twodownzero wrote:
mich800 wrote:
twodownzero wrote:
It was a Ford 8.8 in a Ford Ranger. It was not due to wear, the c clip broke and the axleshaft would have completely exited the vehicle with the brake drum, wheel, and tire, but for the existence of the caliper and brake pad that held the axleshaft in the housing.
It's not very rare and anyone who has ever been to a drag strip has probably seen it happen with far less load than any tow vehicle would have.
Having a full floating axle means that a 3 1/2" tube with a 1/2" thick steel wall, welded to a spindle and riding on bearings is supporting the weight. A semi floating axle depends completely on the axleshaft, one axle bearing, and depending on design, a tiny c clip to hold the axleshaft in the housing.
Others are free to disagree and do whatever they want, but I no longer tow with 1/2 ton trucks, and I don't think you should, either.
I do all my own work on my vehicles. I replaced the c clip and it never broke again. I can't explain to you how it broke because there was no obvious answer to that and it never broke again afterward. But I can tell you that this is NOT uncommon.
Do you tow with rubber tires? I have seen far more tire failures than axle failures.
Do you know what a c clip is and how tiny it is? Your while life depends on that tiny surface.
No what's a c clip? Could they make it stronger if they used a capital C clip?
In any case I do not fear using any vehicle within its designed limitations.
