Who has ever broke a dana 30 axle?

[SGT ABN XJ]

My question is: who here has ever broken a Dana 30 axle?, and if so what was you doing? what broke? and what size tires were you running at the time.

[XJ4IV]

My buiddy had a TJ with a d30 and he was goin up a hill in dirt and at the top it went from a 45 angle to a 85 degree angle and he had to gun it up the last part... his u-joint blasted to pieces he had 33's and 3:55 gears so basically the factory setup thats the only one Ive seen but another friend of mine has done it about 20 times but thats cause he has 36 on a YJ and he wheels like its a 100k rig

[XJ Rat]

My question is: who here has ever broken a Dana 30 axle?, and if so what was you doing? what broke? and what size tires were you running at the time.

While I have never broken any of my Dana 30s, I have seen two break on club runs.

One was a stock 4.0, manual tranny in a TJ. The axle was stock except for 35" tires. He was in a rock garden, turned his wheel about half way to the right, gave it some gas and BANG. The drivers side U-joint and ears exploded. He upgraded to chrome moly shafts, then he got a deal on a Dana 60 front axle set up for a TJ. No problems since.

The other was a 4.0, manual tranny XJ. 33" tires in a rock garden with the wheel turned, got on gas and BANG. Drivers side U-joint and ears exploded.

I do know the guy with the TJ was very meticulous about his preventative maintenance. So dry u-joint was not the issue.

The common factors here were excellent traction, turned steering wheel, and application of throttle. I do know stress on the u-joint really goes up when the steering wheel is turned. The above two examples followed that thesis.

Just my experience with the subject.

[KiwiMark]

broken 3, short side each time. 2 with 31s on an XJ, 1 with 33's on a TJ, each time while trying to turn up and out of deep ruts, with the front ARB locked in.

[Mudderoy]

broken 3, short side each time. 2 with 31s on an XJ, 1 with 33's on a TJ, each time while trying to turn up and out of deep ruts, with the front ARB locked in.

Where did it break? The axle itself, or where the u-joint is?

[KiwiMark]

at the UJ mate, they tend to go bang fairly easy. Rather there than the CW and P though. I have an aquaintance that has for year been trying to get me into chromoly axles, and i have always refused citing the ease in changing and axle compared to the PITA when a CW and P shears teeth..... he is removing his chromoly axles as hes now onto his 3rd set of CW and P. Each time hes been locked up also, and rather than the uni yoke letting go, it hits the next weakest point... and is damned expensive in comparison.

[DETOURS]

Turned and bound in rock or a real good rutt is when they go bye bye.....a 35 is it's limit, locking a stock 30 on 35's is almost certain death when wheeling harder stuff....