Use a wet rag to cool them as you weld. A few tacks is all it should take. I put four small tacks on each cap when I did mine, good so far.

 

Tacking your U-joint caps won't make weak factory yokes any stronger.

Dana 30s really do benefit from quality axle shafts. Don't necessarily need RCVs, but a quality chromo shaft and good U-joints is the better option.

I respect your position.

I've got under two grand wrapped up in my Dana 30. Adding an Aussie, I'll be a bit over $2K for a locked, armored, RCV'd, Pro Steer'd front axle.

A good buddy (local) recently installed a Dyna PR44 complete with Pro Steers for $4,300. It's hell for strong, no question.

Nevertheless, I think my D30 is plenty of axle for my JK w/o V8 power and on 35s . . . and I've got another $2,000+ to do something else with.

 

I'll most likely keep putting money away for the RCV's, but the tack weld idea is sounding pretty good for a temporary solution to the problem. Any pictures of the welds?

 

In my opinion I say stick to good quality cromolly shafts, the way I think about it is this. With RCVs the next thing to go won't be a simple replacement u-joint, now you're looking at thrashing pretty much anything that's not up to the task

 

That's true, but I really like the idea of the RCV shafts. I drive a curvy road 35 miles to work every day. My local 4x4 shop tells me that this curvy road is hell on my front joints with the Aussie Locker and 36" tires. Agree? Anybody got pictures of the fix?

 

Here is a cell phone pic of the tack welds on one cap. It is not pretty and doesn't look like much, but so far it is working good.

If you already have a welder this cost next to nothing to do, and only takes 10 minutes.

 

I've got no gripe with tack welding caps so long as the value of doing it isn't over-estimated.

You get a u-joint cap that won't come off when stock retaining clips fail to do the job of full circle clips found on aftermarket joints. Cap can't come off, cap can't grenade the yoke. That's good.

However...

What remains -by aftermarket standards- is a weak axle shaft, a weak stub shaft, and a weak u-joint, not ideal for 36" tires on a JK that sees trail duty.

Finally, broad strokes suggesting RCVs place your carrier or R/P in danger doesn't seem to be born out in the real world. There are more guys running high quality traditional chromo shafts or RCVs on Dana 30s than ever before; by now we would be hearing a similar number of examples of cracked housings, broken carriers and sheared R/P teeth if this were the case.

 

[QUOTE=Under Dawg;1767015]I've got no gripe with tack welding caps so long as the value of doing it isn't over-estimated.

You get a u-joint cap that won't come off when stock retaining clips fail to do the job of full circle clips found on aftermarket joints. Cap can't come off, cap can't grenade the yoke. That's good.


I fully agree. I am running 37's and I know something is going to break....

My little tack welds will help some, but that is all.

 

I've lost two caps in two months. If any of you have replaced these joints, you know that it's a pain in the ass. Not to mention it wastes a couple hours of my day. I'm going to try welding mine. Thanks for the info.