Axle shafts

[Randerson88]

So last winter I broke my front axle.I'm getting ready to order up some new axle shafts and I definitely want to get chromoly ones since I'm replacing anyways.

Just wondering which ones to get. I've been on a couple sites and there seems to be a few different types. I have a Dana 30 in the front. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Jtrux]

I have heard good things about the G2 brand.

[daking]

I just installed these :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D61DQ92/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Compared to the factory ones, much more beef. Larger U joints, more meat around em. 

 

There is also Chrome-Moly CV shafts being sold on Ebay, for about the same price. I was tempted to get those instead. CV shafts transment power more efficiently, during turns. Providing smoother power to the wheels with out jerking. Bet the CV part of the shaft tends to be weaker then an equal U-Joint. Less surface contact on CV. 

 

 

I know I'll probably get some slack from saying this, but I'd but the most inexpensive 4340 shafts. It's all the same metal, built to a spec to fix your axle. I'm sure a $400 set of shafts will do just as good as an $800 set. And if you break 4340 shaft, it won't matter how much you paid, it would have broke anyway. IMO

[DirtyComanche]

I know I'll probably get some slack from saying this, but I'd but the most inexpensive 4340 shafts. It's all the same metal, built to a spec to fix your axle. I'm sure a $400 set of shafts will do just as good as an $800 set. And if you break 4340 shaft, it won't matter how much you paid, it would have broke anyway. IMO

 

The manufacturing processes and heat treatment are not necessarily the same, nor the quality of the base stock of metal, so no, they are not necessarily as good.  If you get the heat treatment wrong (overhard to brittle) they may break with only 1/4 throttle on gravel, or if it's wrong the other way (soft) they will plastically deform after only a few hard hits and stop running true (and then either stretch out more and breaking, or loosening the ears so much the U-joint falls out and breaks them off, or take your carrier bearings out, or the splines in the carrier, or even the wheel bearings).

 

However, those ones you quoted are Yukon seconds or blems, and aren't considered so for reasons that affect function.  Or so I am told.  I have bought USA Standard Gear stuff in the past.  They are supposed to be decent.

 

It's pretty hard to break a quality set of chromo shafts in a D30 without breaking something else in it.