Differential drop info

[tom4bren]

Hey, thinking "outside the box" is good. That's how the VX was dreampt up in the first place.

You could always rotate the mounting holes for the axle housing to cut down a little on the U-joint angle increase from the drop. I chose not to since I didn't want to screw up the phase.

You could possibly make spacers to go between the brackets & the frame instead of modifying the brackets. I never liked spacers tho so I didn't go that route.

You could slot all of the holes to make the drop adjustable. I was SCEEERED to try that so didn't.

All kinds of possibilities when you think outside the box.

Tom

[tom4bren]

BTW, the only way I've ever been in contact with Joe Darlington is by email:

darlington-offroad@nc.rr.com

His website kinda didn't work for me - never fully loaded & didn't have any procuct info - just links:

www.darlington-offroad.com

[taylorRichie]

An FYI...

Darlington-offroad.com is no longer anything to do with Darlington Offroad, it appears as though it was poached by bastards who wait for domains to expire, then they buy them, and use them for their own personal advertising, so by clicking the links, they get a small commission (pennies) but enough people do it to make it worth it to them.

If you're going to work with Darlington I'd email Joe.

Just trying to look out for everyone.

[Ascinder]

For $200 bucks this isn't a terrible deal depending on the person. I pretty much told Clint my take on doing anything for the VX. I feel if you have the time, equipment and skills to do it yourself and not the money lying around, then it makes sense to me to have direct accountability of the quality control of your product. I am not trying to stir anything up by saying this, but I really wonder how much consideration was taken into account if one of these units failed. Losing your front axle when wheeling or going down the freeway is potentially lethal in either case. I trust myself to modify my own stuff to that effect, but selling it to other people myself or as a broker would give me pause. These aren't exactly simple things like tube doors or a roof rack. High power stuff moving at high speeds and high precision attach and rely on these to function without breaking. I'm not saying don't buy them, they have no reason to be doubted as the their quality or strength, I justy prefer knowing who is ultimately responsible for my safety. That said, with the extended length of these brackets, I would suggest anyone making them add some gussets or even a short tube welded to the outside of each one to surround the CV cup just to stiffen the design. Longer brackets equal more leverage then shorter ones, and therefore bend more easily. Also, welded metal tends to be more fatigue prone that unwelded, so every bit helps.

[tom4bren]

Good points Ascinder. I hadn't considered any form of added gusseting for strength since it's all a tight fit in that area. I don't think that the differential brackets really carry much of a load anyway. If you look at where they mount to the frame, there is a rubber bushing in there. If they were subject to loads that could potentially break a weld, they would be hard mounted to the frame (IMHO). I've had mine dropped for 6 months now & haven't noticed any signs of trouble.

[Ascinder]

Yeah, we just took mine off for Clint and they looked fine. As far as loading though, they are what holds your center section and are the inside fulcrum points for the CVs so, while the majority of the weight and road loads are supported by the suspension and A-arms, there are a lot of moving things at high speeds connected to these brackets. They also support all of the side loads of the center section, and unfortunately, the brackets are actually weakest in that dimension(hence the gussets). Another concern I would bring up is that is very frowned upon(I didn't know this at the time either) in the welding world of offroading that you don't ever put vertical welds in a vehicle. This allows every bump or hit the vehicle takes the opportunity to start and aggravate a crack right up the weld(which is weak to begin with). Like I said, mine were fine after being in there for well over a year, but it isn't when they're fine that I worry about, it's the big question mark of when they could fail. I just think there are a lot of people out there that automatically assume factory testing, quality, durability, and longevity when they get and install these parts. I think it would be in everyones best interests if the people buying them had to sign a waiver stating that they understand the need for a thourough periodic inspection to continue to guarantee their own safety, and hopefully absolve potential sellers or brokers of these of any unnecessary responsibility. They should also have to disclose the same if the vehicle is ever sold to another person who may be ignorant of their installation.

[Ascinder]

How'd you get away with no vertical welds?