tl'dr, if I do a 4" lift, can I skate along for a while on stock driveshafts?

I'm in a stock 2014 JKUR today. Over the next year or so, pending budget mostly, I plan on doing one-ton swaps and a 4" lift kit. I'll be building junkyard axles. when those are done, I'll either install them immediately or, more likely, wait until I have the scratch for a decent lift kit (most likely a BDS 4.5" longarm).

Adding in updated 1350 driveshafts is going to be another added cost that I'd like to push off if I can. Once those one-tons are on, I'll be gentle-driving for the first 500 miles to break them in, which I'll just do over the course of daily driving for a month or so. I'm wondering if I can get away with stock driveshafts during that break-in period while I pull the money together for new driveshafts. During the break-in, I'll only be on pavement so there won't be any severe forces or articulation.

What are your thoughts here? How far can I stretch on stock driveshafts? They probably won't even fit after a longarm kit, right?

 

Short answer, yes.....till the front dies. The rear will be ok. If you wheel, you'll likely rip that boot over the splines if it's even still in tact. You can flip that rear DS around to move the boot a little further from the evap skid that it will rip on. In front, it will be a ticking time bomb due to the angle, but you'll have plenty of notice. might die quickly, might last a while. I've seen both. seen one die early on a 2.5" lift that didn't leave the pavement even. the boot at the TC end will rip and spew grease on the underside of the tub. just monitor from time to time for a line of grease.

 

If it's the front that's concerning, I could just leave the front shaft off. I do wonder if that'll affect the break-in for the front gears if they're new.

Also, if i can skate along with the rear, then I could just buy the front first, then replace the rear later...

 

the wheelbase and angle on the rear DS is very forgiving with CVs at both ends. i wouldn't worry about the front. if you see grease on the bottom of the tub in a line right above that joint, or you hear the typical bad CV joint "clicking", just pull it off for the time being. It gives you plenty of notice well before any failure.

front DS or not.....should not have an impact on any new gearing break in. those gears are turning up from cuz of the front tires rolling. you're not breaking in those gears in 4WD, so it doesn't matter if the shaft is there or not.

 

Assuming I do the one-ton swap and have switchable hubs, I'll leave them locked for break-in then. Thanks for the info!

 

yes, exactly.