Hey now, i've been running new treated, tested, heated and cryo'd birf's for more than a few trail runs now. These things are unbreakable. They are STRONG. Taken them through some rough colorado terrain and they're holding up. I think a toy axle is finally (because of the new birfield market) reliable and can hold for themselves up to 37" tires. I've seen 38's run on them and 44's, but i think 37's are the limit. Sure you can go to 60's, but who's got that kind of time/money?

Christian

Most 4x4 vehicles are about 1 or 2 inches narrower in the rear. I never measured the wheel mounting surface (WMS) to WMS on the Raiders axles, but I know the Waggies are 2" wider in the front (60"/WMS front, vs 58"/WMS rear). Therefore, you'd not be able to cut both sides. Of course, to cut both sides and make a center diff into a drivers side diff, the axle would need to be probably 8"-10" wider than what you want to end up with. But yea, if you retube one side....maybe it would work.





I'm on the other end of that debate. If I knew then, what I know now. I would have bought a Jeep. But remember, mine is a trail only truck and is not used on the street. But that aside, I'd never get rid of it....I have gained a reputation as "lee_raider", and that is what everyone associates me with.
When it was a dual use vehicle, it was very good as far as durability goes. Seldom had any breakage problems. Just had off road capability problems, for what I wanted it to do. I wanted to do a level above what the Raider was capable of. And now I can.



I know, everyone hears about D44's breaking axles, right? Well, how many of those times is it with a 4 cylinder? Or even a 6 cylinder? The vast majority of the breakages we hear about are with V8's, which put much more power to the axles than any of our Mitsu motors ever will.


I am not saying your idea is wrong, or bad. Given enough thought and work, anything is possible, and this might be a good one. I just don't know yet.

[/quote]

Hey now, i've been running new treated, tested, heated and cryo'd birf's for more than a few trail runs now. These things are unbreakable. They are STRONG. Taken them through some rough colorado terrain and they're holding up. I think a toy axle is finally (because of the new birfield market) reliable and can hold for themselves up to 37" tires. I've seen 38's run on them and 44's, but i think 37's are the limit. Sure you can go to 60's, but who's got that kind of time/money?

Christian [/quote]

Where did you get your birfields? I was going to get some Montero ones done by some guy but he wigged out.

Lloyd was that one for me?


We have a few 38" mitsus over here and one 44", those cars are all dayly drivers and I know for a fact that the better half drives the 44" one to work in the morning. And you dont need a D-60 for 38's unless your going for somthing like a 200:1 in first gear. And 38's works better off road than a 35" CD, I've tried both and speak from experience in mud, snow and summer conditions wich are great over here for wheeling. You have way more traction and a softer tire.

Here you go. A pair of new GM 4wd axles including brakes. SET OF FRONT & REAR GM 4WD AXLES

...killing me, you are.

Lloyd,

Mitsu runs a birfield typ joint?

You can get them from:

Longfields, pioneer good guy Bobby Long

or

all pro's site, they just began production of their own project.

They sell the birfs in bulk. I would check to see if they were able to do one set for you.

Thats only half the truth. With our engines you can probally get away with a d44, and 38's. You could probally even throw the 38's on the ifs. However you would have to baby the crap out of the truck, and it wouldnt last long even with really carefull driving. Rocks put a hell of alot more strain and bind on a axle then snow does, it would be a question of when you were going to blow a ujoint or an axle, not if.

Good point Doug. Also have to remember to run 38s you would need even more gears to run 38s then I have, and that also snaps axles along with lockers. Now I assume youll have 2 lockers before you got 38s, but around here.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Guava, Bobby Long was the one that wigged out on me, maybe I will call the other guys. After agreeing to do some he claimed he could not figure out how to dissasemble them after he got them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> An axle expert <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> He screamed at me for not sending return postage <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Dude, dont I have to send you payment for the product as well when your done <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Then his wife mailed the axles back to me and said he was sick and could not work on them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I dont think Long does the axles any more. I remember reading a post about how alot of people were taking advantage of him and what not. Every one seemed to think he was a awesome guy. Unfortunately I think you just got him at a bad time, and the end of a bumpy road. I could be wrong, but as far as I know he sold the manufacturing rights or something like that.