axels

Author
Discussion

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 19th September 2016
quotequote all
Be very careful with the 'upgraded' 930 CV joints, some of them are cheap and nasty with undersized balls, etc, intended for the VW sandrail lot to get them a bit more travel at the expense of lifespan - it's the same thing with polishing the ball tracks, if you have a decent joint you shouldn't need to do it for your usage at all, and if you do attempt it the entire joint needs to be blued and checked to make sure every ball remains in contact over the full range of motion - and that is a very, very time consuming job.
Sure, there's lots of guys on youtube just going at it with a dremel but frankly half of them are only doing it because someone else did it and most of them are bolting them on a 600kg 100bhp VW buggy to play in soft sand - they get away with it.

Chromoly race cages are stronger and usually have radiused windows in them for the balls reducing cracking issues from shock loads - but again, it's not something you'll probably see on an Ultima without big power/slicks/kerb hopping, they're for off-roaders/baja cars with the massive shock loads they see - same for the uprated stars.
Don't go near undersized balls.

TL:DR - buy a genuine GKN joint - fill it with Hi-Mol 20 or CV2. Sorted.

Edited by PhillipM on Monday 19th September 13:48

2001ultima

234 posts

154 months

Tuesday 20th September 2016
quotequote all
V8Dom said:
I had the same exact break. When it broke my CV joint also broke. Not sure which broke first.

V8Dom

3,546 posts

201 months

Tuesday 20th September 2016
quotequote all
my cv is fine where it broke, however the opposite cv cage has broken i would suggest due to shaft flapping about

when did your drive shaft break? Do the factory know

845ste

577 posts

126 months

Tuesday 20th September 2016
quotequote all
Dom and many owner who broke, how many hp has?

gtr evolution now has 1000cv: cv joints which uses ??? wich gearbox? g52?
The factory does it say for this problem?

Edited by 845ste on Tuesday 20th September 19:11

ROWDYRENAULT

Original Poster:

1,270 posts

213 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
Well obviously that,s not a CV problem. But I don,t remember any issues with Axel's to speak of am I wrong? Lee

2001ultima

234 posts

154 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
V8Dom said:
my cv is fine where it broke, however the opposite cv cage has broken i would suggest due to shaft flapping about

when did your drive shaft break? Do the factory know
I should have mentioned that, same as you experienced, the cage in the transaxle end CV broke. I would suggest that same, that the shaft flapping probably broke the CV cage.

It broke a few years ago, had some tire spin during a rather quick start and then quick shift to the next gear and tire got traction and car rolled to a stop. Never told the factory. I figure next time it happens I will upgrade the stub shaft and axles to the Schwartz upgrade package and then the problem would likely not happen again. On the other hand, sometimes I think it might be good to have weak axles since they will break first rather then the transaxle breaking. Axles and CVs are easy to replace as compared to the transaxle.

2001ultima

234 posts

154 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
845ste said:
Dom and many owner who broke, how many hp has?

gtr evolution now has 1000cv: cv joints which uses ??? wich gearbox? g52?
The factory does it say for this problem?

Edited by 845ste on Tuesday 20th September 19:11
400-500 HP at the flywheel. I believe the axle breaking issue is more of an issue tied to sudden hard quick shift or tire getting sudden traction.

2001ultima

234 posts

154 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
my axle


845ste

577 posts

126 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
for me ,not possible break with only 500 hp.
maybe it was a defect in "tempering" or quality of the material.
the break is "net" and therefore has not been progressive wear.
i would speak with factory for experience and advice

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
2001ultima said:
400-500 HP at the flywheel. I believe the axle breaking issue is more of an issue tied to sudden hard quick shift or tire getting sudden traction.
Probably, shock loading is what does it.

Mind that groove in the axle is pretty bad design wise, massive stress concentration when the axle starts to twist so you get fatiguing in that area - then eventually the end clean pops off as per the photo.

V8Dom

3,546 posts

201 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
its designed to break there rather than anywhere else on the shaft
by breaking at that location the shaft stays within the cv boot housing so doesnt flap about and break wishbones/ catapult you into the air.

my engine is estimated at 600-620 and car is driven hard

i have heard of 5 people with broken drive shafts so far so its not very often, and i dont know if the 1000hp factory shafts are the same.

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Wednesday 21st September 2016
quotequote all
Be better off just waisting the shaft and let it twist and banana up.

Swiss_Toni

412 posts

182 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
After 2 broken axles and 1 outer CV failure (including some so called uprated assemblies) I think I have a solution.

1st, if you've not done so get a wheel bearing kit from the factory and do a good job of greasing them something high quality like Redline CV2.

You may want to do the wheel hubs at the same time with new wheel studs. The factory don't supply the original hubs anymore but I have a source (PM me if you want some). If you do go with the new factory hub you'll need to get different splines done on the stub shafts as they are different.

Next buy a set of Schwartz Performance outer stubshafts and drive shafts / CV. http://www.schwartzperformance.com/product/ultima-...

I've not track tested them yet but it looks to be the "business" as they have large diameter shafts, 108mm top quality 930 CV joints both on the inner AND OUTER ends (stock is 100mm and is a weak link) and up rated subshafts to go with the updated 108mm outer CV.

It's a good idea to measure from mounting flange to mounting flange to ensure you get the correct length shaft (they new shafts are shorter as stubshafts longer to enable to fit the large outer CV)

One important thing that we tried that DOESN'T work is "aero" CV boots as there are clearance issues with larger diameter shafts, so just get them with the "normal" top quality boots you see in the picture.

There's advertised as unbreakable.

Another element that helps is they have great customer service.

Schwartz Performance
1115 Rail Dr # C, Woodstock, IL 60098, United States
Phone: +1 815-206-2230
Ask for Dale


845ste

577 posts

126 months