Long Travel 4x4's?

This is mainly concerning the kits other than the All Pro kits. The serious LT kits. With having the extended axles, doesnt it make the axles a lot weaker? Does it affect the 4wd capabilities?

 

My question is, why do they need longer axles in the first place?

 

the steel (or differnet metal...i can't remember what type they use) is a LOT stronger than the stock axle metal is so i cant see them being weaker

 

Ok, I can understand that. Thanks for the input

 

While that makes sense, my un-stated question was: Why do you need the wider wheelbase in the first place?

Sorry I wasn't clear - mind-reading isn't a requirement.

 

Long travel allows more wheel travel, and allows you to haul ass through the desert

 

It comes down to geometry. Put your arm out horizontally and move your finger up and down you can move it like 2 inches before things would bind. Now move your arm up and down at you're elbow. You would be able to move it like a foot before things would bind theoretically speaking if it were a control arm.

I hope this makes sense.

 

^ great way to explain it!

 

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

Somewhat related to this thread, I found a post from a guy who documented (with pics) how to replace a broken front axle on his FJ. He made some good comments about the CV joint being the weakest link in the axle.

--BellyDoc (Jon) from fjcruiserforums

 

To bring that article into the topic, by increasing the length of the control arms and effectively using bump stops and limiting straps you keep the driveline angles well within their functional capacity with the same or more wheel travel.

Yes, you could run LT without limiting straps or bump stops for super travel but you'd also be increasing torsion at the fulcrum and the CV axle would have to do more work (force over distance) at the same driveline angles as stock. Then you'd be back to grenading CVs like it's going out of style. You'd be worse off with a long travel set-up allowed to run to the extremes of articulation.