i'm not going to argue with you, but i will restate, there is a size difference in the links and bushings (possibly not the bolts, but i coulda swore). that's all.
on the contrary, i like sammy's a whole lot, and trackers some, but, i'm just not too fond of the GV's.
my whole concern over strength is 2-fold: i don't want to recommend these guys do a swap that ends in breakage away from home and second, i want to be certain that if i go to all this expense, this stuff will hold up with my 38.5" SX's. that's all. because i do just fine as is, for the most part, just would like to NEVER have to bump a ledge or pull cable (which is rare anyway) if i can crawl it.
in contrast, you seem to be overly proud of your Zuk stuff. there is a great heritage there, but even today, there aren't that many guys running more than a 35-36" tire with welded or locked diffs, especially on Zuk axles. some do, yeah, and most of them don't seem to have too much trouble with breakage, but my point is to be sure. i don't want to be a guinea pig, can't afford it, maybe someone else can, but i can't.
the atlas suggestion was for other people, or for me in the far-flung future.
as far as finding something with the 25 splines- working on it.
we jawed about the toy/d60 comparison already, the numbers look great, but the real-world doesn't exist on paper. however, even with gearing as low as we're talking, the Sportage is light and probably doesn't need the strength of a 60, so, that could still be a viable option for someone who can afford all the chromo and 300m. well, and the axles themselves, which are not as plentiful in some parts of the country as you say they are in your neck of the woods. like TX, for instance, not all that popular and gone from the boneyard in a matter of HOURS, seriously.
i'm already thinking that if i do go as low as i want to at around 147:1 crawl ratio with a stock toy case in front of a 4.7 case, my 44 shafts will be history with my 38's.
wondering if 60's are in my future....
truth is, i'd prolly be happy with just one toy case and 4.7's or just 2 stock toy cases.
anything lower than 1.98:1 is a plus with me.
still looking.
tim, you got some things right, so, i'm inclined to second guess some things. i'll go measure up a GV and take a Sportage link with me for a comparison photo, just to be sure.
