Here's the situation. I want to beef up the drive train (axles, gears, lockers, drive shafts) on mydaily driver x for offroading. I want to know what component should be the weak link. I don't want to blow up something expensive while offroading....hence the question. I wanted to see what you guys do for the weak link. Thanks

 

well, going easy on the skinny pedal will help prevent breaks in the first place but the easiest and cheapest weak link to deal with would probably be a drive shaft u-joint.

 

Every part has the potential of being he weak link. How hard are you wheeling? If your hard on the trail I'd start with axles, then drive shafts. Other than that I'd just go with the flow. Whatever breaks, breaks.

 

Take a look at your front driveshaft and transmission pan. My front driveshaft was rubbing on the transmission pan when flexing off road. This made the front drive shaft my weak link.

Lockers will surely help improve safety off road. They will help reduce slipping and help you crawl over obstacles slowly instead of having to try and power over them.

 

Thanks Wayoflife. I was actually thinking about the u-joint but I am unsure about which part actually breaks. Is it the u-joint itself or the u-joint yoke?

 

Thanks guys for the input. Keep it comming.

 

most of the times, the u-joint will break and tear off the straps as well but.... i will tell you that i have broken a yoke before as well. either way, you can pull your shaft and still hobble off the trail without too much fuss.

 

Like others have said it really depends on how you ride. Drive shaft u-joints have been mentioned although the u-joints on the front axle shafts often become victims from what I hear. That may be mostly on those that have lockers in the front though.

Other things, though not necessarily everything, you want to think about depending on your wheeling style are:

• evap. canister relocation or skid
• oil pan skid plate
• rocker panel protection

 

Thanks Tony. I didn't think about the axle u-joints. The skid plates are in the works.

 

I second this! Cheap and easy to fix!