Mounting spare shafts to a cage.

Keith1138

Keith1138

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Location
Harrisburg NC
I'm hoping to be able to mount my front spare shafts with unit bearings on them to the kick downs to my d pillar in my xj. Whats the best way to mount spare front and rear axel shafts to a cage?

I'm hoping to mount my rear shafts to the c pillars behind the back seat.


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Weld half-moon shaped brackets to the cage, attach shafts to the cage with hose clamps. The unit bearings add a twist, though. You might want to have a tab or three that catch a few lug studs and use lug nuts (or some 1/2-20 nuts without conical seats) to hold it on. The unit bearings have a lot of mass, and you want to make sure they're well-secured. It should be pretty easy to whip something up with some 11ga plate and tube drops of various sizes.

Edit: if it were me, I'd try to get them as low as possible on the chassis. Maybe you can add a spreader between the base of the C and D pillars and mount them there on the flat.
 
shawn said:
Weld half-moon shaped brackets to the cage, attach shafts to the cage with hose clamps. The unit bearings add a twist, though. You might want to have a tab or three that catch a few lug studs and use lug nuts (or some 1/2-20 nuts without conical seats) to hold it on. The unit bearings have a lot of mass, and you want to make sure they're well-secured. It should be pretty easy to whip something up with some 11ga plate and tube drops of various sizes.

Edit: if it were me, I'd try to get them as low as possible on the chassis. Maybe you can add a spreader between the base of the C and D pillars and mount them there on the flat.
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I did have them all under my back seat when I kept it folded down to keep the weight low. But I want my back seat back.

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Like @shawn said. I'd build brackets on low spreader bars and try and catch 2 lug studs on the fronts maybe use a piece of tube notched weld it to cage set shaft in then clamp.
 
Why carry them on your rig at all? I usually leave that kind of stuff back at camp.
 
BigSouth said:
Why carry them on your rig at all? I usually leave that kind of stuff back at camp.
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For places that you are far away from camp. I rather take 40 minutes and replace the shaft than take 3hrs to get towed back to camp broke and risk damaging more stuff.

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ghost said:
Like @shawn said. I'd build brackets on low spreader bars and try and catch 2 lug studs on the fronts maybe use a piece of tube notched weld it to cage set shaft in then clamp.
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I'm starting to toy with that idea. Im thinking put the long shaft on the drivers side so the unibearing so able to set in that cubby some. Then have a bracket to hold the spline end in. Im going to wrap the spline end in a pool noodle so it doesn't vibrate or rub the splines.

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BigSouth said:
Why carry them on your rig at all? I usually leave that kind of stuff back at camp.
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This is what I do. I welded a box under the trailer deck that I keep spare axle and driveshafts in.

Keith1138 said:
For places that you are far away from camp. I rather take 40 minutes and replace the shaft than take 3hrs to get towed back to camp broke and risk damaging more stuff.
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I get this though, I always wheel with a group so I figure if it's crappy enough I'll send someone back to camp while I start the jacking up and teardown process, of course I don't have unit bearings so it's a little more involved.
 
Tim C said:
This is what I do. I welded a box under the trailer deck that I keep spare axle and driveshafts in.



I get this though, I always wheel with a group so I figure if it's crappy enough I'll send someone back to camp while I start the jacking up and teardown process, of course I don't have unit bearings so it's a little more involved.
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I'm in that debate right now since I do trailer my rig now. Since I use to drive my rig to the trail and back I carry spare axle and drive shafts, all my fluids, spare hoses, spare sensors and all kinds of different tools. Now im wanting to cut down on the amount of stuff in my rig but still have everything I need to get off the trail.

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Keith1138 said:
I'm in that debate right now since I do trailer my rig now. Since I use to drive my rig to the trail and back I carry spare axle and drive shafts, all my fluids, spare hoses, spare sensors and all kinds of different tools. Now im wanting to cut down on the amount of stuff in my rig but still have everything I need to get off the trail.

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It’s definitely a slippery slope when you start trying to prep for “anything that can go wrong”. Also consider the weight of all these extra parts and if they’re hindering forward progression up a nasty trail.
 
BigSouth said:
It’s definitely a slippery slope when you start trying to prep for “anything that can go wrong”. Also consider the weight of all these extra parts and if they’re hindering forward progression up a nasty trail.
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Keith is the trail boy scout. Just who he is.

