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Rear axles busting on ea81's


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Does everyone who has an EA81 that is lifted and a welded rear end break the rear axles everytime they go out and wheel. Is there anyway to fix this? Today there where a few of us that went up to walker valley and we all broke at least one axle. I'm sure if we had more time and axles we could have kept breaking them. If anyone has an Idea to fix this I'd like to know....

 

 

Jeff

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I sure will, Have you done this with all of yours and never had another problem?

 

Jeff

 

I don't have the same lift as you guys, but it solved much of the problems I was having, yes. The breakage problem is usually a result of over-extending the axles when you get them in the air, or when you stop them on hard surfaces when they are spinning fast. The axle droop is too large and you can see many times where the cage & balls have impacted the wire retainer and walked right over it - usually splitting the cup in several places.

 

GD

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I don't have the same lift as you guys, but it solved much of the problems I was having, yes. The breakage problem is usually a result of over-extending the axles when you get them in the air, or when you stop them on hard surfaces when they are spinning fast. The axle droop is too large and you can see many times where the cage & balls have impacted the wire retainer and walked right over it - usually splitting the cup in several places.

 

GD

 

That's what I usually do, just shatter the outside bells. rob and I on this trip had the axle stay together but they where probably jumping the wire on them. I didn't see what woodys did but I know Wills blew up.

thanks for the help I'm going to give this a whirl and see what happens, I don't have anything to loose except more axles if I don't do it.

 

Jeff

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I guess I can put the sawzall away

 

-Rob

 

No thats my favorite tool,

 

Ive noticed 0n these ea81 guys when the car is sitting level the diff stubs sit lower then the wheel stubs, now as one wheel comes off the ground the oppisite wheel gets compressed and all the power is going threw that one wheel, as the other is spinning,

see picture in this situation all the power is in the opposite wheel, so if thats the case I propose that when sitting level the diff stubs should be higher by 1" then the wheels thats how Im set up , never ever broke a Axle with this EA82 , that way when its compressed its not as great a angle, did I make sence? If you look at the 81 next to 82 the 81 axles are smaller and have less movement

 

 

DSC00596.JPG

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Both Woody and I are at about +1" on the stubs. I'm going more this week, as I have to consider the weight of a non-gutted station wagon versus most other people in hatches or Brats. I'm also a little softer in the rear, due to my shock rate. I decided I'd rather go high with the rear end, and break the CV's on full extension. At least with that problem I'll have more ground clearance, and I can eliminate it more easily with simple limiting straps.

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Ive noticed 0n these ea81 guys when the car is sitting level the diff stubs sit lower then the wheel stubs.

 

Have they had lots of passengers or stuff in the back? :confused:

My EA81 with an oversized (steel Pug, 26" tire) spare, shovel, toolbox, fire extinguisher, come-along, bunch of straps, tire chains, extra jack, air pump, ect. Still sits about 1" higher at the diff stubs than at the axle stubs. My suspension is stock (with the adjuster bolt turned up).

I take all that crap out and gain about another inch.

 

Just curious about thier setup, Mine's never sat at or lower than the axles.

 

Wish I could buy one of your lifts to make it even better. :)

One day...

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If the axle stubs on an EA81 are lower than the diff stubs it's because of how the torsion bar is adjusted on that vehicle, or the torsion bar is simply broken. That is NOT how they are supposed to be from stock.

 

stock EA81's have MORE ground clearance (and thus higher diff's) than a stock EA82. Ground clearance at the lowest setting of my Brat's torsion bar is 7.5" under the rear diff.

 

GD

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If the axle stubs on an EA81 are lower than the diff stubs it's because of how the torsion bar is adjusted on that vehicle, or the torsion bar is simply broken. That is NOT how they are supposed to be from stock.

 

stock EA81's have MORE ground clearance (and thus higher diff's) than a stock EA82. Ground clearance at the lowest setting of my Brat's torsion bar is 7.5" under the rear diff.

 

GD

 

I have my torsion bars all the way down, you think that would make a difference?

 

Jeff

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I have my torsion bars all the way down, you think that would make a difference?

 

Jeff

 

Up - down - it matters for sure. But you realize they are adjustable beyond the adjusting bolt right? You can pull the trailing arms off and change their orientation with respect to the torsion bar itself - that, in combination with the adjusting bolt, makes them adjustable from low-rider-tires-tucked-in-the-fender, to pull-your-axles-apart... and everything inbetween. Somehow people haven't realized this I guess.

 

GD

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If the axle stubs on an EA81 are lower than the diff stubs it's because of how the torsion bar is adjusted on that vehicle, or the torsion bar is simply broken. That is NOT how they are supposed to be from stock.

 

stock EA81's have MORE ground clearance (and thus higher diff's) than a stock EA82. Ground clearance at the lowest setting of my Brat's torsion bar is 7.5" under the rear diff.

 

GD

 

Kinda what I was thinking. Proly a bad/worn out bar in thier rigs. Guess I got lucky and got a really springy one. :)

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Up - down - it matters for sure. But you realize they are adjustable beyond the adjusting bolt right? You can pull the trailing arms off and change their orientation with respect to the torsion bar itself - that, in combination with the adjusting bolt, makes them adjustable from low-rider-tires-tucked-in-the-fender, to pull-your-axles-apart... and everything inbetween. Somehow people haven't realized this I guess.

 

GD

 

One tooth makes a heck of alot of difference though. If I adjusted one tooth to get more ground clearance, I'd be gaining like 2-3 inches, or better. Also, that adjustment would bring the rear tires forward into the front of the rear wheel wells. No bueno. If it were a little finer adjustment, I would do this. But everyone around here that's done it just snaps axles on flat ground.

 

On the PLUS side, when Woody had his like this; he had 14" of rear ground clearance!!!

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