anyone got a snapped rear axleshaft?

[Monster Man]

I'd like to buy it, or, rather buy the end of it. I went to swap my front flanges off, but low and behold my flanges didn't fit- I had wondered beforehand about whether that bowl shaped area in the flange needed to be duplicated. Well, it turns out it did. I'd seen the other homemade flanges and they used a much larger pipe, I just used what would clear the axle shaft, about 2 inches. Whoops, too small and it didn't clear the bearing nut and whatnot. Oh well, so I go to take out the rear axle and put my flange on there, nope same thing, it needs the clearance.

SO..... if anybody has a snapped axle I'd like to buy the end of it to bolt on in place of my rear axle, if you'd be willing to torch the length of the shaft off. And you're right, removing the interaxle drivehsaft will be a no go, after spending an hour and a half getting the front shaft off I said screw it!
It took me about 4 hours to make those stupid flanges and the only part I can salvage now is the outer portion of the ring with the 8 bolt holes, I gotta come up with a new center <img src="emoticons/icon_smilie_bitchin.gif" alt="Bitchin">

 

[Recovry4x4]

Lance, don't know what gives there! I use front flanges on the back all the time. The hubs that they bolt onto are the same hubs as used in the front. Not throwing stones but I would have a second looksee. Maybe they used the wrong gasket and something is in the way from the gasket. I've done it on too many different trucks to believe it doesn't fit. If you want, I can swap them out again on my truck Sunday and take pics. I just know it works!

 

[Recovry4x4]

OOOPS, maybe I misread that post! You want dummy stuff for the front or something to cover the rear when an axle is pulled? A rear axle end won't clear the front axle shaft if that's what you're trying to do. Saturn has surplus front drive flanges for about $28.00 each. With these you can have someone chuck them up in a lathe and mill out the splines. I have a set of these that I use. Once again, I can do pics of them if anybody wants to see them.

 

[Monster Man]

Originally posted by Recovry4x4

OOOPS, maybe I misread that post! You want dummy stuff for the front or something to cover the rear when an axle is pulled? A rear axle end won't clear the front axle shaft if that's what you're trying to do. Saturn has surplus front drive flanges for about $28.00 each. With these you can have someone chuck them up in a lathe and mill out the splines. I have a set of these that I use. Once again, I can do pics of them if anybody wants to see them.

oops, sorry for the confusion- I meant to say my homemade flanges didn't fit the front, so I tried to fit them on the rear and the same story- they wouldn't fit cause I didn't leave that hollowed out bowl shaped area like the stock one has, so my flanges need to be redone. At this point I think it would be easier to get a shaft nobody wants and is useless otherwise and use that as a cap for the rear. I may just get the front flanges from Saturn, but $60 for the pair take a chunk out of my wallet and I'd still need to modify them We'll see

 

[Recovry4x4]

Gotcha!

 

[fujinama]

Rockwells don't break.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL">

 

[hot rod deuce]

oh i dont know bout that....

but lets hope your right so i sleep good tonight

 

[Desert Rat]

HRD;
Have y'all have been doing things momma told you NOT to do?!?!?!!? AGAIN?!?!?!<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL">

 

[big mike]

Originally posted by fujinama

Rockwells don't break.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL">

we shatter the front axles alot, and occasionally snap a rear axle. all it takes is a set of 14.00x20 michelin XLs and a healthy V8, like the one in my toyota and the destruciton is emminent

 

[rdixiemiller]

If you send me your home made flanges, I can chuck them up in my lathe and bore them out to the correct diameter. I would then tap the hole to the appropriate pipe size so you can screw in a nipple with a cap on it.
It won't take me long to do, and it won't cost anything. You can just owe me a favor.
Regards
Robert Miller

 

[Trango]

Originally posted by big mike

Originally posted by fujinama

Rockwells don't break.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL">

we shatter the front axles alot, and occasionally snap a rear axle. all it takes is a set of 14.00x20 michelin XLs and a healthy V8, like the one in my toyota and the destruciton is emminent

Hey Mike,

I just built a machine with the 16r20's and a 290HP Lt1 Chevy 350. Let's hope I don't have your same experience.

Good to see another rockwell wheeler on here.

Cheers
Bob

 

[big mike]

the way i see it for a hardcore mud truck rockwells are the only way to go. the parts are plentiful and if you design the rims right you can stay the same width as a fullsize truck. sure they suck for casual trail riding, but thats why i have my little street legal toyota powered samurai on 33's. i have about 350 horses in my engine and i break stuff, but you know, its really funny. my buddy had a 600 horse big block powered bronco with rockwells. the back was welded shut and the front had a detroit. he beat the balls offa this thing with that motor and never broke a single axle part. his motor later sucked water and he threw a junkyard 460 in it. after that all it did was break axles, mounts, and eventually his 3/4" ubolts grenaded and the rear blew forward in the middle of a mudhole.
i think having lots of power is actually easier on the drivetrain in the mud than a stock motor due to the amount of effort it takes to get the tires spinning. with lots of power it just spun the tires everywhere and never caught enough traction to cause damage.

 

[big mike]

if you want to make your rockwels indestructable, call these guys up. www.ouversonengineering.com/axle_products
they sell upgrade kits to install 2" shafts in your rockwells. they also make the "super 8 hubs" which allow you to bolt 8 lug pickup wheels to your rockwells

 

[spicergear]

When I rescued the parts deuce I had for a while it had an outer shaft on the front had snapped just in from the drive flange. Had the ball style knuckle in it. I've heard a lot talk around about them being a weak point, but that pretty much cured me. I'm hoping I won't have too much problems with the Rockwells and 46" XML's on my M715. Got a pretty mellow 427BBC now...so I think I'll be okay until I get stupid with the 8-71 huffer I have.