There have been times we've all been grateful he carried the "kitchen sink". Would have been an itchy ride back to camp without that big tube of hemorrhoid cream:cool:

Besides...Kairos is 1500 acres...yo better take at least a lunch :lol::popcorn:
 
CasterTroy said:
Keith is the trail boy scout. Just who he is.

There have been times we've all been grateful he carried the "kitchen sink". Would have been an itchy ride back to camp without that big tube of hemorrhoid cream:cool:

Besides...Kairos is 1500 acres...yo better take at least a lunch :lol::popcorn:
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I totally get it. @upnover is that guy for BDB, but... none of us carry entire axle shafts. U-joint and a stub shaft, sure. This ain’t an Ultra-4 race or KOH. There’s always time to run back to camp. If you break an axle shaft often enough to warrant carrying them on your rig, you might need to re-evaluate either the quality of that shaft -OR- your driving ability. Just my $.02
 
Getting all the spare parts off the rig was a big part of my way of dropping the weight of my junk from 7500 to 6500 lbs, along with getting rid of the homemade flat bed it had. I still have a Ford ranger chrome toolbox bolted to the frame behind bthe cab full of tools and small spare parts like ignition modules, etc. I figured if I broke an axle I'd limp out in 3wd or send someone back for it. Anything bigger than a shaft broke means I'm out for the weekend anyway usually so at that point who cares how long it takes to get back is my thinking.
 
BigSouth said:
I totally get it. @upnover is that guy for BDB, but... none of us carry entire axle shafts. U-joint and a stub shaft, sure. This ain’t an Ultra-4 race or KOH. There’s always time to run back to camp. If you break an axle shaft often enough to warrant carrying them on your rig, you might need to re-evaluate either the quality of that shaft -OR- your driving ability. Just my $.02
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on a dana 30, the whole assembly isnt much more weight than just the stub. I likely would just carry 1 unit bearing vs 2. Maybe add a stub shaft with it, since you need the pair. If you dont have a vise in the jeep, you are likely changing ujoints at camp.

I used to carry a ton of spares, but the rig was driven some, and many of the trails were A to B without many bypasses. At most of these parks, many dont even carry a spare tire with them, just small parts.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
on a dana 30, the whole assembly isnt much more weight than just the stub. I likely would just carry 1 unit bearing vs 2. Maybe add a stub shaft with it, since you need the pair. If you dont have a vise in the jeep, you are likely changing ujoints at camp.

I used to carry a ton of spares, but the rig was driven some, and many of the trails were A to B without many bypasses. At most of these parks, many dont even carry a spare tire with them, just small parts.
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Thats why i carry complete shafts so I don't have to fool with replacing the ujoint on the trail. With the unit bearing already on the shaft you dont have to fool with the axle nut.

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I've partially decided to get trailer box for my spares besides fluids and odds and ends. I feel like the fluids could be the difference between limping back to camp and having to be towed all the way. Example of this would be my last wheeling trip i got a power steering leak. I was able to top off my pump every 20 minutes to make it through the trail and back to camp.

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Also in the group of leave it at camp. Other than being in Harlan, or Windrock, everywhere else most of us go is never really that far from camp. Even Harlan isn’t too bad. You can always limp out without a front shaft, just put the stub shaft back in for the unit bearing. Fluids, few common tools and you’re good.

If you’re like me, you get caught with absolutely nothing and figure out how to re-wire a YJ with just a machete.
 
77GreenMachine said:
Also in the group of leave it at camp. Other than being in Harlan, or Windrock, everywhere else most of us go is never really that far from camp. Even Harlan isn’t too bad. You can always limp out without a front shaft, just put the stub shaft back in for the unit bearing. Fluids, few common tools and you’re good.

If you’re like me, you get caught with absolutely nothing and figure out how to re-wire a YJ with just a machete.
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What if the caps are tacked on lol. I might pull the stubby shaft off of my oddball long side set I have and toss that under my back seat.

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If you’re changing it, you likely broke the ears anyway.
 
77GreenMachine said:
If you’re changing it, you likely broke the ears anyway.
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x2. just leave the broken stub in the hub and remove the inner.

I am thinking that you package the spare axle shafts and driveshafts in a box/sleeve. Keep it at camp/trailer most of the time, and throw it in the back of the jeep if you are at Windrock or somewhere far away from the trailer.
 
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