Getting the most out of your axles

Damage Prevention

NO DRIVELINE COMPONENT IS BOMBPROOF! GForce does not put a power rating on any driveline components as there are entirely too many variables that can affect a driveline component other than just horsepower. We take great pride in building the strongest driveline components to fit certain applications, but it is important to know that YOU, the end customer, are responsible for proper installation and YOU, as the driver, are responsible for the lifespan of your axles or other driveline components.

Most of the applications we are working with are heavy vehicles and we are often asking a lot of the driveline components, be it OEM or aftermarket. These heavier cars, paired with high torque levels make all driveline components more susceptible to failure due to small mistakes, such as wheel hop. Many customers understand that wheel hop, tire shake, tire skipping, tire chatter are all bad things but there is often a misunderstanding of how destructive it can really be. The heavier the vehicle and more torque the vehicle is making, the more your window of forgiveness begins to narrow. This can result in CV’s loosening prematurely and more severely, splined stubs and axle bars twisting or shearing, which is NOT a fault of the axle. So please use your best judgement when driving in any given scenario, be it on the track or the street.

It is worth noting that most wheel hop related issues rarely cause an immediate failure, with certain exceptions. The result of repeated cycling torque spikes will often weaken the material of a given component such as an axle bar or stub shaft. Then each subsequent hit will continue to weaken the component until it fails completely. If you know that you have driven through a particularly abusing situation, it would be wise to pull the axles and assess the splines of the inner and outer stub shafts as a maintenance procedure. If they have started to twist or shift, then you might be able to prevent a more catastrophic failure.

We encourage all end users to read up on the appropriate measures that they can take to help prevent wheel hop with their specific vehicle. This can be anything such as aftermarket bushings, shocks, springs, control arms, tire type, or excessively low tire pressure. Two of the most fundamental pieces we look at to help control rear end movement and prevent wheel hop start with the cradle and differential bushings. Both of these bushing sets are often very soft from the factory and although they provide smooth ride quality, they allow a considerable amount of movement in a performance scenario. Which can lead to a number of concerns or issues.

Service

All driveline components will fatigue or wear over time depending on how the vehicle is driven and what level of performance is demanded from them. CV joints are a wear item and will see wear over time, but with our current design, axles can be sent in for service. So boots, fasteners, and CV assemblies can be serviced without scrapping the complete axle assembly. It is up to each customer to establish their own maintenance intervals based upon the manner in which their car is driven. Individual inner or outer splined stubs and axle bars can be replaced as well if they twist or are damaged due to wheel hop or simply from power levels exceeding capability of the material. Customers can reach out to GForce directly for current repair costs or component replacement as well as return authorizations for service – sales@gforce1320.com

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