Broke two front axles and rear locker yesterday.

[ANGELO D.]

I had a very bad day at hollister hills yesterday. I was climbing a short steep technical hill with big ruts. I started to lose traction and gassed it which caused front end to come off the gound. when front end came back down my right axle snapped and left blew up and the rear locker exploded.

[ANGELO D.]

I had a very bad day at hollister hills yesterday. I was climbing a short steep technical hill with big ruts. I started to lose traction and gassed it which caused front end to come off the gound. when front end came back down my right axle snapped and left blew up and the rear locker exploded.

[ANGELO D.]

broken front right axle

[ANGELO D.]

broken left front axle

[buddy]

Now that's a bad day...and expensive. Do you think the 4:56 gears, front locker and heavier 37's helped to contribute to snapping both axles? Why the front axles snapped is fairly logical under the conditions they were in, but what happened to the rear locker. Was it still locked after you got on pavement? I'm wanting to change my stock gears for 4:56's, but the extra stress on the axles has brought up questions again.

Hope you're up and on the trails again soon.

[unaslob]

tough break. I can understand the axles. but the rear locker damage is odd at best. I dont understand how you could have ripped it apart like that. as far as learning from this experience, what could have you done differently to avoid it. phil B

[2slo4now]

Wow that's a bummer.

I guess a supercharger would intensify the effect.

Are there aftermarket axles available yet?

Dan from Alabama

[ANGELO D.]

I talked to the people who installed the 456/gears and front airlocker and they say breaking the front axle is very common but they were suprised at the rear locker. The main reason for the front axle damage was that currently I have 570hp and just as much torque.
when I was climbing that hill my rear tires were binded up in rut and with the front airlocker engaged I was putting extreme torque to the front axle and when I started to spin and gassed it my front end came off ground and with the weight of the vehicle and all that torque something had to give. There were 2/loud bangs, first the right axle snapped the all the torque went to the left front axle and it exploded. Both the axles broke in a split second. I don't know when the rear end went. because when axles broke I put vehicle in reverse and backed down the hill, then I put in drive and tried to climb back on to road but the rear end wouldn't engage, I never hit the pavement. The lesson I Learned is with the current horsepower and torque in my vehicle i have to be very careful when airlocker is engaged. I should never hit the throttle hard because if that front end goes in the air and comes down with all the torque there will probably be more trouble. It was my falt I had tried to creep up hill slowly 3/times and on the forth I said screw it, and put the throttle down for split second. I should of taken the time to deflate my tires and just creeped up hill. Currently there really isn't heavy duty
front axle available that I know of, these H2 come with heavy duty axles already.

[DURAMAX TIM]

Are u going to get any warranty coverage?
If not I'd go Detroit locker in the rear and forget about the e locker this will get rid of the spider gears.
The Detriot is much more HD, I ran one in GM 14 bolt in a 750hp Super Stock 4X4 truck puller.
Never had any trouble in rear but kept twisting off u joints and axles in the 10 bolt front.
Good luck w/ your major repair.

[Bad Dawg]

Angelo,
What you discribed is a lot like what happened to ours on our first trail ride. Completely stock. Our front differential actually split in half, the transfercase was distroyed and we had parts sticking out of the rear diff's cover. The right front tie rod also was bent. Lesson: drive these heavy rigs slower and they will go almost anywhere.

You can never have enough horsepower! Yellow LUX, Airforce intake, stainless headers and exhaust, Gobi rack and ladder, roof mounted off road lights, full wrap brush guard, rear light guards, outside tire carrier, Rancho 4" suspension lift, Ultra "EN4CER" 17x9 wheels, Goodyear 37/12.50R17 MT/R tires, removed side-step bars, 9.5ti warn multi-mount winch.

[Texas Red]

Speed kills.

[H2Norcal]

Don't you have a four inch lift and large tires on your rig? Do you think that could have put an extra strain on the running gear?

[Bad Dawg]

At the time mine distroyed itself we had no modifications. It was completely stock.It was because of the distruction that I made the modifications to gain more ground clearance and get better traction than what the BFG Mall Terrains give.

You can never have enough horsepower! Yellow LUX, Airforce intake, stainless headers and exhaust, Gobi rack and ladder, roof mounted off road lights, full wrap brush guard, rear light guards, outside tire carrier, Rancho 4" suspension lift, Ultra "EN4CER" 17x9 wheels, Goodyear 37/12.50R17 MT/R tires, removed side-step bars, 9.5ti warn multi-mount winch.