Pushed to the Point of Breaking Things on Our Jeep Gladiator Thanks to Our EVO Trailing Arms

[@chinothedreamgiver1629]

Your videos never disappoint. Guy was like a surgeon, attention to every detail.

[@wayalife]

Really happy to hear you enjoy our videos and yes, Chad is very good at what he does.

[@jamisonmaynor]

Coming from someone who is a decent wielder and proficient in Metallergy this guy is spot on. 👍

[@99stomperjccollins54]

Way to highlight the importance of a good inspection. No matter how well your rig is built. Finding problems when they are small can prevent a serious issue later! Welding cast takes know how. I agree a truss kit may be needed.

[@wayalife]

Thank you. If you really play as hard as you think you do, yeah, inspection is very important and to look for things you wouldn't always think to look for. And yes, I think a truss may be something that could help.

[@donmontalvo1]

Wow, I never ever thought a cast diff crack could be repaired like that. Thank you SO much for posting this.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed seeing this :)

[@TheOnlyBlackInMeWasWillieBrown]

You'd be surprised that the amount of abuse off roading has on a vehicle. Off-road design has a picture of an NP 205 transfer case (cast iron) snapped in half.

[@madcratebuilder]

Top job on the welding, young man knows his stuff.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@kevinsandells9933]

Excellent video. Was good of Chad to explain what he was doing . Looked like a nice shop. Stay safe .

[@wayalife]

Thank you and it really was way cool of Chad to take the time to explain what he was doing 😎

[@adidas4275]

Chad welded my cracked D44 housing 2 years ago. It held up well! then I sold it and bought a PR44 Jeremy and Chad are good dudes! Jeremy did my PR44 internal swap, regear and rebuilt my radflos on our JK

[@wayalife]

Awesome! Glad to hear you've had great experiences with them too.

[@StormbornJKU]

Absolutely admiring that snow. Gorgeous drive there. And of course they did quality work and seem like solid guys.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed seeing this :)

[@ronkreed]

Seems like a great shop. I always learn something new from these videos.

[@wayalife]

Happy to hear you find our videos to be educational and yes, Disciple Off Road is a great shop. I would highly recommend them.

[@thewanderer577]

“Chad and Jeremy” were a 60’s British rock duo. 😂 Your two shop guys rocked it too!

[@wayalife]

LOL

[@dyn0mitemat]

Play hard and things break, doesn’t matter the brand. I foolishly thought mine would be one and done but have had things break and issues the same as the guys with all the other big brands. Just gotta stay on top of them and catch things as they come up before they get serious. Good vid as always 👍

[@wayalife]

Exactly! Couldn't have said it better 😎

[@Bowhunterohio]

By the way you have a great eye to have been able to catch that crack. I work industrial maintenance and have been welding for 25 years and still have not been able to figure out how to weld cast. The only time I’ve tried cast though was on farm equipment but this is the first time I’ve heard someone actually explain the correct way. You don’t believe how much this video may help me in the future. Thank you.

[@wayalife]

Glad to hear you enjoyed our video and that you found it to be educational :)

[@n3tfury]

That man knows what he's doing! Awesome work.

[@wayalife]

Glad you liked what you saw :)

[@jeffrypresutti3139]

Great job. Your mechanic knows his stuff.

[@wayalife]

Glad you liked the video and yes, the guys at Disciple Offroad really know their stuff 😎

[@Systems_Scholar]

Absolutely incredible craftsmanship. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I learned a lot and I can’t overstate how impressive it was to watch these professionals work their magic. Thanks again.

[@d7k8gsxr600]

At 11:15 - 11:20 there is an obvious crack in the weld. That will spread again.

[@wayalife]

LOL Good eye! There is a to be continued to this story.

[@donlum9128]

Chad is a professional welder, excellent weld/repair.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed what you saw :)

[@mikepierson3097]

Glad Jeremy and Chad at Disciple Offroad were able to fix that! Great way to stop the crack and fix that axle. Disciple is awesome, purchased many things for my Jeep and the sale and post sale support has been fantastic. 👍

[@wayalife]

Glad to hear you've had good experiences with Disciple too 👍

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

That was a very scenic drive on the way to the repair shop. Glad you are promoting various off road jeep specialty shops. Over time I am increasing my list of repair shops in areas I go off roading. This shop is now on my list. Thanks for sharing.

[@wayalife]

Awesome! Glad we could share this with you.

[@zxborg9681]

Man, that's a clean looking shop. Dude did a nice job on that. Good to have it fixed!

[@wayalife]

Glad you liked what you saw :)

[@richardagostino5085]

The flex on that is nuts ❤

[@bboylorettoEight08]

Man your Jeep is so dope I wish I could own something so cool like that !

[@wayalife]

Thank you. Glad you like what you see.

[@stephenlewis8143]

That was interesting and informative, thank you. The body repair and shop - an art, skill & expertise - all the tips & clues issued reminded that "he" is a detailed "bright light" for that type of work & repair; same with the shop owner. Thanks for showing the video; if they were nearby (which they aren''t) I'd take one of my rigs in, that needs work.

[@wayalife]

Glad to hear you enjoyed what you saw.

[@jeanpmagnanig]

It sure is a nice place, Jeremy is the best!

[@wayalife]

Awesome! Glad to hear you've had good experience with Disciple Off Road too 👍

[@Cainexavier]

Awesome stuff, as always! Please include a clip or two of Ripley in every single video! :)

[@wayalife]

LOL - yes, we'll have to try harder to include Ripley 😎

[@edelms3255]

Great job welding cast...

