By James J. Weber
I'm sure we've all heard that something, whether it is an organization, team, or vehicle, is only as strong as its weakest link. every weekend, off-roaders learn this adage the hard way - when their weakest link fails, which is typically an axleshaft, differential, or ring-and-pinion set. These highly detailed yet very fragile components typically give way to heat, pressure, and continued use under extreme conditions.
Having your vehicle's gear ratio and drivetrain built to take into consideration your vehicle's tire size, power rating, and the terrain that you choose to off-road in, not only will allow your vehicle to perform better, but the reduction in wear to some of the other vehicle components will be diminished as well, not to mention that your trail breakdowns will be diminished greatly, too.
This month we showcase some of the most widely used products that address these issues and provide a more satisfying off-road experience and vehicle.
J.E. Reel Toyota Land Cruiser Drivelines
J.E. Reel's Toyota land Cruiser drivelines are custom-made to the exact specifications required for them to be bulletproof. each unit is made of stronger tube stock to resist bends and breaks while scraping along hard rocks. Given an increase in operating angle over the stock item and combined with 1350-series U-joints and a 2-1/2-inch-longer stroke in slip, each driveline will contribute to lower cost of repairs and miles of use.
For more information, contact:J.E. Reel drive line Specialists,(909) 629-9002www.reeldriveline.com.
Solid Axle industries heavy-duty Jeep TJ dana 44 Axle
Solid Axle industries' heavy-duty dana 44 replacement axle has been created to withstand bending and breaking and to alleviate those unnecessary repairs from a simple day of off-roading. Utilizing their own engineered dana 44 low pinion housing that features 1/2-inch-wall dom axletubes, each axle is assembled using only the highest quality components on the market, some of which include: ArB, Wilwood, precision Gear, Timken, and Goodridge.
Each axle is hand-assembled to ensure the best quality and workmanship and is inspected and numbered. each axle owner receives complete documentation about their axle, as well as 3 quarts of differential fluid for the initial commissioning of the unit.
For more information, contact:Solid Axle industries,(888) 290-2953www.solidaxle.com.
Stak 4x4 Replace-A-Case
STaK 4x4's replacement transfer case is available for all dana 300 transfer case applications. The replacement version offers any available gear ratio, heavy-duty 32-spline output shafts, a solid billet housing, and the ability to be configured in such a way that it turns the transfer case to a driver-side drop without having to turn the unit upside down.
For more information, contact:STAK 4x4,(915) 584-2400,www.stak4x4.com.