Herm Full Floater Kit - Yay Or Nay?

I've got plans to run a locker in my rear axle. I keep hearing conflicting notions of what's best for the money spent. I could spend $1000 on a full floater kit, and install the locker I have, but a local shop mentioned that they're nothing but trouble.

I didn't ask what happens, but does anyone who's not trying to sell me something have details?

I like the idea of being able to pull a shaft and keep the rig going in 3-wheel drive.
i also like the idea of the rear axle not supporting the full weight of the vehicle.

I will not be flat-towing, so that's a moot point.

 

dunno, it seems like a nice option if you have the funds, but im definetely no expert.

 

I put Herm's full float kit in my 71 last year. It went together without any major issues. I also put in an OX locker at the same time. Everything works fine.

I did it mainly for the flat towing capability.

 

I made my own. build your own full float dana 44? You need a D30 spindle that's bored to 1.31 and machined to fit into the D44 axle on the mating surface. The axle is any 30 spline d44 one cut to length and sent to moser for 75 bucks each to have the 27 spline outer cut. Since you aren't flat towing you want D30 quadratrac drive hubs.

The only issue I have had is the locking hubs coming loose. Other than that I run a pwerlock with 35's. Its mostly on road, but i have had no other issues.

What any kit offers you is a bored spindle and custom axles. look up the prices for the parts and the machine work and decide if a grand is the right price for the kit. Since I made all my own I will tell you that a grand is a pretty good deal when you count up the hours.

There are better axles out there that have much greater support than an offset D44 if you decide to go D20 or D300. I went full float because I could make it and I did.

 

If you don’t plan on flat towing, I’d suggest spending half that on a 70/71 flanged 44. It’s overkill for these jeeps, and many less moving parts. JMO.

 

Thanks for the info.

i might flat-tow to a shop and back +\- 5 miles, but no long trips.

dana20’s are an option for the teralows, so that might work. But an axle swap seems pretty involved unless its an axle that bolts up? Just for arguements sake, what axles other than the NT, Centered Dana44 from a later cj5?

Any others (other than custom narrowed) that bolt up?

 

I did it for flat towing, don’t know if if would be worth it to me otherwise. I did break an axle and being able to drive it for awhile was pretty nice, but it drove really funny with all the power coming from one side. The locking hubs do like to come loose.

 

My D44 axle shaft splines were worn to a sharp point and had quite a bit of play when I was rebuilding it and I wasn't sure how long they'd last as is. I like the idea of a FF for ease of service and would go that route in the future.

There is the Dana 23-2 and it would be a step down from a D44 but it is FF. Maybe with some gussets and a set of custom axle shafts, you could make it stronger.

 

I've read a few instances where the flanged axle broke from stress cracks at the outer bearing. I figure if mine broke I would go full float. I do flat tow to the reunions but I also find value in a borrowed trailer if I know I am doing more than a convoy on the pavement.
I have managed to unknowingly flat tow my flanged axle 100miles without oil in it and the following damage could have been avoided.

 

I have Herms full floating axles in my Dana 44 with a Detroit truetrac locker. It only has about 4,000 miles on it but haven’t had any problems and installing it wasn’t too difficult. I used the drive flanges rather than hubs because I don’t plan on towing it.

 

Herm's full float shafts buy you use of a 30 spline traction device but strength wise, I don't think they even match Warn's old 19 spline floaters. They have a major design defect, 4340 or not.
Sanity Check, D44 Full Floater

I think one would be better off building your own as Chris suggested. Moser's 30 spline 1541H flanged shafts should be usable with slight massaging of the spindle bores.

 

HAHAH! Building one of your own requires a lathe. Its bit involved.. I see that stress riser cut right behind the 27 spline end. I cant believe they all dont break. That being said, I probably introduced a bunch of those in my axle shafts along the way.

Im pretty sure there reason the hubs and locking hubs get loose is from the oscillations incurred when the axle tubes aren't perfectly straight. These old, mostly D44 small tube, axle housings are all probably bent.

This means that that area where there is a relief cut on the 27 spline outer is where a lot of stress is concentrated.

I feel that the best way to make a full float setup out of a D44 is to make custom axles with an intergeral flange like on big trucks as stated in the linked thread.

 

I run the 19 spline FF kit: 1) because I had a locker that was 19 spline, and 2) someone had told me the 30 spline was no stronger due to that neck down.
I tried for a while to find a flanged offset dana44, but the only one I found had an owner who know what he had. Plus I had to re-gear, etc.
For the same price as the offset, I seriously considered going with a d20 and a centered flanged dana44, but loosing an overdrive option with 5.38 gears was a big con for me.
That was before the ROXOR -- maybe that rear axle is stronger and drops in if strength is what your after?

 

Looking at your signature frankly I wouldn't worry about it. You'd have to run up the horsepower and tire size.

 

Ahhh, interesting! I'll have to learn more about that axle. Are those 19 splined at the pumpkin?

single shift, big-hole D18 is what I'm planning, fyi, but open to the d20 if that's the axle I can find.

thanks for the info, James.

 

Read through that thread. Very illuminating! Makes me cringe a bit...

 

My plan is V6, SM420/SM365, Teralows, Locked 4.27's on 32in vintage bias ply muds. Would that change your opinion? I'm going to end up around 90:1 crawl ratio.

 

The failures that have me worried were guys that frequently towed small teardrops and bantam trailers or nothing crazy about a v6 the stuff a t-90 can handle.

Both these examples are axle failures in daily driving.

Rough Cost/issues Of Floater Vs Trailer

https://www.cj3b.info/Tech/Axles.html