Ever snap a front end?!?!

[Towman2277]

Last night I was called out on an off-road recovery, where a truck went about 200' into the woods. I decided to take my bobber, as it had a very muddy and tore up access road to the scene of where the truck was borken down, and stuck.

I found some hard ground, with some loose gravel on top, and proceeded to send out winch cable straight into the woods from my chosen spot. I had a worker who i was on the phone with, giving me details of the truck and cable, since I was in the truck operating the winch.
I sent him with a snatch block to hook to a tree, due to us having to do a right angle pull to get the truck out of the hole it was in. Very simple pull.

I winched some after the hookup, and nothing really budged, just pulled my truck forward.

I was then asked to just "back up" as the winch speed wasn't helping pull him over as he was trying to back out of his stuck hole.

I locked my truck in 4 wheel drive then backed up, and dug in a little. I told everyone to watch their hands, I'll try harder! So I eased up, then backed up (in low range) with a good hard pull. Nothing. No budging.

I was digging in deeper, so I knew i had to pull very hard, or give up and get out a dozer. I got down on the truck backing up, spinning all four HARD, then "snap" from the front end. I pulled the truck forward out of the ruts, and jumped out with the truck in nuetral, with the front end locked in. I reached under, the front shaft would not spin (locked in with driveline). When i unlocked my air-shift front end, it spun FREELY!!!!!!! YIKES!!!!

To make a long story a little shorter, my "helper" didn't even use the snatch block, he simply wrapped the cable around a huge pine, and as I pulled in reverse, it dug in very deep and snagged very good, killing my right angle pulling motion!!!!!


SO, today i'm pulling my front end, and swapping out a chunk!!!!!!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Believe it or not, I have even seen the axle housing on the front end broken. The trucks are amazing, but not indestructible.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I avoid pulling anything backwards unless there are no other options.

 

[Kohburn]

I'd be pissed at the "helper" for not running th eline correctly and for probably killing a tree and your front axle in the process.

 

[Jakob]

I avoid pulling anything backwards unless there are no other options.

Same here, I only do ANY kind of pulling in a forward gear. The driveline is not intended to take that kind of shock or wear in reverse.

I'd be pissed at the "helper" for not running th eline correctly and for probably killing a tree and your front axle in the process.

That's why if I'm using my personal vehicle, I do everything myself if at all humanly possible.

 

[rosco]

These vehicles are not "fool proof". SLow and steady usually gets the job done. Besides, maximum performance usually translates to minimum service!

 

[Towman2277]

I appreciate all of the comments, I agree with you ALL!!!!! I'm more experienced than most and my helper, so I take the blame for not double-checking the hookup of the vehicle with the snatch block. Also, I spoke with a great friend this morning who works for the ARMY motor pool, and he stated that the gears are strong, but NOT when pulling hard in reverse. So I see 2 faults here that I could have done differently. Thanks for everyones input!!

 

[kwiksilver]

You probably just broke a shaft. They are pretty weak... especially with 48 inch tires. Did you at least say..."hey, ya'll watch this"?

 

[dragonwagon]

I appreciate all of the comments, I agree with you ALL!!!!! I'm more experienced than most and my helper, so I take the blame for not double-checking the hookup of the vehicle with the snatch block. Also, I spoke with a great friend this morning who works for the ARMY motor pool, and he stated that the gears are strong, but NOT when pulling hard in reverse. So I see 2 faults here that I could have done differently. Thanks for everyones input!!

You fessed up , im proud of ya now yes you should have checked the hook up for sure . Iv been in towing 34 years .

 

[dragonwagon]

Oh , and id smack the helpers hat off his head for not listening in the first place .

 

[SSWaters]

kwiksilver is right, rock crawlers always snap shafts when bound up with those tires. If you have ball & claw shafts they are kind'a brittle and shatter. U joint shafts bend and break. You can put in u joint shafts with a seal holder change or grind the B&C seal holder flat.

Seen the internals of the chunk only give up twice versus dozens and dozens of shafts.

 

[Jakob]

You probably just broke a shaft. They are pretty weak... especially with 48 inch tires. Did you at least say..."hey, ya'll watch this"?

No, I think it was more like a, "Hey, hold my beer..." moment

 

[Towman2277]

I'm leaning towards it being the actual pinion and ring gear being broke. You can grab the drive shaft, and there is NO RESISTANCE at all when spun by hand! I'd think if it was a shaft, that i'd feel the gear set spinning, but it's not. We're talking very little resistance, feels like roller bearings!!!!!!!

 

[Towman2277]

I just went out and checked it again, and it is for sure something in the chunk! I've drag raced and built rear ends for the last 15 years, and I know tons about internals and such. This shaft has no contact with anything inside the chunk!!!!!

 

[fletcher]

if its still open diff u wont feel any resistance. i have broke 2 front axle shafts (notice my pic) both in reverse. i would say its worth pulling the shaft and checking before actually tearing into the diff. just a sugestion. my first one broke inside the carrier, and the second one just broke inside the hub. needless to say the axle shaft is definately a weak link

 

[gimpyrobb]

I might have chunk parts if you need.

 

[KsM715]

Isnt there an inspection plate on the side of the chunk you could pull off for a look-see?

 

[Towman2277]

Ok, I have done some further review (and spinning the shaft and listening very well) and I can spin the drive shaft freely, but when i reverse the rotation, or spin "back & forth" rather fast, I can hear a clicking sound on the driver side, nothing on the passenger. That would lead me to believe that I have lost a connection on the driver side (the passenger is silent, and probably still intact) and maybe a u-joint on the driver side shaft???? I plan on tearing this down asap, but we've been rolling with work (I own a towing company) and play comes second! At least sometimes lol!!