ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: trackermad on May 25, 2004, 04:51:50 AM
-
I have been reading this forum for years I dont know why it took me so long to join. Anyway let me introduce myself. Im Patrick I drive a 94 Tracker with a 3" Calmini suspension lift, 2" home made body lift, 8000 lb Ramsey winch, homemade tube front bumper and many little mods that Ive made threw the years. I have broken my front diff twice now in two different places. The mounting flanges on both the passenger side and on the pinion. I have fixed both of these problems with simple changes. I would like to know any other ways people have broken these things Im trying to design some simple bolt on strentheners but I need to know how else they break.
Thanks,
Patrick
-
other people will be able to give u more info..but u can always go the anvil route( kinda expensive..but makes it easier to have a front locker)
-
i have throw a pinion out of the side of the case and broke the mount off the snout of the 3rd member. both of theis prblems can be fix by putting a Vitara 3rd member in place of the stock one.
stu
-
If you want it to last it has to be steel. I tried gussets, added brackets, clearancing among other things... Steel is the only thing that will hold up to my driving. The anvil is cheap compared to the downtime from breaking. The final straw for me was getting 5 days off of work (precious) driving 8 hours to Indiana to run Zukimelt (gas$) Entrance fee ($) Camping ($) only to break a diff on the second day. >:( Since I went with a steel diff my vacations have been a lot more fun. Even if you break an axle shaft within a 1/2 hour or less you can be back playing again. Break a diff and your done. :'( Id just go for the parts that have proven to be tough. A steel GV third member (Hawk suzuki) and Calmini Anvil. (Availible from Calmini or Hawk) This is also a good time to swap in a front locker. If you get a rear sami carrier, equip it with a locker it will work in the Calmini anvil. You will also need a Carrier pin holder if you run stock gearing. (hawk also sells that) ::) If your runnin the Calmini 5.83 gears its not needed.
For more info look at the bottom of the screen there is a black toolbar. Click on ARTICAL ARCHIVE and scroll down to Hagen pure sport in the technical section. There is a writeup on Strengthining the frontend.
Mike
-
from calmini site it looks like the price of the anvil increased a little. but when compared to the price of other replacement axle housings/assemblies, etc. its pretty cheap considering.
-
I agree, go the steel in the front if you can. I saw the following post on another forum and thought it might be of interest.
Vits spit diffs because of an oil feed galley that is like a little tube moulded into the casting. Its job is to feed oil from the main pumpkin area to the pinion bearing. (The bearing nearest the drive shaft). The front diff mount (on the side of the diff ) is like a tag that sticks out to the left hand side. Unfortunately as torque twists the drive shaft, yoke and pinion, the whole housing wants to twist. (It can because there is only one mount) The oil galley is the weak spot and the housing splits up the guts like twisting a peach in half. The simplest and cheapest way to reduce the chance of failure is to cut and force a piece of solid rubber, like an old shackle bush into the 10mm gap between the diff and the cross member. It will greatly reduce the ability of the diff to twist but may add a slight harshness as some vibration may be felt through the chassis. Small price to pay. Chances are you won't notice it at all. Most people blame the crown wheel and pinion when a vit front end shits itself. That’s because the pinion spits out. What most people don't realise is that once the housing splits up the middle, there is nothing to hold the pinion in its place. It simply drives forward on the teeth of the crown wheel and punches its way out the front of the diff.
-
It's funny how the calmini 3" system got brought
into "the broken front housing" topic again.
just a thought. ;D
-
I appreciate all of your input. I am mainly interested in finding out ways that you all have broken your front ends and it sounds like its always the same problem that I had. I seam to have fixed my problem by removing the original mount and clamping the pinion down to the crossmember with a u-bolt. I've been wheeling like that fore a year and a half now with no further problems there. Im sure with the combination of an Anvil and a cast pinion carrier is very strong but I am more interested in making the stock pieces last.
-
I've never broken a housing or 3rd member. I did trash alot of CV's over the years though.
Zig
-
That actually brings up another question. How are people breaking CV's? Like what physically happens to them when they break? I've been talking to a machinist friend and we have been toying with the idea of machine fit sleeves to go over the CV. I've only broken one CV and it split the outside housing.
