Safari GQ CV's breaking too easily?

[muddy]

This weekend I broke the 5th CV in under a year. Running Kumho 35's with LSD in front, but this one was in loose river shingle, no air involved. I hadn't even reduced tyre pressure (40psi) so traction wasn't great! A couple of the others have definitely been attributable to over-aggressive driving, but one of them happened making a gentle 3-point turn on a gravel track, and there are a number of people agreeing with me that they are breaking too easily. This one (and one other) actually sheared the stub-axle part that engages in the free-wheel hub. The previous one caused the free-wheel hub to break as well. Both of these were "Repco" CV's so maybe quality was a factor, but I gather it's "normal" for CV's to break at the ball housing - not the shaft?

I'm actually questioning whether I may have a slightly bent housing contributing to the fragility of the CV's. Or maybe the LSD winding up too tight?

I have a complete spare front end which I plan to swap in (with Nissan CV's), and will leave it with the open diff, but I'm interested if anyone else can confirm my thoughts are on the right track..

Thanx

[PigFmr]

been runing a lsd in the front of my safari now for ovr 4yrs,tyres i have had on at the same as lsd are 35 creepys,35 simexs,35 trepordors,35 kl71's at present ,never broke a cv just 2 hubs,
vince

[mudtroll]

I'm running 35 Simexs broken lots of hubs but never a CV, although I carry spares. You might be better buying genuine 2nd hand nissan CV's rather than ripco ones.

[mudlva]

dont waste your money on non OE stuff unless you go chrome molly

i havent found any supplier that matches OE for reliability

[muddy]

The 5 broken ones include 3 OE ones. Sounds like it's probably not the LSD causing the problem, so I'll swap the housing over and hopefully solve the problem... Thanks for the replies.

[monstr]

another thing to check is how much steering lock you have ,if the stops have been removed or screwed in to much ,that can put to much stress on CVs and cause them to break .

[mudlva]

another thing to check is how much steering lock you have ,if the stops have been removed or screwed in to much ,that can put to much stress on CVs and cause them to break .

yes i was thinking of this as well the safs only have a small steering stop bolt compared to the LCs hubs will be well worth the investagation

[muddy]

another thing to check is how much steering lock you have ,if the stops have been removed or screwed in to much ,that can put to much stress on CVs and cause them to break .

I backed them out quite a while ago - after the CV broke on a simple U-turn. But that's the only breakage that was turn-related. The latest was wheels dead straight ahead and bugger all traction..

[Swamped]

Did you do anything earlier than the "easy driving" that may have damaged it and something small was just the final straw??

But yeah oe stuff is the way to go.

[mike barnett]

repco cv's are Crap but for $65 you cant expect much ,ive had arb lockers font and rear for six years and broken two both times i was at fault ,look for a tidy safari in the wreckers and buy both ....if they are factory ones ,or heat treated ringed ones from Aussie

[muddy]

Replacement front housing and open diff going in today, with factory CV/axle sets. Hopefully that should cover all possibilities...