Isopropyl Alcohol is what you should use to clean the surfaces. Make sure you let it completely dry and give the vapors time to dissipate. I'm a welder, and its what I use to clean surfaces before I weld anything. Liquid and vapor form is flammable...so use the above mentioned caution before welding after using it.

 

Don't know if the OP has done this yet, but when I finished drilling all of my holes, WITH THE EVO SLEEVES REMOVED, I pulled the rags out of the tubes & shined a light in there. There was still debris in there. I then took a wooded dowel with electrical tape wrapped around the tip a bunch of times & fished the rest of the shavings out that way.

I will say, with the C gussets & tubes in there, the good old Dana 30 looks pretty darn tough!!! Thanks EVo!!! Great product at a very affordable price.

 

Ok, I know it's been 4 months since anyone commented on this thread, but I was just looking, and the EVO inner sleeves with C gusset kit is $239, and RSE offers their full kit, which includes inner sleeves, the outer sleeve kit, and C gussets for $319. Sounds like a deal to me, unless someone has any opinions on why the RSE inners wouldn't be as good or something. I haven't dug into it yet, but I know the EVO inners have double seals, and are greasable, not sure about the RSE's. Also, my main reason for getting on here...why are all the truss/sleeve kits for front axles? I mean, I know theyre week, and they need them, and of course the rears don't need the C gussets at all, but why doesn't anyone do the sleeves or trusses for the rear axles? Does anyone make anything for the rears? I have a 2007 JK Rubicon Unlimited.

 

I put the exo sleeves from RSE on my D30 and didn't worry about the inners...I have every confidence this will not break unless I do something really stupid. It was nice, sand off some paint, c-clamp the exo sleeve in place, weld it all around. didn't even have to take my wheels off, done in 2 hours

 

Thanks, sounds cool. I may go the RSE route with the full kit on my front, I'll eventually end up with 37's on it. Still curious about the rear though.

 

rear doesn't see as much stress as the front since it isn't a steering axle

 

Yeah, I guess not. Ok thanks.

 

Wouldn't the process of welding the outers produce too much heat with axle seals and such? Thought I read that somewhere- that you still need to replace the seals on an outer tube being welded on...

 

Well, I compensated for that by welding only a little bit at a time near the seals, alternating sides, letting it cool etc. Haven't leaked a drop

 

I wondered that too, but then I thought, heck, if I do the inners and outers, I'm assuming you have to remove the seals and replace them after you do the inners anyway, so I'd be good there. Still not REALLY sure about doing both, but the price is not but around $90 different to get the RSE kit with both, so... Also I was looking, the EVO inners say they strengthen the axle like 33% or 31, not sure, but the RSE outers say 55%, but I'm thinking they MAY be talking about their full kit, with inner and outers. Either way you stack it, 55% strength increase is significant, with only a quarter inch of clearance loss at the axle tubes themselves, and just think how much more rocks you could pound the axles with....LOL, the outers act as a skid plate for the axle tubes while strengthening it too.