-
The majority of mine came when I tried to "get a little more lift" out of my 3" suspension. I ended up over extending the inner cup on the drivers side :P Then I put it back to norm and havent over extended one since :)
I have snaped the inner splines on the passenger side a few times (inside the stock housing), shattered the inner cage (that holds the bearings in place at the shaft) many times, and twisted off the outter stub shaft once.
Zig
-
My casualties are 1 cage (pass inboard)
and 1 front axle shaft (long side)
and it took the turbo to do it.
Zig, you're hard on the CVs ;)
I'm working on a better setup, still
using stock parts tho :( so you would
probably blow it up too :P LOL
This would eliminate the CV cups and reduce
the drive angle of the shaft, while allowing
more lift, all the stuff you want ;D
PM me for details if you're interested in
finding out more
Wild
-
More Lift, less damage :o Hell Yea ;D I already have the CV problem fixed thanks to Mr. Hagen, feerless leader of the Kick Clan ;) But always interested in more info/ideas. I'll send you a PM.
Later,
Zig
-
How'd you fix your CV problems again? Do you have Maxima halfshafts instead of regular Kick CV's?
-
Yea, I did Mr. Hagens front end widening, and installed Mr.Hagens super strong Maxima V-6 Half Shafts. They look about twice the size of the Stockers :o
Zig
-
I'm assuming that you have to weld the ends from the tracker CV's onto the Maxima halfshafts, correct? Did you have to shorten them up at all, or are they the right length once the ends are cut off?
-
Their actually a little bit longer. That's why you have to widen the front end a little. Also that will help with axil angle and stability.
-
So... are they approximately the same length as the Exploder CV's, as described in another Hagen article? Could you do the same thing, but use the Maxima halfshafts instead?
EDIT: This article: http://www.zukiworld.com/month_040103/feature_hagencvshaft.htm
Front end widening is one of the mods I've been looking at... but I didn't want to do it, then use the stock CV's...
Are Maxima halfshafts stronger/have a better angle than Exploder CV's?
-
According to what I've read in the different posts and articles the  Maxima halfshafts are longer.  If you read the article, you will see you have to put/make spacers for the Explorer halfshafts.
I also beleive that the Maxima shafts have larger CV on them.  Don't know how much larger.  Also I beleave that the Maxima has a better axil angle to the CV.
But, I've read that Mike has had some friends use the Explorer halfshafts and they have worked out ok.  I think the main reason for using the Explorer shafts is the availability of them.
We can wait and let Mike clarify though.
-
The maxima shaft is extremly rare. The only one that (barely) fits is the left front V6 5 speed without antilock. Even if you find the shafts you have to cut further into the outer CV cups and do some additional grinding to the stub from the trackick donor. The real reason I didnt write on the maxima shaft is because the level of difficulty to build and how hard they are to find. The #1 reason I wanted to write it was to get people to think outside the box. Mabey someone else will come up with a better donor or a better way to do it. OR mabey someone in the aftermarket will see the need and build one. ::)
Mike
-
Are the Explores CV's holding up??
-
The only guy runnin the Explorer CVs has kinda went by the wayside. :-/ I dont have any long term results on them.
-
Just out of curiosity, would you be willing to weld up a set of Explorer shafts (ready to fit in a widened front end) and ship them to Michigan? If so, how much would you charge for them?
This is purely conjecture, since I'm not sure what I'm doing after I get a steel front diff housing (Anvil or GV). :-/
-
Ive actually been really busy lately and will be for most of the summer. I try not to do any builds because of time. If I have any spare time I like to spend it tweaking my own rig or with my 2 kids. Ive got 4 major events to hit in the next 2 months. That alone will put a strain on my family time.
Mike
-
Very understandable :)
Any tips and tricks on getting it centered? I think I may be able to get some Explorer CV shafts for relatively cheap, I just don't have any experience doing this kind of work.
-
i have broken the front axle on tonka-toy 9 times.
the usual one is a case of ripping the mounting lug clean of the 3rd member casing or ripping out the bolt holes ..... another is to snap the 3rd member housing totally in half .... finally on the side of the axle casing that has the 3 bolt holes, i have ripped the locating bolts out several times.
i like mike hagen tried several home brew remedies to strengthen and protect the front end. the fix was a 2.5 v6 gv steel front axle and 3rd member.
since fitting the steel axle i have broken a front shaft and that is all. if you look at my site you will see that i wheel the truck hard.
you want strength its the only way
http://www.tonka-toy.co.uk
simon