PowerCrax Final Diagnosis

the1jferg · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:32 pm

OK Folks, My spiders and sides are back in.

All of the pins on the powertrax driver sheared off and I'm lucky as heck I made it 700 miles back to the house with no damage whatsoever. Had pieces of pin fragments everywhere, its a wonder they did not get picked back up in the flow. One seemed to got hung on my tone ring and scar'd my cover but thats it.

Don't know if it was cold weather or extreme use in cold weather.

The device was still installed correct. Good luck with yall's quest, it sure let me down this time. It has saved my stupid on MANY occasions while it was working.

I guess cyber wheeling is always safest and my 4x2 has seen more offroad punishment than many 4x4's

Tritanium...My stupid :lol:

Why does it get picked up by a magnet ?...cause its just plain ole metal !!! :lol:

P.S. If I had an 8.25 axle , where the axle could just slide out of the tube onto the hiway if broken...I would never install this device. My axle is bolt in, so even If I would have drug up a chunk and broke everything in there. I could still push it off the road and probably live another day. Food for thought

Oh yeah, since I can't give up on the KJ...I'm looking at installing a 8.25, 4:10s, and adding a transfer case with the chain off since I have a 4x2.

All my Love

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:57 pm

Didn't Darby's Powertrax on his 02 die a twisted death? - I remember a comment but can't find it now.

XJMA · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:34 pm

What kinda axle do you have??

How long was it in there?? What were the circumstances surrounding it's death??

I think no-slips are OK, but they are a little complicated for a lunchbox IMO. KISS. Hopefully aussie will have one out for the 8.25 someday.

the1jferg · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:34 pm

Dana 35

It was in about 2 years. At the time of death I was making a left turn into a steak & beer joint in New Mexico on icey pavement around 15 degrees F temp. Never blew offroad and so help me I tried hard.

Not sure about darby's experience...He did post not recommending a "Lunchbox" for daily driver as I recall.

I got a return number from richmond but 4wheelparts is going to credit it toward a winch for me.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:26 pm

Hmm, this isnt good. Wonder if the locker that goes in the 8.25 is stronger?

Ohh, the axle cannot just slide out if the axle breaks on the 8.25. The brakes would hold it on. :wink:

the1jferg · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:15 pm

It will slide out, brakes can't hold 3000 pounds.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:48 pm

My problem was with the Bearings...

The PowerTrax might put more pressure or wear on the bearings. The bearings on the rear diff (axle) itself gave out and then the PowerTrax spun around in the diff...

On another note, if the "c-clip" that locates your axle shaft breaks, your axle will walk itself out...the brakes, wheels and everything will walk with the axle.

Edwin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:30 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

My problem was with the Bearings...

The PowerTrax might put more pressure or wear on the bearings. The bearings on the rear diff (axle) itself gave out and then the PowerTrax spun around in the diff...

On another note, if the "c-clip" that locates your axle shaft breaks, your axle will walk itself out...the brakes, wheels and everything will walk with the axle.

The brake caliper is bolted to the axle tube, and the brake caliper holds the brake disc and the brake disc holds the axle in.

Now on a drum brake set up everything will walk out. Correct me if I'm wrong but the disc brake rear axle will stay together if the c-clip breaks.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:23 pm

Yes, rear disc brake components are bolted to the axle tube, but typically those 2 bolts fail and the axle still walks out or the bracket bends and the axle dislodges itself from the differential (midsection)

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:27 pm

sleeve84028 wrote:

Yes, rear disc brake components are bolted to the axle tube, but typically those 2 bolts fail and the axle still walks out or the bracket bends and the axle dislodges itself from the differential (midsection)

Hopefully you would be able to tell something was up and pull off the road. Unless your taking turn 3 at Bristol, there isnt much side-to-side force just driving doing the road.

Edwin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:34 pm

I agree with Jeepjeepster, I think you'd be able to stop from all the noise by then.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:07 pm

They come out pretty fast. I chewed up a axle on a mustang of mine at the drag strip

XJMA · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:44 pm

It's hard to tell for sure without seeing it but since you have a D35, I would assume that it wasn't the powertrax that failed, but the D35 itself. When the D35 fails, it will take the lunchbox locker with it. Hell, I've seen a detroit get destroyed due to an axleshaft failure.

Locked D35s are notorious for blowing up in seemingly tame street conditions. It's the risk you take locking a d35.

Why did your KJ have a D35?? The 2wd ones have D35s?

Edwin · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:09 pm

XJMA wrote:

It's hard to tell for sure without seeing it but since you have a D35, I would assume that it wasn't the powertrax that failed, but the D35 itself. When the D35 fails, it will take the lunchbox locker with it. Hell, I've seen a detroit get destroyed due to an axleshaft failure.

Locked D35s are notorious for blowing up in seemingly tame street conditions. It's the risk you take locking a d35.

Why did your KJ have a D35?? The 2wd ones have D35s?

It's not a regular D35 like in an XJ. It has a differant cover bolt pattern. Some of the 1st KJs came out with them, but I think they are rare.

the1jferg · **Posted:** Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:01 pm

Not only did they have Dana 35's, they had two versions...198 and 194RBI

Sorry to pop any bubbles...

I did not have a mark on my Dana 35 guts ANYWHERE except a mark in the cover where a frag was picked up by my tone ring. Axles, Gears , bearings, everything is perfect. Put my washers, spiders,& sides back in... I'm good as new.

It was the drive pins that shattered on the Powercrax...No ifs ands, or butts.

That device should have NEVER been weaker than the flemsy stupid dana 35.

BrutalOffroad.com or 4wheelparts can confirm if you have any trouble believing that I have a 35 or that the no-slip blew.

PowerCrap...Tritanium Ha-Ha

Again, The device never failed me off-road and I pushed it to the limit. Johnny Brown at Richmond said: "I must have been jumping stuff", I don't care if I was jumping stuff...IT STILL SHOULD NOT FAIL !!!!!!!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:26 pm

You said that the pins broke. Wonder if they are also made out of Tritanium?

the1jferg · **Posted:** Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:30 pm

Edwin said: "I agree with Jeepjeepster, I think you'd be able to stop from all the noise by then."

Yes, But

Sleeve said: " they come out fast"

Every circumstance is possible, so is this: If it "freezes" because parts (Might) hang in the gears can cause instant trauma which can kill everything from your engine to the axle. Can drop a drive shaft for sure shoving it thu a floor board into the baby seat. It can cause instant braking and the axle can slide out, then you can't pull over. Or, it could trip and roll.

I don't know what the norm is for this kinda breakage, I tend to think mine shattering and causing no damage after driving 700 plus miles could only continue to bolster my belief in Holy Moses. :lol:

Jeepster, You know what that guy Johnny brown at Richmond told me? He said that Tritanium is a trade name for a Nickel steel process. I 'm sure the whole thing is made of the same metal.

I want that stuff that aircraft landing gear is made of.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:35 pm

Well at least I've learned that this particular brand of LSD isn't something I will consider in the future.

700 miles is a really impressive though. Not the failure part, but the fact that the Liberty was still able to get you home. That's gotta count for something

the1jferg · **Posted:** Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:37 pm

Sleeve,

Sometimes I get HeLLL bent and God looks out for us idiots. :lol:

Again, The device was unstoppable offroad even in a 4x2

Edwin · **Posted:** Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:40 pm

sleeve84028 wrote:

Well at least I've learned that this particular brand of LSD isn't something I will consider in the future.

700 miles is a really impressive though. Not the failure part, but the fact that the Liberty was still able to get you home. That's gotta count for something

It's not an LSD.

PowerCrax Final Diagnosis

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