Tough day on the trail- 2x CVs blown out

Had a tough day in BV on Sunday. Went out to go wheeling with some friends and ended up breaking a CV. I had my spare CV and everything I needed to replace it, so no big deal but it was strange to me because I just replaced my OEM about a month ago with CVJ reman red boots. This was the first time I was on trail with the new axles. After replacing the blown out CV about 200 yards down the trail the replacement CV pulled out the same way the first did. I removed the CV, cut the shaft, left the cup side in the diff and bolted up the stub to the hub side so I could limp out. Clearly I have something else going on with geometry, binding or droop.

After the replacement of the OE Axles in my shop about a month ago I did notice that the clearance on the passenger side was smaller than the driver side. I assumed that this was from my suspension on the driver side being brand new (4wp destroyed my coil over while pressing out a spherical bearing and replaced the coil over). The boots cleared my LCAs and everything looked normal besides the slight difference in axle shaft clearance.

looking to see if anyone has experienced (multiple) blown CVs. I think I might have a blown passenger side coil over with a busted internals that allowed for more droop, leading to the cv pulling out. I talked to CVJ and they told me that nothing keeps the bearings on the diff/ cup side of the CV in but the relationship between the diff and the spindle and the boot. If the axle travels too far, it just pops right out and destroys the inner boot. Since this happened to me twice in a row, I gotta think that something is allowing that side to move too far. I also thought it could be spindles, but I welded the spindle gussets, so less likely. I have limit straps, they were just not installed on that trip because they rub at full lock and the tire started to degrade the strap. I am kicking myself for not putting them on before this trip.

I am currently driving around with my bluetooth axle setup and everything is driving fine, no lights on the dash. So what do yall think is the culprit?

 

How did u break cv, on climb over obstacle or when it drooped to low into hole or something it cracked? noticed u have no sway bar so maybe droop is low for cv?

 

How much lift?
Last time I heard of this, downward travel was the cause. CV simply pulled apart from droop.

Limit straps

 

I was coming down a washed out hill with deep ruts. Passenger side tire was full drooped and then it either just popped out or it popped out when it contracted the ground. Front driver tire was stuffed, rear passenger was stuffed. I haven’t run a sway bar for 3 years now and have encountered similar style obstacles without problems.

 

Hmm, now i am wondering if i am gona be in same issue with my setup, i just got extended coil overs and removed sway as it was making drive super harsh.

 

Guy in my off road club had the internal travel stop collapse on his OME Nitrocharger, also on the passenger side.

Remove both coilovers and compare their free lengths.

How's the rear frame mount for your front diff? That bolt/bushing is known to pull through, which will cause the diff to rotate when torqued.

 

What type of axle did you replace it with? CarQuest?

thanks for this post, I’m thinking maybe I should carry at least one with me also.

 

The front diff pull through happened to me about a month after I bought the truck (years ago now) I welded in a diy front diff reinforcement on the diff support but that will be something I take a close look at when I get under there. Good idea!

 

Strap the front and call it a day

 

The second replacement that broke was a car quest. I think it was 85-90$ and I carried it just for trail repairs. Now it will go in my recovery kit as just a diff cup and cv stub end so if me or any other IFS needs em to limp out they would have em. I will be getting another reman from CVJ, adding my limiting straps on and checking my coil for internal damage.

 

yeah no doubt. The thing that kills me is that I have the straps and top perches welded in already but just wasnt runnin em that day. I took em off for the winter and didnt reinstall em yet. Faack

 

I feel that, I had my sliders off and didn't put them back on before a trail run once. Was being lazy and just thought to myself "eh, don't need em". Well, long story short....I needed em lol. Took some nice wacks to my rocker panels.

 

oh i noticed u are running extended LCA as well, is that correct? that doesnt look like stock LCA, so kinda looks like maybe during droop u pulled to much and cv partial disconnected from inner and when u turned it just pop'ed out.

 

^None of that matters. The shock limits droop. Since @FranksGotTacos isn't running a top plate spacer, the only way for the shock to extend more is an internal failure in the shock.

 

not extended- stock length DK LCAs, same length as OE, but more beef and bling. Actually looking to sell em and swap em to the BTF fab LCAs.

 

Unfortunately you are correct. I think I have a blown internal limit but the coil over is still operating smoothly. I think I am gonna hook up my limit straps and give that a try before replacing the shock. I am calling OME/ ARB tomorrow and see what they think.

 

^It's a BP51? Should be rebuildable.

 

Well that sucks……

 

Yes they are but ONLY ARB will do it. I gotta pull the coil and send it in to them in WA. I will be out of a truck for at least a week and its my daily. Contemplating just buying a new coilover and running that while they rebuild and then I will have a spare in the garage when it comes back from ARB.

 

I kept my stock coil-overs and rear shocks in case I ever had to service my kings.

I’m fully understanding what happened to your CV. In one sentence you said you broke it, in another you said it pulled out, and you said something about a boot being damaged. Do you mean the CV joint was damaged after being pulled out due to excessive droop? I’m trying to picture a CV pulled partially or fully out of the diff and what might happen next. Did it bind and then the CV joint broke under torsional stress?