need some ERA rear info , snapped an axle again ...my fault again

John Martin · #1 (**permalink**) 08-29-2010, 07:53 PM

I personally would upgrade the jag axles if I was ordering a new replica . I need to change the "stub axle " after going threw two sets . ( not from normal driving) .First time, from not knowing the limits of things (11 years ago) . Second time , from fatigue after too many hard launches , twisting them over time until they snap .
I do a search

CHANMADD · #2 (**permalink**) 08-29-2010, 08:09 PM

Those Jag rears are not the strongest for drag racing, they are however great for the occasional drag strip day,and spirited track and road use.
Some had Salisbury and some had Dana internals, the easiest way to spot the difference is the front driveshaft input flange which is round on the Salisbury and rectangular on the Dana. Salisbury has clutch plates and the Dana a cone clutch.. I prefer the Salisbury but others prefer the Dana..??

Ant · #3 (**permalink**) 08-29-2010, 08:36 PM

I have used both the cone type and had poor results in road racing, good for one or two meetings and thats it, the LSD plate type has a lot more wear area and nowadays with my 8.8" it has an Eaton posi LSD with carbon fibre plates, having tried this one yet but I am assuming they last longer than old LSD plate types of the 60's 70's!

Also used Detroit Lockers for road racing in a not very forgiving sports sedan, I think the locker action made the handling worse!

John Martin · #4 (**permalink**) 08-30-2010, 07:19 AM

Its a Dana 44 , It has 5 bolts holding the stub axles to the case .

mr0077 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-30-2010, 08:46 AM

Your's sounds like an open Jag differential. I replaced my open Jag center section with an Auburn LSD from CWI
http://www.cwiinc.com/
and have had good results. I've had no problems with the stub shafts, but they should be able to provide the HD stubs if they're available...and the 3.31:1 ring and pinion.

John Martin · #6 (**permalink**) 08-30-2010, 07:00 PM

Took it apart today , The center is a Presicion Gear Power lok LSD ,

John Martin · #7 (**permalink**) 08-31-2010, 03:48 PM

Does any one know if a " Power lok " is rebuildable ?

RICK LAKE · #8 (**permalink**) 08-31-2010, 05:59 PM

John Martin John the salibury and dana 44 are the same case. The ring gear and pinions are the different. How are you snapping rear shafts??? It sounds like you are doing 5,000 rpm clutch drops and power shifting the car?? We have guys on this forum with 700+HP motors, cars that will run in the low tens to high nines and are not breaking rear ends. Stacy P from texas ran a 9.85 at 138 at Gateway some years back with a 307 and stock axles. Motor makes 550hp and a 250 shot on NOS. You need to either buy a car with a solid rearend or add a 4 link to what you have.
As far as going to a 30 spline axle, Mark williams or CWI has them. CWI want to build the whole center section for the rear.
This is what I did, Got a Jag center housing with 3.31 gears. Installed a detroit locker with a 30 spline stub shafts. Gone to a tight back lash of .004" This is under the min for back lash but stops breaking of gears with 3,000 rpm hole shots. 4wheel drive shops sell dana 44 carriers. Some even have a life time warrantty. Get a 30 spline carrier and an LPW rear cover for the diff case. You may have to modify the carrier holes for the ring gear. This will support the caps in the rearend and stablizer it from rocking. This should be good for about 600HP. If you can't this to stop, recomend you buy a Franklin quick change rearend that the dirt tracks use. 500+ ratios a 9" ring and pinion setup. It will fit in the rear end cradle, but you will have to modify the gastank for clearance.
The other idea is to buy a Soft-loc clutch from Mcleod and have it setup to stop the breakage. Do you any pictures of the rearends breaking?? Get the Mark williams stub shafts, they are good for 800-900HP. Rick L.

John Martin · #9 (**permalink**) 08-31-2010, 07:06 PM

I 'am in contact with Strange Engineering

decooney · #10 (**permalink**) 08-31-2010, 10:42 PM

Hi John,

Got your note as I was typing this.., before I designed the wheel hop kit, I searched around at a few 4x4 places and found a set of inner hardened chromoly stub axles and hardened spider gears. With a one mild launch (only once) my Dana 44 crumbled into 44 small pieces. I found my photo but can't find my notes on the source, but there were only a few sets left and it was quite a while ago. They look like this, for reference. May need to search around. I think a few guys will make up a few sets from time to time. Maybe someone here has a new source.

John Martin · #11 (**permalink**) 09-01-2010, 04:17 AM

The picture you posted is a big help .

John Martin · #12 (**permalink**) 09-02-2010, 03:17 AM

Strange said they would make them ,

John Martin · #13 (**permalink**) 09-02-2010, 03:40 AM

My Power lok works , can't upgrade parts inside .

John Martin · #14 (**permalink**) 09-03-2010, 01:20 PM

I'm ordering MarkWilliams 30 spline axles , auburn LSD ,Centerforce dual friction kit w/pp,tob . I should be all set .

decooney · #15 (**permalink**) 09-03-2010, 08:22 PM

John,
Can you post some photos of the bits you are getting - before you install them?

RICK LAKE · #16 (**permalink**) 09-04-2010, 04:27 AM

john Martin. John you can break these parts too if we don't find out what is going on with the car or driver?? John I broke lockers good for 600HP in my Dana's. Going around turn and hammering it. Large soft tires. I think your car has wheel hop and until you change the rear suspension. 30 spline axles are not going to last much longer than 27 or 19. There is a guy on this forum with a 700+hp motor and ran 19 spline rearend in his car for years. I am buying the center section. This car also runs 18" tires for autocross, roadrace, and 1/4 mile. The other issue is if you are snapping the stubs now, adding a stronger holding clutch is going to make the problem worse. I hope you remove the sliding weights from the pressure plate, they cause shifting problems and lockup issues when the motor is over 3,000 rpms. Good luck John. Ps if you don't have a watt's linkage you may want to look into one. The other thing is to switch rubber mounts with heim joints and hard plastic. Rick L.

John Martin · #17 (**permalink**) 09-04-2010, 05:06 AM

Sure , I will post picture of parts . Jag axles basically are great for a jag . But they can slowly twist over time . I did not think I was headed down the right road going after the old set up . I went with the Auburn Gear . I'll look into some sort of / upgrades to the rear suspension , thanks !

John Martin · #18 (**permalink**) 09-14-2010, 06:04 PM

I chose to go back to a 331 from the 354 .

John Martin · #19 (**permalink**) 09-14-2010, 06:21 PM

Rick Lake , I talked with the teck department at Summit .I mentioned about cutting the weights off the clutch . He said he never herd of that being done or an issue .He asked if I was side stepping it , no I said and intend on shifting in the hi rpm once in a while , he told me I would not have problems with this clutch shifting it hi up the rpm range . The weights add clamping pressure .
For you and one other person ( Doug ) both giving me a heads up on cutting the weights off , I would like to better learn and / or understand the idea behind it .Do you think you can shed some light here on you take ? Thanks !

patrickt · #20 (**permalink**) 09-14-2010, 06:55 PM

John, here is a picture of my Centerforce pressure plate when it was just temporarily bolted up to the flywheel (engine just sitting on a stand). Those little square weights that are on the fingers, and held by the circular wire. are what Rick is talking about. A lot of us pull them off. Chuck Brandt (fellow ERA owner) has a web site and he talks about the problems he had with the little weights before he removed them. If he revved hard at a stand still the clutch would start to engage and move him forward. I'm sure a search of this forum would bring up his web site and I remember that he took some shots of when he removed the weights.