Without tough axle assemblies and the quality components to build them—alloy shafts, lockers, gearsets, portal ends, trick steering arms—we might never have finished some of the toughest trails we’ve ever thrown under our rigs.
There are literally thousands of axle parts on the market, and tracking them down can be mindboggling. So to help you finish building that axle that’s been sitting on your workbench, we have compiled a list of the top aftermarket axle parts manufacturers, including some of their best and newest parts.
Kryptonite Differential Covers
The Blue Torch Fab Kryptonite differential cover is designed for severe use and tough protection. All Kryptonite diff covers are fabricated with 1⁄4-inch steel plate for the cover and have a 3⁄8-inch steel ring for the base that will not peel off the diff when it’s dragged over rocks. Kryptonite cover are available for nearly every application, including Rockwell skids. Info: Blue Torch Fab, 866.725.2795, www.bluetorchfab.com.
40-Spline Air Locker
For horsepower-heavy 4x4s, bigger and better is stronger. ARB’s Air Locker for the Dana 60XHD axle, complete with 40-spline side gears, can handle the toughest applications and harshest terrain. The locker is available for gearsets 4.10 and down. Info: ARB USA, 425.264.1391, www.arbusa.com.
60 CRD Axles
The 60 CRD axles from TeraFlex use heavy-duty components that are designed to offer competition strength with excellent dependability. All components are CAD-designed and engineered to provide a premium product. The 60 CRD axle is a high-pinion Dana 60 built specifically for off-road vehicles while maintaining highway drivability. The axle features heavy-duty bearing caps, a rotated cover line (30 degrees), a cast oil skimmer, an oversized outer pinion bearing, a removable oil seal, and a smooth radius bottom that provides more ground clearance than a Dana 44. Info: TeraFlex Inc., 801.288.2585, www.teraflex.biz.
Portal Ends
The high-tech portal ends from Axletech will give your axles a massive 4.9 inches of additional ground clearance and feature a four-gear design with a 1.5:1 reduction ratio for increased wheel torque without increased stress on the ring-and-pinion. The ductile iron case is designed for strength and will stand up to the toughest off-road abuse. The portal ends are available in two-wheel steer or four- wheel steer configurations. Info: Axletech Int’l Motorsports, 248.637.6310, www.motorsports.axletech.com.
ProRock 44
The ProRock 44 lets you reuse your stock or aftermarket JK Dana 44F internal parts and your JK or TJ wheel ends and brakes. The 44 can also be upgraded with aftermarket gears, axleshafts, and brakes. The axle is easy to install and bolts into your stock or lifted JK or TJ with no grinding or welding. Info: Dynatrac, 714.596.4461, www.dynatrac.com.
GM Truetrac
The 30-spline Detroit Truetrac will fit the ’72-’10 GM 20/2500 14-bolt 101⁄2-inch axle. The Truetrac is a proven design that’s been one of the industry leaders in off-road traction. This helical-gear design provides quiet and smooth operation while automatically transferring torque to the wheel with the best traction. Eaton’s Detroit Truetrac has no clutches or cones to wear out and never needs maintenance. Info: Eaton Performance Products, 800.328.3850, www.eatonperformance.com.
Differential Cable Lock Kit
The Alloy USA Differential Cable Lock Kit is a permanent replacement for the failure-prone OE vacuum disconnect system on ’87-’95 Jeep Wranglers. The kit allows you to engage and lock the front axle from inside the cab. A 1-inch pull of the cable ensures that you will have four-wheel-drive when you need it. Info: Alloy USA, 770.614.6101, www.alloyusa.com, www.omix-ada.com.
Jeep JK ECTED Locker
Auburn Gear now offers the Dana Super 44 Ected Max selectable locker with 35-tooth axleshaft splines in a four-pinion design. The Ected will fit ’07 to present Jeep JK Rubicon in all ratios. The case trunnions are larger to accommodate the 35-spline axleshaft. The unit requires new differential bearings, and an upgrade in axleshafts is required. Upgrading to chromoly aftermarket axleshafts is recommended. The performance differential is selectable via a dash- or console-mounted switch. Info: Auburn Gear, 260.925.3200, www.auburngear.com.
BombProof Diff Covers
Crane Hi Clearance has added a cover to its lineup of bombproof 8620 chromoly steel diff covers. With the new shaved 13-bolt, no welding or cutting into the oil compartment is required to gain 1 inch or more of ground clearance equal to a Dana 60. Using a reciprocating saw or cutting wheel, simply cut on the dotted line of the template and smooth out with a sander/grinder for additional clearance. Info: Crane Hi Clearance, 720.422.4598, www.cranehiclearance.com.