cracked 14 bolt plug welds

[420willys]

i was hitting it hard today on a rock face and i heard the familiar BANG of a drive shaft, it was little louder than normal but who's to judge. so i pull off the trail to swap in my spare and saw some shinney metal on the housing, all three plug welds where cracked and it look like the tube spun. is there any hope for this 14 bolt, i want to go coils in the rear and was planning on pulling it out and doing the work but i can get another with 4.10's for 100.00 from any local junkyard. is it wotrh it, i mean all i have into the 14 bolt is disc brakes and a detriot. i can pull off this off and re-use or try to fix it, sorry for the crappy pict's jason.

 

[420willys]

a few of the drive shaft, jason.

 

[1993yj]

If you can get one that cheap, personally I would get a new one and swap parts over. I also weld the tubes to the housing to prevent the tubes from spinning. You may want to do that on the new axle.

 

[RockMonkey]

I'd probably fix it. It's easy to fix, and way cheaper than $100, and you don't have to swap over your detroit and disk brakes. Clean it up really well (I mean really well), wire wheel, brake cleaner, repeat. Turn the welder up to 11 and burn yourself in some new plug welds. Then weld the tube to the housing, like 1993 YJ said. Then build yourself a nice truss over the top of the diff, and onto both tubes. I've spun many an axle in my day, front and rear... I even welded my front tube to keep it from spinning. It broke right through the middle of the weld and spun anyway. Just fixed it, we'll see how long it holds this time.

 

[I Lean]

I'd probably fix it. It's easy to fix, and way cheaper than $100, and you don't have to swap over your detroit and disk brakes. Clean it up really well (I mean really well), wire wheel, brake cleaner, repeat. Turn the welder up to 11 and burn yourself in some new plug welds. Then weld the tube to the housing, like 1993 YJ said. Then build yourself a nice truss over the top of the diff, and onto both tubes. I've spun many an axle in my day, front and rear... I even welded my front tube to keep it from spinning. It broke right through the middle of the weld and spun anyway. Just fixed it, we'll see how long it holds this time.

I'd agree with that 100%, except that 14 bolts don't weld nearly as readily as Dana axles do--so I only agree about 87%. (they're grey iron instead of nodular iron, if that means anything to you...it means little to me)

 

[RockMonkey]

I'd agree with that 100%, except that 14 bolts don't weld nearly as readily as Dana axles do--so I only agree about 87%. (they're grey iron instead of nodular iron, if that means anything to you...it means little to me)

Do they weld crappy enough to make it worth spending $100, taking a trip to the junk yard, and tearing down the old axle to swap everything over?

 

[I Lean]

Do they weld crappy enough to make it worth spending $100, taking a trip to the junk yard, and tearing down the old axle to swap everything over?

Probably not, but I think I'd build the truss to connect the two tubes and not necessarily weld to the housing though. I've seen a couple built like I'd do a Dana and they both cracked where the truss welded to the housing. Might be worth investing in some cool welding rod and using a stick welder?

I dunno, I'm 14bolt-tarded.

 

[RockMonkey]

Probably not, but I think I'd build the truss to connect the two tubes and not necessarily weld to the housing though. I've seen a couple built like I'd do a Dana and they both cracked where the truss welded to the housing. Might be worth investing in some cool welding rod and using a stick welder?

I dunno, I'm 14bolt-tarded.

There must be wire that is equivalent to that rod. It'd be worth a call to Jake before spending money on rod, especially if you don't have a stick welder.

 

[Kiel]

I'd fix it, whats the worst that would happen, it would break again and you would still have to buy another. Besides it might happen to the new one anyways.

 

[420willys]

I'd fix it, whats the worst that would happen, it would break again and you would still have to buy another. Besides it might happen to the new one anyways.

this is what i am thinking now, i am a union welder for cat and done alot of grey and ductille iron before. since the axle has to come out for all the link brackets what's a few more days prepping and welding this one back up. rockmonkey i have heard of a wire that close to welding cast but it still cant do it like a rod can, plus i have a ranger 250 at the house ( left over from my buesness ). so i think i will air-arc out the old plugs, set the tube agin and smoke it in. i will post up some pictrues when i get it done, jason.

 

[1993yj]

I would only use rod as well.

Off topic, but what dealership do you work at?

 

[420willys]

I would only use rod as well.

Off topic, but what dealership do you work at?

milton cat, witch was southworth milton. we have 13 stores in the upper east coast, jason.