Broken Axles: Hype or Reality

[pyr0b0y]

im at 616/622 and drive it hard but only got wheel hop a couple times. first time to the drag strip, really got on it and broke it the second time getting on my car hard....like someone said im glad it was just an axel and not more parts that were damaged.....

[GFORCE1320]

Originally Posted by pyr0b0y

im at 616/622 and drive it hard but only got wheel hop a couple times. first time to the drag strip, really got on it and broke it the second time getting on my car hard....like someone said im glad it was just an axel and not more parts that were damaged.....

Wheel hop is extremely hard on drivetrain parts. We use a proven anti wheel hop design with large and small diameter axles to stop the wheel hop, that and the better material has proven itself in all the markets we make axles for at stopping wheel hop.

If you can keep from wheel hopping your parts will live a much longer life.

Thanks
Chris

[Steve]

Originally Posted by GFORCE1320

Wheel hop is extremely hard on drivetrain parts. We use a proven anti wheel hop design with large and small diameter axles to stop the wheel hop, that and the better material has proven itself in all the markets we make axles for at stopping wheel hop.

If you can keep from wheel hopping your parts will live a much longer life.

Thanks
Chris

This is what I heard as well, and had a set of Phadt trailing arms in my trunk waiting for the next weekend to install when I broke my Half Axle. What luck! I did install them right after I got the car back and noticed a major improvement in holding the back down.

[Merc]

Originally Posted by Driveshaftshop

We have a bit of insight on this, We have been making performance axles for over 12 years and this is what we have to say. there are some people that can launch a car with the talent of a well seasoned team, being able to feel the car out and knowing the limit to each part and the ability to coordinate the clutch-gas-suspension and everything else that can make a car stay together. We had a Pro-FWD Honda driver from Canada that was using a set of 600Hp axles on a 900hp car running low 9 second passes. I saw him at PRI one year (this was some time ago) and i asked him how he managed to keep the car together. He said his clutch foot was like one of the finest tools in his tool box, he knew how to use it properly so it didn't damage anything else.

Then there are people that should remove there various pedals and put in switches in place of the Gas pedal-Clutch pedal and so on. In big league racing they use slipper clutches, the reason is if there were to put all the power they had to the ground they would have parts falling out from under the car. so launch technique is paramount in this discussion.

On top of this there is the quality of the part itself, the Stock Axles are made from a high carbon material and has allot of retained austinite (for lack of a better term its bad cholesterol for metal) its has chunks of material that never really get flowed out properly in the heat treat process and this inconsistent problem is what will cause a Factory shaft to either last or fail quickly. The higher grade materials like 4340 and 300m are a cleaner blend and do not have this problem.

so the reason some stock axles last and others done have a 2 part answer, it could be the driver is a bit harder on launching or its possible the material had been poorly heat treated with more retained austinite causing failure.


Take a look at this stock axle, this was in mercurymans car, he changed the axles as a safe guard. good thing he did. check out how far the spline was twisted. most will break the center bars before this will happen but its a good example of what I'm taking about with the material/Heat treat issue of the Stock parts.

I changed my axels out to DSS axels for piece of mind. I run Pumpkin hard at Friday Night Street Legals and even though I slide the clutch on the launch I just had to do it. Good thing I did as I was starting to twist the outer axel splines. Pumpkin has ARH LT's and a Vararam, no tune. I also up-graded the clutch and driveshaft to a ACT Dual disc and a DSS one piece aluminum driveshaft.

Check out my build journal for pic's of the twisted axel splines.

[HufferSS]

Decent axles would not cost GM but a few bucks more...and quite frankly I would pay the extra happily.....not to have to worry about this. It's an SS Camaro...it IS going to be driven aggressively and they know it but still design POS axles like this.

[Synner]

Originally Posted by HufferSS

Decent axles would not cost GM but a few bucks more...and quite frankly I would pay the extra happily.....not to have to worry about this. It's an SS Camaro...it IS going to be driven aggressively and they know it but still design POS axles like this.

Its not really the axles that are at fault; it's the wheel hop they should have fixed. Axles are holding up fine in most peoples cars that don't get wheel hop.

[forplay]

Who is "P".... and why does it say/read he is a Fag.... ??

[EvoWake]

well, just a little update here.. went to the dragstrip on the stock drivetrain... nothing broken



Guess I get to play with fire one more time.

[LT1Jeep]

what axles will the ZL1 use?

i just got home (dropped off by the tow truck driver) after waiting over 1 hr to get roadside assistance after a broken shaft. and I REALLY wasn't doing anything.... just turned onto an on ramp and i heard a bang/snap and then buxzzzz broken shaft. luckilly no one was behind me and i could roll backwatds to a spot on the side. sucks.

now i need to make a decision... stock under warranty or drop the coin for aftermarket.

[carguy]

Originally Posted by LT1Jeep

what axles will the ZL1 use?

i just got home (dropped off by the tow truck driver) after waiting over 1 hr to get roadside assistance after a broken shaft. and I REALLY wasn't doing anything.... just turned onto an on ramp and i heard a bang/snap and then buxzzzz broken shaft. luckilly no one was behind me and i could roll backwatds to a spot on the side. sucks.

now i need to make a decision... stock under warranty or drop the coin for aftermarket.

Gotta be a weak link somewhere. Only you can choose where it is...

Been there.....

[BVaughan77]

I broke my stock axles in My LS3 M6 SS twice! The first time I broke them (the car was stock) and I them got fixed for free under warranty and the second time (last night) the car had a over 450RWHP and it feels like I broke the same axle joint as last time (passenger's side). I need to upgrade my axles/suspension so this never happens again!