This may be a dumb question, but how is it that more splines equal a stronger axle? I would think that there would be more mass per spline to break off (making it harder to shear) with fewer splines rather than lots of thin splines. Is it a surface area thing?

I know International Harvester recalled some 50 series tractors in the early eighties due to shearing off splines. In the recall, they reduced the number of splines, fixing the problem. Obviously I'm missing something.

 

It's not the spline count so much as axle diameter. A Dana 60 rear axle is 30 spline/1.3" but a Dana 70 is 35 spline 1.5". Just more meat. A chev 14 bolt is 30 spline 1.5" but just as strong as a d70 35 spline.

 

Maybe it wasn't as dumb a question as I thought. Why not just make the shafts bigger and keep the spline count?

 

Thank you for your answer though, kinda helps my point. Maybe its a marketing ploy, like how power washers with ultra high psi ratings seem like a good idea, but pale in comparison to high gpm power washers

 

The higher the spline count you have the greater the contact patch between the shaft and spider gear and obviously a larger diameter means there is more material.

I really dont think a 35sp D70 shaft is any stronger than a 23sp D70 shaft in the exact same situation. Its pretty rare for shafts to strip out the spider gear (or vice versa) and while all other associated components remain in perfect condition.

 

this is the dumbest **** I've heard all week.

 

Care to elaborate?

 

Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive

 

once upon a time a very smart person said "if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all".

insulting others or calling somthing they say "the dumbest **** I've heard" is not a very good way to get people to pay any attention to anything you say.

 

I thought it was a pretty useful post, got him to ask why didn't it? Better than somebody reading his post and thinking spline counts don't matter! I even delivered the answers to him on a platter.

 

by linking to a site that only cares about insulting people they don't know?

 

Oh give me a break. I linked to the axle tech bible. Not the forum for him to go get flamed in. I'm guessing you didn't even bother clicking it to read, you just read the link name.

Sorry if I hurt anyone's feelers. I'll play nice from now on.

 

i have no use for pirate. i tried going over there, and after asking about changing the background color from black with white letters to white with black letters, i was told this is the way it is. if you don't like it, let the door hit you in the *** on your way out.
they also don't want to hear about any way to do anything if it is not their way of doing things.

people like that who think their poop don't stink don't need my knowledge.

as far as that being "the axle tech bible" that is the pirate opinion. every web forum has it's own ideas.

 

There are a bunch of *******s of there. I've been there even longer than there. Regardless of your feelings of the jerks there, the link I posted is axle tech. That way Alpha/Omega can learn about axles, so he can understand why spline count is important..

 

IBadB2 I don't let these guys hammer on other people and I am not going to let you come in here and hammer on them.

Learn to play nice or don't play. You like pirate? then go over there to insult people this isn't going to be turned into pirate period.