Another RD-30 ARB bolt failure

[brokenujoint]

Never heard about it until it happened to me. Then when I researched it I found out it's rather common. The older style ARB for the Dana 30 which has bolts that hold the pneumatic diaphram to the locker was redesigned later on and illiminates the bolts. Well, if you have the bolts they are prone to shearing or backing out due to the preload changing when the housing flexes. There are 6 bolts and 3 of my 6 had the heads sheared off. I didn't notice any performance issues at all. I found it by doing a lube change. Apparantly from reading up on it the Dana 30 housing is more prone to flexing that other housings due to the thin tube wall. I know my housing is already bent from the mechanic who told me at my last wheel alignment. Ive been planning to do a HP30 swap and doing an internal sleeve to bump it up to 1/2 wall. I didnt know that I'd have to do it much sooner if I wanted to use my front locker.
Anyways, to all you 30 guys be sure to brace your 30 if you have an older style ARB. And check those bolts before they find their way to your ring and pinion. The HP 30 is more rigid than the crappy LP30 so it's a good economical upgrade if you cant afford that hp 44 or 60..

[aw12345]

Old news buddy, a HP housing with a spring bucket to spring bucket truss helps a lot.
Dana 44 housings do to a lesser extend the same thing, my bud in the Mall crawler could not keep the diff cover housing bolts tight while banging through the desert at 70 mph.
Increasing the tubing thickness does not resolve the issue it's the diff housing it self that opens up

[brokenujoint]

Old news buddy, a HP housing with a spring bucket to spring bucket truss helps a lot.
Dana 44 housings do to a lesser extend the same thing, my bud in the Mall crawler could not keep the diff cover housing bolts tight while banging through the desert at 70 mph.
Increasing the tubing thickness does not resolve the issue it's the diff housing it self that opens up

how about something like this? http://ironrockoffroad.com/Merchant2...egory_Code=XDT

[aw12345]

That will help. I think Artec made a nice one also.

[Macgyver]

Proper preload on the carrier bearings will help a lot. If you aren't using a case spreader, then you don't have enough preload. I have an old RD30 I sold to my buddy about 8 years ago and it's still holding. Preload, preload, preload.

Never heard about it until it happened to me. Then when I researched it I found out it's rather common. The older style ARB for the Dana 30 which has bolts that hold the pneumatic diaphram to the locker was redesigned later on and illiminates the bolts. Well, if you have the bolts they are prone to shearing or backing out due to the preload changing when the housing flexes. There are 6 bolts and 3 of my 6 had the heads sheared off. I didn't notice any performance issues at all. I found it by doing a lube change. Apparantly from reading up on it the Dana 30 housing is more prone to flexing that other housings due to the thin tube wall. I know my housing is already bent from the mechanic who told me at my last wheel alignment. Ive been planning to do a HP30 swap and doing an internal sleeve to bump it up to 1/2 wall. I didnt know that I'd have to do it much sooner if I wanted to use my front locker.
Anyways, to all you 30 guys be sure to brace your 30 if you have an older style ARB. And check those bolts before they find their way to your ring and pinion. The HP 30 is more rigid than the crappy LP30 so it's a good economical upgrade if you cant afford that hp 44 or 60..

[aw12345]

You know you have problems when the compressor runs a lot when you really torture it a lot in big rocks and the compressor just keeps running, but it goes away when you are on flatter ground with the lockers on