RCV Heavy Duty CV Axles

[07JeepXK]

I'm not sure if anyone else caught this in Valpacer's recent wheeling thread from this past weekend. RCV - Off Road (a very well known company in the wheeling industry) now makes IFS CV Axles for the QT II WK's and XK's. Im not sure if anyone here on the forum has experience with RCV, but their products are absolutely amazing and can with stand any abuse that is thrown at them. Every day I see more and more members posting that they broke "yet another" cv axle while wheeling. I have yet to break one on my XK, but I know mine are getting weak and will need replacing soon so they dont break on the trail and leave me stranded. As you all know, once a cv breaks on our Jeep's, you need to be towed home unless you happen to have a spare cv axle with you. The vehicle will not move on its own in either forward or reverse with a snapped shaft.

I'm looking to order these as soon as I can afford them and totally redo my entire front end. I want to swap my JBA UCA's for RRO, change out my lower ball joints which are already garbage due to bad boots and install some new OME Struts with new coil isolators that I already have.

What are your thoughts on this? Would anyone with QT II ever consider spending that amount of money on CV Axles?

http://www.rcvperformance.com/

[Holaday07 4.7]

I am saving up to put a set in the TJ. at 2k for a set, might as well do a solid axle swap

[thance]

$2000?????????

How much do stock replacements cost?

Also, I have an Diablo iTune1000 programmer that has an option to completely shut off traction control. This may allow you to get back home if an axle breaks though I have not tried it.

[stites-xk]

I would really like a set but i do want a SFA. MMMM choices, choices. Trying to convince the wife about it is a different story.

[07JeepXK]

I am saving up to put a set in the TJ. at 2k for a set, might as well do a solid axle swap

I guess it all depends on what your trying to do with your rig. No one has successfully done a solid axle swap on an XK yet that I know of. Also these cv's will make your front axles just as strong as axes found in a solid axle. You obviously still don't get the articulation of a solid axle though but if you used these with a 4 inch lift you would have plenty of articulation. On an IFS the weak link is the cv's. This will fix that problem. Not only that but bad cv angles cause premature failure when off roading. These won't break even at steep angles.

$2000?????????

How much do stock replacements cost?

Also, I have an Diablo iTune1000 programmer that has an option to completely shut off traction control. This may allow you to get back home if an axle breaks though I have not tried it.

OEM cv's from the dealer can run up to $300 for one. You can get cheap ones from your local auto parts store for like $60 but they are garbage if you plan on wheeling you rig. You will break one of those a lot faster then the oem ones.

Your tuner will not fix the broken cv issue. If its broke your jeep won't move until you fix it. Trust me. Take off you front drive shaft next time you got an extra half hour to spare and use your tuner to disable the traction control and you will see what I'm talking about.

I would really like a set but i do want a SFA. MMMM choices, choices. Trying to convince the wife about it is a different story.

I hear you! I would love a solid axle swap but you would need about $6000 cash to have a SFA installed.

[pjmjr508]

To bad this does not work with the QDII system. I have broke a cv while while on the trail & it does suck. Now I am not sure about the QTII system but I do know from experience that if you break an cv on the QDII system that it will still move under its own power while in 4lo.

I want stronger cv's so hope they do make them for the QDII


I did send them a message to make sure that they do not make on that will work with the QDII system.

[07JeepXK]

To bad this does not work with the QDII system. I have broke a cv while while on the trail & it does suck. Now I am not sure about the QTII system but I do know from experience that if you break an cv on the QDII system that it will still move under its own power while in 4lo.

I want stronger cv's so hope they do make them for the QDII


I did send them a message to make sure that they do not make on that will work with the QDII system.

Hmmm thats weird. I know for sure that the QT I guys are left stranded with a broken cv because I have witnessed it first hand. They dont have 4 low though. As far as the QT II guys, I know that if you drop the front drive shaft it does the same thing. Not allow the vehicle to move forward or backwards. Im not sure if I was in 4 low or 4 high when I experienced that at Rausch Creek. I havent broke a CV yet but based on what Ive heard from others with QT II your pretty much stranded. But even if it works in 4 low, you cant drive home from several hours away on dry pavement!!!

[Matt]

Pj, so your front diff wasn't locking after the CV broke? I recall trialbyfire driving out of moab with a broken CV in 4hi but could be mistaken.

[Sal-XK]

Pj, so your front diff wasn't locking after the CV broke? I recall trialbyfire driving out of moab with a broken CV in 4hi but could be mistaken.

I believe he was in 4LO

[TrialByFire]

I believe he was in 4LO

I was in 4LO both times. Once I drove out about 15 miles. The other time, it was about 90 miles home @50 mph. The QDII has a "limp mode" in the computer that is really nice!

I don't see spending $1000 each for CVs that, as Holaday says, would just make the new weak link more costly and inaccessible. I can buy a lot of $60 spares for $2000. Also, I didn't notice any difference between the OEM CV and the NAPA replacement, but the castings may not be the same quality. I wouldn't know.