El Taco Diablo... Mall Crawlin, now with LT for tall curbs

They would definitely be worth the time asking them.

Their customer service was absolutely outstanding. I spoke to them multiple times and they were very willing to answer all of my questions. They also had a question come up while they were manufacturing my axles, and called me to clarify before proceeding.

I would recommend Dutchman axles all day every day.

 

My advice is to check and make sure the shaft splines fit the third while it's still out.

 

I did
They do

 

Had the same thought as soon as I read your first post... just talked with them and I'm sending a couple dimensioned drawings tonight after a couple changes.

For better or worse I have plenty of broken parts and spares I can send them to reference haha

 

If it's a 1st gen intermediate shaft we're talking about, I have a good one sitting on the shelf. Let me know if they need me to send it to them, and how I should address it.

 

If they can make them for a somewhat reasonable price, someone should setup a group buy to gauge interest and maybe bring cost down

 

I can if there is interest... but what I was planning on would be far from an oem replacement. I didn't ask on the phone about a female spline end, my plan was just have them make a short male to male shaft that is between the carrier and a custom female to female end. The female to female end would be 2 stock assemblies cut down, welded and sleeved in order to avoid having to machine the blind hole internal splines.

In my email I will inquire about if they could do the female end or not.

The part would also have no disconnect option. I don't see the point making an add stub stronger instead of the whole thing.

 

What's the benefit of that versus just having them make a stronger OEM manual intermediate shaft?

 

It sounds like he thinks they're not going to be able to cut the internal splines or if they are able to it would be exorbitant cost wise because it's complicated machining. His way bypasses the need to do that as long as you have a sacrificial part. Of course welding it will be of dubious strength

 

Spot on.

Hoping strength of welds wont matter so much since they are on a much larger diameter area. OD of OEM female part is 1.815"

I may be wrong since it has been a while since I took any statics courses, so please correct me

.083 wall 2" as a sleeve (1.834 inner dia) - Polar MOI of .460
Best case, the 27 spline OD is 1.1" and ill consider it solid with no spline cuts to give it the best shot - Polar MOI of .143
if I take a best guess at a pitch diameter of the splines of 1.06 - Polar MOI of .124

So if material is the same (4340 tube) the tube will be over 3x stronger than the shaft. where this falls apart is the tube has to be fastened to the shaft with good enough strength to outlast the shaft, but butt welding the two female ends and plug welding the hell out of the tube I think it is possible, just have to control heat so I don't destroy the heat treat, or the smart thing would be send it off for a heat treat after fabrication.

Drawings are sent off to Dutchman so we will see what they say. If price is ok I want to test it out for the hell of it. See how much the diff can take with 37s.

 

I'm not great on the math aspect but when I was working as a machinist we'd get jobs like this sometimes and we always recommended a billet part rather than a weldment. It's not so much the strength of the weld, the welds usually don't break is something like this. The base material becomes brittle or loses its heat treat and cracks or shears from it instead. I've seen a lot of professional level extended CVs do this as well, always breaks at the weld but not on the weld.

I would be interested in the finished part though. Be nice not to worry about this part of my diff breaking. I'm always really wary of binding up the 35s now

 

Ah I see the dilemma. I would also be concerned the two parts not being completely concentric to one another once welded. Not a big deal for a trailered rig, but on the road with high RPM's, seems like a recipe for not-so-fun vibrations. Unless you were somehow able to balance it after welding.

 

Started adjusting the travel on the hydro bumps this evening.

Made the spacers for the front (.5") and the rear (1"). This will give me 1.5 inch front bumps and 3 inch rear bumps. It should give me a bit more, free, up travel before I start into the bumps.

I disassembled the rear shocks and added the spacers. They are back together. I just need to add the Nitro and Oil.

 

Progress is being made today

 

Made some more steps in the right direction today.

Been a minute since she's not been on any jack stands.



And a sigh of relief... the axle shafts are exactly the right fit. Never measured custom axles before. Dutchman axles really took the time to go over everything, to make sure they were right. CAN NOT recommend them enough.

 

Updated list

- Install 3rd member DONE
- Install axles DONE
- I think I'm going to pull the 5th leaf out of the pack
which means I have to figure out how to press the
bracket out of the 5th leaf and put it in the 4th leaf DONE (we just pulled he 4th leaf)
- Properly pack and set preload on rear hubs DONE
- Install Emergency brake shoes DONE
- Install rear brake calipers DONE
- Bleed entire brake system (Will need to bleed again)
- Figure out how to run Emergency brake line to the brakes (Ran the cables from the rear brakes up towards the front, will need to order a splitter and figure out how to finish them)
- Make mounting plate for winch disconnect,
and 2 unrelated breakers, at the Aux battery DONE
- Wire rear winch DONE
- Spool rear winch DONE
- Install new Catalytic converter
- Re-route exhaust around traction bar front mount
- Undercoat front wheel wells DONE
- Bleed coilovers (oil) DONE
- Re-install coilovers DONE
- Replace back lower control arm nuts/bolts (too long, ripping rack bellows) DONE
- Replace rack bellows
- At this point, pour stop leak in rack (battle for another day)

- Would like to also re-build the tailgate/swing out/ tire carrier,
but don't know if I'll have time.

Also neeed to add:
- Safety wire leaf spring bolts (drilled the heads for the safety wire and installed the bolts) DONE
- Adjust travel on rear bumpstops DONE
- Re-install and re-fill rear bumpstops DONE
- Re-fill front bumpstops DONE

 

Now the list is:

- Install new Cat Converter
- Re-route exhaust around traction bar
- Adjust traction bar, tighten, cut excess bolt
- Cut excess bolt at leaf center pins
- Properly torque driveline bolts
- Fill rear diff
- Wire rear locker and switch
- Properly anchor RTT
- Wire in remaining wires on tailgate
- Install parking brake bracket, secure cables
- Bleed brakes - all
- Finish securing winch wires
- Replace rack bellows
- Stop leak rack
- Run new breather for rear diff
- Re-install awning

 

How's the ride height after we pulled that leaf out?

 

Still not sure. I have the tailgate and spare on. But I don't have all the weight in it with tools etc. If it squats the other leaf goes back in.

 

More progress:

- Install new Cat Converter
- Re-route exhaust around traction bar
- Adjust traction bar, tighten, cut excess bolt
- Cut excess bolt at leaf center pins DONE
- Properly torque driveline bolts DONE
- Fill rear diff DONE
- Wire rear locker and switch
- Properly anchor RTT DONE
- Wire in remaining wires on tailgate DONE
- Install parking brake bracket, secure cables
- Bleed brakes - all
- Finish securing winch wires DONE
- Replace rack bellows
- Stop leak rack
- Run new breather for rear diff
- Re-install awning