be a good quality gearset that set-up easily. If I needed gears, I would buy those before any others on the market right now.

I know Yukon has changed a bit in quality over the years but I always consider them to a bargain type manufacturer, meaning they are more concerned with hitting a price-point than producing high quality parts. Like I said I know they have changed a bit over the years but that is my impression of them.

 

[CAJJ93XJ]

I have no comments on the knock off air lockers other than saying if you want bargain prices you will sacrafice on quality, just a simple fact of life.

zip locker? a knockoff?? I'd take a comp zip locker 10/10 times before I consider an ARB. Yukon is great for everything but D44 parts. don't buy any D44 axle shafts from them



a selectable would be nice, especially if you drive far. I'm probably the guy who would forget to turn it on all the time :gee:

DEFINITELY go 10 factory, they're just the best out there that I've seen. 27 spline should be the way to go. I had the same problem with my d30 cross pin (it just shattered) if the zip doesn't come with one make sure you snatch one of these
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-7139405-dana-30-cross-shaft-pin-lockright-zytanium.html

 

[CAJJ93XJ]

All this breakage your having makes me scared of putting a lunchbox in my d30.....any one else have issues like this on stock shafts and stock gears with a lunchbox?

yeah plenty of people have issues but that's no reason to fear a lunchbox. a D30 isn't a toothpick that's just going to break every 5 minutes. sure a full case locker is always better, but you will do fine with a drop in. the most important thing to do is grind out some nice 95-2001 axle shafts and stuff them with brand new SPICER 760's and full circle snap rings. you'll be golden unless you're Kevin

 

[831_xj]

Yea i think he is like 80% of the time

And Kevin spend the extra $$ and get something with a solid warrantee, your probably going to need it.

All this breakage your having makes me scared of putting a lunchbox in my d30.....any one else have issues like this on stock shafts and stock gears with a lunchbox?

Max tire size is 42" with that combo

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Max tire size is 42" with that combo

Your not serious are you?!

yeah plenty of people have issues but that's no reason to fear a lunchbox. a D30 isn't a toothpick that's just going to break every 5 minutes. sure a full case locker is always better, but you will do fine with a drop in. the most important thing to do is grind out some nice 95-2001 axle shafts and stuff them with brand new SPICER 760's and full circle snap rings. you'll be golden unless you're Kevin

Ok so basically get some solid chromos with solid ujoints?

 

[CAJJ93XJ]

Your not serious are you?!

oh yes. he's serious

Ok so basically get some solid chromos with solid ujoints?

you can run modified stock shafts and probably get a reliable season out of it. I would definitely upgrade to chromos when you get a chance, but I like to wait and watch craigslist. someone is always (cough cough blondejon) selling some quality used parts. It took me 2 years to slowly build up a fully polished D30 and it worked great. I was only in it about $1400 by the end

 

[Bryan C.]

zip locker? a knockoff?? I'd take a comp zip locker 10/10 times before I consider an ARB. Yukon is great for everything but D44 parts. don't buy any D44 axle shafts from them

If you want the real deal, buy an ARB. Anything else is a knock-off. And in my opinion Yukon is a knock-off brand.

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Looks like you two are locking heads

 

[CAJJ93XJ]

If you want the real deal, buy an ARB. Anything else is a knock-off. And in my opinion Yukon is a knock-off brand.

that may have been true 5 years ago. but Yukon has really improved. their grizzly is an improved version of the Detroit (stronger internals) and the zip locker will be an improved version of the ARB (if it isn't already, the video below is a couple years old)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbOkSirHYFg&feature=youtu.be

I'm not saying go buy a bunch of Yukon stuff. but they're definitely not just some knock off company

 

[Bryan C.]

that may have been true 5 years ago. but Yukon has really improved. their grizzly is an improved version of the Detroit (stronger internals) and the zip locker will be an improved version of the ARB (if it isn't already, the video below is a couple years old)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbOkSirHYFg&feature=youtu.be

I'm not saying go buy a bunch of Yukon stuff. but they're definitely not just some knock off company

Your opinion seems to be based on other people's experiences/opinions.

My opinion is based on my own experiences with these products.

If yukon isn't a knock off company, then why haven't they designed thier own style of locker instead of "improving" other's designs?

But, this isn't the place for this discussion. Let's talk about how Kevin actually wheels his rig and what to do about HIS breakage issues.

 

[XJ_Rudolph]

Someone should start a thread here giving personal experiences/tech discussion with every different locker...would be good for everyone!