500 MJ Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 I'm in the market for a set of aftermarket axle shafts for a D30 I am building up for the front of my '88 MJ. I'm going to be installing these along with an OX locker so I could go with either 27 or 30 spline versions. So far I've found two companies - Alloy USA and Superior Axle - that offer aftermarket shafts for the D30. :dunno: What are the opinions out there on which way to go? If you have another good company please make me aware of them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Ten factory, the same as Alloy USA used to be, before the buyout. Made by the same people that used to make alloy USA, they also have a 30 spline version. 30 spline: http://www.rwkhaussupply.com/magento/index.php/drivetrain/jeep/tj-wrangler/dana-30-lp/ten-factory-big-spline-30-chromoly-axle-kit-for-dana-30-tj-xj.html 27 spline: http://www.rwkhaussupply.com/magento/ten-factory-chromoly-axle-kit-for-dana-30-tj-xj.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 The 'quick' version of 'Superior', 'Alloy-USA' & 'Ten Factory'. 'Ron', a fellow enthusiast, and all around good guy ran the axle operations at Superior. They made the best axles in the industry, here in America. He decided he'd rather work for himself, so he, along with some backers started Alloy-USA. They made very similar axles, in India, for a much lower price point. I bought a set of these, and have been very happy with them. I prefer to buy Made in USA stuff (this is an understatement), but if my only option was the (very high quality & expensive) Superior shafts, I would have had to stuck with stock. OK, so Ron runs Alloy Usa for a number of years, makes alot of friends, they sell a decent product for a good price, and back up what they sell. There is competition (Yukon) that also sells India made shafts, but generally speaking they end up not as well regarded as Alloy USA in terms of perceived product quality & company reputation. Alloy USA makes some big corperate deals (buys other companies), and there is an issue with Ron's backers, and Ron is left holding the bag financially when the backers back out. With the money gone, he resigns as President of Alloy-USA, & they are sold to a bigger corporation, so they can make axles under the Alloy-USA banner. At this point, old Alloy-USA warrentee's may, or may not be honored by the new company. Ron dusts himself off, and gets back to doing what he does best, making axle shafts. He starts up 10-Factory, and the first thing he does is post that he is going to honor all of the Warrentees for existing Alloy-USA shaft owners, now to be replaced with 10-Factory shafts. That's it in a nutshell, I apologize if I got something wrong, flubbed any facts, mislead, or spun the info in any way. Most of Ron's original departure from Superior, and his later departure from Alloy-USA were played out in detail on multiple message boards. Through it all Ron has seemed to be a class act, and given the choices of what you posted, I'd choose 10-Factory over Alloy-USA in a second. If money was no object, I'd probably go with the USA made Superior's, or even the new Yukon Extreme's (or whatever they're called). Yukon purchased Warn's line of made in USA shafts, and AFAIK are still making them here to Warn's high standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratrapp Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 i put a set of alloys in my friends 04 rubicon.he's pretty destructive as he broke the stock left front axle(not the joint but the axle)see i'll see how this alloy usa set holds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneck23ms Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 i don't believe alloy is even making shafts anymore. of those listed ten factory would be my choice. however if price wasn't a concern then a set of rcv shafts would be the way i went. and rcv shafts aren't really any more expensive than a set of good chromos and ctm's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Nitro 4340 shafts are supposed to be supplied from the same supplier AlloyUSA used for their quality shafts. i don't believe alloy is even making shafts anymore. I beleive you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Well, Thats the reason I made this thread. I don't know who all sells aftermarket shafts. What other companies are there? :dunno: I've found the RCV axleshafts - not looking to go with a CV type shaft though... Thanks for everything so far guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Well, Thats the reason I made this thread. I don't know who all sells aftermarket shafts. What other companies are there? :dunno: I've found the RCV axleshafts - not looking to go with a CV type shaft though... Thanks for everything so far guys! Nitro 4340, 10 Factory or Superior are great options. I don't beleive you could go wrong with any of them. Warn shafts did well but I do not know how they are since they were sold to Randy's Ring&Pinion. I have had great success with the Nitro 4340 & Superior shafts. The Superior shafts handled multiple broken stubbs on my Dana 44 on 37s while my D60 Alloy USA shafts put up to abuse on 42s. