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Posted by Kaegi on Friday, May 15, 2009 at 12:25:42 :
In Reply to: Axles posted by John Galt on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 21:59:29 :
I can agree on the axle shafts themselves being the weak link but not on the assembly itself. the axle assembly as a whole is much more substatial tahn a 44. all the bearings in the pumpkin are larger, the ring and pinion is larger, the housing just by design is stronger. the coarse spline shafts on the centered rear axle types from the WW2 trucks is quite unlikely to break an axle shaft as the load is spread evenly between the 2. the offset axle set up in PWs and M37s is weak because the short axle has no flex and the long one can break from too much flex. I have seen 44s broken where the tube goes into the casting. I have heard many ujoints and yokes blow in the open knuckle 44s. Once I saw a front axle broken on a PW. the idea that metallurgy in WW2 was inferior is myth. Expecially when talking about Chrysler built trucks. Dodges were not disposable vehicles liek the jeeps were. They were designed to be reused anywhere anytime. there are pieces off these trucks that I have had to use a 50 ton press to straighten just the slightest bends from.
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