Bent front axle housing.....now what?

4x4Jesus

4x4Jesus

Caught the Bug
Okay so I've bent my front Rubicon 44 housing enough that the axle seal keeps leaking. My local offroad shop wants to sell me a Teraflex 44 HD housing with 1/2" wall tubes. They tell me that they cannot re- use my brand new ball joints. With $500 installation it comes to $4k. I called off road Evolution (30 miles away from me) and they can do a new Dynatrac PR44 with my factory shafts and locker for about $3,200.00. They would be reinstalling my synergy ball joints ( brand new ). Is the Tera housing any better than the dynatrac ? Best I can tell the dynatrac has 3"x 5/16" tubes and this teraflex housing has 3.25"x1/2" tubes. What should I go with? Any opinions appreciated! I know dynatrac sponsors this forum but I need genuine, not influenced advice. Please enlighten me !!!!
 
Is this the same shop that told you that your axle shaft was bent, causing your seal to leak? I have a Dynatrac ProRock 44 in mine.
 
I have a PR44 in mine as well, and could not be more pleased with the results. Let's hope they don't use the same steel as the tire carriers in their axle housings.
 
Teraflex makes track bars and tire carriers known for breaking. Not sure if I'd trust an unproven axle quite yet.
 
Im sure itd be fine and an upgrade over what you had. Your getting all the answers im sure you saw coming.

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Maertz said:
Im sure itd be fine and an upgrade over what you had. Your getting all the answers im sure you saw coming.

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We haven't even brought up the made in the USA difference yet.
 
Yeah pretty much what I figured. And Moochie yes this is the same shop that said it was the axle shaft that was bent 2 weeks ago :( I've pretty much learned my lesson and am going to EVO from now on. Teraflex looks good on paper but if I'm going to spend the money I will go with what's proven.

Are you guys running the standard PR44 or the upgraded one with the 1/2" wall tubing
 
To each his own. Do as you wish personally id take a junkyard 60 or oldschool 44 from a junkyard.

Id go 1/2 wall.

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4x4Jesus said:
Yeah pretty much what I figured. And Moochie yes this is the same shop that said it was the axle shaft that was bent 2 weeks ago :( I've pretty much learned my lesson and am going to EVO from now on. Teraflex looks good on paper but if I'm going to spend the money I will go with what's proven.

Are you guys running the standard PR44 or the upgraded one with the 1/2" wall tubing
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I upgraded to the 1/2 tubing and castor adjusted PR. Just so you know, the PR used with an OEM E-locker has a different housing than a PR built for an ARB locker. If you ever decide to upgrade to an air locker you will have to stay with the ARB that fits the OEM Dana 44 housing.
 
I bent my rubi 44 front a few months ago. I have a PureJeep truss but it's only on the long side, bent the short side.

I had mine straightened for $160. To me, this beat the heck out of going with a new axle. The way I bent it was actually a real strange fluke so the rebuilt D44 works for my driving style and 37's.

If you are all good with dropping the bucks on a new axle, go for it, but straightening is an option.
 
I'm a little surprised that your tube has bent at the housing. Do you drive fast and hard? Your profile says 35" tires. Are you the original owner? It takes quite a bit to bend them at the housing. Fast desert driving is usually the cause of this.
 
Short side? Not sure I have ever heard of that one. If your running the PJ truss the long side is bent too.

I sure the hell wouldn't install a junk yard axle in a new jeep. After it's all says and done you are at the price of an American made axle.
 
No old axles are us made? Also i could build one how i want for less. A d60 is 125ish at a junkyard... Im sure you wouldn't, but that doesnt mean other people can't or shouldnt.

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4x4Jesus said:
Okay so I've bent my front Rubicon 44 housing enough that the axle seal keeps leaking. My local offroad shop wants to sell me a Teraflex 44 HD housing with 1/2" wall tubes. They tell me that they cannot re- use my brand new ball joints. With $500 installation it comes to $4k. I called off road Evolution (30 miles away from me) and they can do a new Dynatrac PR44 with my factory shafts and locker for about $3,200.00. They would be reinstalling my synergy ball joints ( brand new ). Is the Tera housing any better than the dynatrac ? Best I can tell the dynatrac has 3"x 5/16" tubes and this teraflex housing has 3.25"x1/2" tubes. What should I go with? Any opinions appreciated! I know dynatrac sponsors this forum but I need genuine, not influenced advice. Please enlighten me !!!!
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I hate to say it but, I told you that you had a bent axle housing right from the get go. That the shop you took your jeep to would tell you that you had a bent shaft was just stupid to me. As far as axles go, you can go with what they'd recommend or with what you know what I'd recommend. You can choose to believe whether or not I've ever given you genuine or influenced advice.
 
The short side is bent and the only way that the shop could tell it was bent was by looking at the difference in the gap between the sleeve and the housing while they had the diff open and the axle shaft is rubbing against the sleeve. They changed the axle seal with a new design seal by Chrysler that is a little better and allows for a little play in the axle. They said I can still drive and still wheel but it will leak in the future. They said that I need a new housing sooner than later
 
Maertz said:
No old axles are us made? Also i could build one how i want for less. A d60 is 125ish at a junkyard... Im sure you wouldn't, but that doesnt mean other people can't or shouldnt.

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Click to expand...

How much will it cost the normal guy to have it built?
 
As much as a new one with shop labor. But its really not to bad to do. I see your side, but no one mentioned if you can do it to do it, so i did. Imo most guys offroading hard enough to break/bend axles will know a guy who's prolly willing to help for free or maybe a case of beer....

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Moochie said:
I'm a little surprised that your tube has bent at the housing. Do you drive fast and hard? Your profile says 35" tires. Are you the original owner? It takes quite a bit to bend them at the housing. Fast desert driving is usually the cause of this.
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I guess I need to update my profile. Hit a tire deep hole on the side of a dirt road between trails on Black Mtn, Kentucky. Rolling about 10-15 miles an hour. It was at night and the hole was on the far side of the road, didn't see it, it was a water run off area where water was running from one side of the road to the other. It stopped me dead.

Edit: just realized you may have been talking to the OP, this is his thread, my bad.
 
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