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 For the win! http://rcvperformance.com/store/catalog ... ucts_id=38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyc Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Those RCV axles are pretty interesting, to say the least. And pricey. I'd be interested to hear from someone who is running these shafts. Me, I was given a brand new pair of Warn stub shafts. Then I bought a brand new pair of Alloy USA inner shafts and Spicer 760s for a very good price. So I got off pretty cheaply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Those RCV axles are pretty interesting, to say the least. And pricey. I'd be interested to hear from someone who is running these shafts. They are Longfields. A handfull of guys on NAXJA are running them. I haven't seen any complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Well I am running some Older Alloy USA's, and that is why I voted for them. I was unaware of all that info. THat being said I have been running theses shafts now going on 3 yrs. Zero issues. The yukon alloys I had in Pong made me sell those axles. I broke an inner short side at paragon. The worst part about it, is I broke the shaft in the splines, which meant disaasembly of the axle. I reall y like them RCV shafts.... they will probrbab;ly go in the d44 that I am building in the turd. :rant: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Longfields are w/o a doubt the best shafts there are, but they come with a pretty mean price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 I have AlloyUSA Chromo's in my TJ (30 Spline up front and 35 in the back)... purchased before the AlloyUSA Closure/Sale/Split up, whatever you want to call it... If/when I ever need to replace them, I'd use Superior without hesitation or second thought, even if more $$$ than the others. :banana: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Longfields are w/o a doubt the best shafts there are, but they come with a pretty mean price. :roll: This is like saying Mormon is better than Catholic, Republicans are better than Democrats and Dunkin Donuts over Krispy Cream. :doh: There is a point of personal preference. There are MANY GREAT shaft manufacturers on the market and at a certain point it becomes irrelevant because of other weak points in the Dana 30 axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWLONGSHOT Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 When I put the D44 in my MJ, I found the axle seal surface pitted and unusable. I ordered new factory replacement shafts. My buddie called me up and told me the cost had gone up and I could actually buy Superior shafts for LESS then factory Mopar D44 shafts!!! SO, That's what I have.... Image Not FoundImage Not Found For the front of my TJ, I went with ALLOY USA. They have held up just fine. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 I'm running Alloy USA shafts in the rear axle on mine and Warn Alloy shafts in the front axle. The warns are rather pricey, but I haven't had any problems yet. Just make sure whatever you get is machined to accept a 760x ujoint with a full circle clip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 My statement is based upon amount of breakage I have seen on the trail, and the way the shafts are constructed. Obviously with aftermarket shafts it puts the weak point (talking about the shafts, not the carrier/ring and pinion etc.) is the ujoints. The longfield shafts replace the ujoint with a super beefy CV setup, which IMO is going to hold up better than a ujoint, because it can handle transfer of torque better when compensating for different angles, and will not bind up like ujoints will when given power with the steering wheel at full lock. This is not to say that there are aftermarket ujoints that might be stronger than stock, but based on the design, the Longfield setup is better. The added strength may not be worth the price, however. I am going to go with TEN factory 30 spline shafts, not the longfields because I think that the price vs. strength gain over a traditional shaft is not worth it. This is like saying Mormon is better than Catholic, Republicans are better than Democrats and Dunkin Donuts over Krispy Cream. :doh: There is a point of personal preference. There are MANY GREAT shaft manufacturers on the market and at a certain point it becomes irrelevant because of other weak points in the Dana 30 axle. Longfields are w/o a doubt the best shafts there are, but they come with a pretty mean price. :roll: This is like saying Mormon is better than Catholic, Republicans are better than Democrats and Dunkin Donuts over Krispy Cream. :doh: There is a point of personal preference. There are MANY GREAT shaft manufacturers on the market and at a certain point it becomes irrelevant because of other weak points in the Dana 30 axle. Oh, and for the record. Krispy Creams are better than Dunkin Donuts, this is an irrefutable fact, and considered common knowledge. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue XJ Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 When you guys are running 30 spline for the front, what are you using for the diff? I am assuming the 30 spline ARB that is out? Is there any other lockers that use 30 splines in the D30 now? I haven't looked into it for a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 OX is available in both 27 and 30 spline... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 When you guys are running 30 spline for the front, what are you using for the diff? I am assuming the 30 spline ARB that is out? Is there any other lockers that use 30 splines in the D30 now? I haven't looked into it for a few years. Yah, 30 Spline ARB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 My opinion on (D30) 30sp vs 27 spline: Even 27sp aftermarket shafts move the R&P down on the food chain of weak links, 30sp move the R&P that much further down. If/when you do break a 30sp shaft (U-joint lets go, and takes out the ears), what will you put in to finish wheeling, or even just get off the trail? When I went from 33" (33" TSL's, so more like 34's) to Q/78's (35.5's) I wanted to give the D30 a fighting chance, so I went to (old style) Alloy-USA 27 spline shafts for peace of mind, and the ability to keep using my same spare shafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 The Elocker is also now available in 30 spines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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