Classic Muscle

Who makes the best yokes/rear axels for a 77. I've been hearing that they're some not so good ones out there, so who makes the good ones and who should I stay away from? Also whats the differance in spline count 17 vs 32 or what ever? The shop found that my yoke seal was leaking on the drivers side and the yoke moves in and out about 1/2 inch and the u bolt has hit the rear end housing and scared it pretty good. The rear end seems to be working fine with no noises for now (the bolt clears now that it has cut a channel in the housing) but this can't be good. I'll know tomorrow the extent of the damage once he gets the cover off but I'm suspecting a bad yoke or possible missing ring clip or both. Is it worth the money to go with these http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...-each-602950-1 or could these be just as good http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...slate-602932-1 ? I am assuming I should at least try to find some that have a Case Hardened Tip and just replace both sides while in it. As far as I know my engine is original and pretty much stock with very little horse power but when it dies I'd like to remedy that.

ajrothm

Toms Differentials makes the best axles (inner/outers). To do the 30 spline inners, you have to change spider gears along with some other stuff, requiring a full posi unit rebuild/upgrade to 12 bolt guts.

I think you'll be fine with the 17 spline stuff unless you are planning a big power increase.

OMF

I first put in the $100 ones in my car, and just a short time later there was noticable wear at the end....soft as butter those pieces of crap.
Next I bought the $370 ones, and right away just comparing them you can tell they are quality pieces. I haven't looked in the rearend since installation, but they haven't given any trouble at all...and I'm not very kind to the rearend.

Classic Muscle

Did the $100 ones you bought have hardened tips or were they just the stocks ones?

redvetracr

unless your doing real racing the "tipped" side yokes from Lonestar will work just fine

gkull

if you are eating up the outside of the case there is a good chance that your whole rear end is trashed because of the amount of metal in it. My original 79 was gone before it had 50,000 miles. I just went ahead and bought a 4.11 Richmond gear rear end with these yokes intalled

http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette...-each-602950-1

DABall

Vansteel!!

I was stuck on a Saturday and called and the owner answered the phone. Amazing!!

I had a complete set of half shafts and yokes 1st thing Monday morning. Excellent quality.

GTR1999

What you have to realize is that the part vendors do not make axles or rebuild them. They buy them, mark them up and resell them. Really no secret to that it's been like that for many years.

I see a lot of axles because I use a lot of axles. As mentioned it depends on your application as to whether a good stock 17 spline axle will work or if you need to step up to a 30 spline axle and also change out the spiders. Now that sound pretty simple, right. You stay with 17's and decide on new or rebuilt. It should be just that but it is not. The quality of parts is not what it was no so long ago. Not all vendor sell axles from the same source either. I can say what I have found with rebuilt axles are splines not lining up with the hardened tips, hardened tips not machined correctly and will not slide on the spiders, stripped holes in the "HD" axle yokes, shields falling off, end play dimensioning all over the place from too tight to way too loose. Some of the new axles I have seen weren't much better BUT if you get them in and they check out they work out fine for a street car. Get to 500hp and I used Tom's or International Axles, Tom's being first choice. I also have plenty of the NOS 10-17 x 30 and x 17 spiders in both std and heat treated so I don't have worry about the quality of spiders in my posi's.

You will notice I am not recommending or rejecting any particular vendor, you will have to do your homework and check them when you get them in. Lars machined his own axle plugs and I may start to do the same for my diff's.

Just something to think about for those who don't know or think they know, again no one in particular with my statement.

FKING1

Fort Wayne Clutch makes heavy duty stuff for your Corvette.
Have their half shafts on my 70 autocross car.

GTR1999

Curious if they told you the wall thickness of their tubes in 2.5 or 3"?

FKING1

2" x .120 tubing

ajrothm

Gary, my halfshafts from FT Wayne Clutch are 3" and supposedly .095" wall. I had no way to verify but....they haven't broke yet...

I also had a driveshaft made from FT Wayne clutch, I believe it was also 2.5" x .095" with the solid Spicers.

Everything I have gotten from them have been good quality and reasonably fair priced. FWIW.

TCracingCA

TCracingCA

TCracingCA

GTR1999

Thanks guys, I was not aware they offered a 120 wall 2" shaft, interesting.

The 083" 2.5 & 095" 3" shafts I was aware of and were the only offerings back when I needed a pair. Tom's 134" are the best but they are out stock at this point. Don't toss out the GM 2.5" shaft thinking they are weaker, I would use them over the 3" GM any day.

GM 2.5" shafts were 130" +/- 002"
3" were 095"

I would strongly suggest removing the diff to replace spiders. Spiders are not machined matched sets like a ring & pinion gear set and if using the spring pack you might be able to swap them out but the lash is going to be different. Tuning is the best way but that can not be done in the car. The current 10-17's Tom have are pretty good most likely the best on the market today but not as good as the older ones he had, both are better in my opinion then what comes in the new loaded posi's today. That certainly can be debated but I have no interest in debates anymore. I still have stock on the real deal Tom spiders and those are what I use in my builds.

OMF

Thet were just the stock ones...