[@anthonygendron9737]

Nice catch. After welding it might have helped to roto peen the weld after to help with alignment of the molecules in the casting.

[@GoXplr]

I learned more in this video than 5 years of high school ....

[@wayalife]

LOL awesome

[@JendellOverland]

Wow, you just avoided a cotastrophe. Awesome job catching that in time!

[@wayalife]

Yup, got super lucky.

[@jongonegone1262]

the welder is now re-engineering your diff case !!!! now stresses go to another place !!!! but welders are really life savers at a emergency time, when engineers work along side welders from blueprint assembly , now were talking.

[@jongonegone1262]

high performance is exspeeeeeensive.

[@miketuggle9273]

I have heard bubble gum works good too. I think bubble yum was the preferred brand back in high school for such repairs.

[@talljeeper]

Quality! Score!

[@wayalife]

Thank you

[@TheOnlyBlackInMeWasWillieBrown]

Just a warning. The edge of the rib has a stress crack in from an improper heat cycle. You can see it at the 11:15 mark in the video. This is why you should always ping casr welds to help releave the stress from cooling to quickly. You shouldn't keep an eye on it.

[@wayalife]

Just a heads up, yes, we know and if we didn't, all the other people who posted up before you made sure to let us know. This is just the first part of the story, more to come 👍

[@quick906]

Bro, how did you catch that? This is why I leave this stuff to the pros. Good eye.

[@tymekiller88]

Welder here, the man did everything correctly but at 13:19 there’s a crack on his weld. If I were you I’d get down there and take a look at it

[@wayalife]

Good eye! There is a to be continued to this story.

[@guygolan6812]

Job well done! And good for you for spotting it on time. All things aside, when are we going to hear more about the extended range fuel tank ???

[@wayalife]

The fuel tank is currently available only with the trailing arm kit.

[@briandell3852]

So if you pause the video at 11:15 and look at the weld, is there a very small hair line crack on the front side? When they pull out then zoom in to the back side, I no longer see it, great work, informative. Great video, love the channel.

[@wayalife]

Yup, you are seeing things correctly and as I've already stated to all the other eagle eyes out there, there's is more to this story and we hope to bring you the rest as soon as we can.

[@briandell3852]

@@wayalife great channel, you’re getting more into the high end stuff that I would love to buy but out of my price range but love the content.

[@bullwinklejt7072]

Awesome video and shop! Definitely look forward to ordering my lift through them and eventually regear! Now to pay off the credit cards. 🤪😂

[@wayalife]

LOL - nice that they're close to you too 👍

[@scott7695]

Wow that's a process!

[@wayalife]

Yes it is :)

[@johngrant1337]

good video thanks

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@dealinwithit1]

That guy using an Eastwood welder tells you a lot about Eastwood

[@TwoFeatherChannel]

good you caught that in time.

[@wayalife]

It was luck for sure but also, it was hard for me to not give things a really close look after the abuse we put this Jeep through.

[@terryderush2657]

Always a great 👍 video 📹 👍

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@jwat2396]

Old time welder. Never seen a wire capable of doing cast. Always had to weld with stick using nickel cadium. What wire are you using?

[@NevadaJohnny]

Great video!

[@wayalife]

Happy to hear you enjoyed it! 😎

[@robottaway]

When it goes on the lift crazy how little horizontal movement there is as the axles droop. Shows was those long arms do versus short arms.

[@wayalife]

Not just long arms, trailing arms and they do offer a TON more vertical travel.

[@quintili1]

Seems like a great shop, they knocked that out easily.

[@wayalife]

Disciple Off Road really is a great shop with guys who really care about their customers.

[@tedz74]

"No cracks." Um, you zoom right into the cracked weld at 11:14 . Is that a Dana ultimate 60 housing?

[@wayalife]

Yes it is and yes I did. Unfortunately, all my personal contacts at Dana Spicer have moved on to other jobs and so far, I haven't heard from anyone else. That said, I am not suggesting that this crack is their fault. I have seen axle failures on a myriad of brands - if you play hard enough, things break.

[@wayalife]

I see you edited your post. Good eye! There is a to be continued to this story.

[@tedz74]

@@wayalifeI deleted "did you contact them first before attempting the repair" from the first version of my post as I didn't want to sound accusatory. It's not your fault they have terrible customer service. Thanks for the reply :)

[@LX450_Adventure]

I saw that hairline crack as well and then he said "No cracks!" I am like, "What?" 😁 I am sure there will be attempt #2

[@richardagostino5085]

Guy was like a dentist filling a cavity wild!

[@andymckane7271]

Excellent! Thank you very much for this tip about Disciple Off-Road! Would the Jeep warranty have covered this fracture in the casting had you decided to request your Jeep dealer (or any other Jeep dealer) to replace the front axle casting? Good work, however. And thanks very much for another of your superb videos! Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video. This is an aftermarket axle and so no, Jeep would not have covered it.

[@rachelwhite4449]

Man, bummer on that fracture. I really like those guys at Disciple Offroad. Sounds like you lucked out at least for now. He mentioned their bread and butter, was rebuilding shocks I’m sure I’m way over due there. So much to do so little time and money. Lol

[@wayalife]

Yeah, it was a bummer and one they actually caught right away. But, we're working on it - just takes "money" and lots of it. It's a drive but I would highly recommend them. Their attention to detail and thoroughness is well worth it.

[@DemonetizedVet]

Not to throw shade but the weld is going to crack again, he needed to terminate the weld off from the end of his pass. Needs a backfill due to that fisheye at the end or some would say a whipback to keep it from stress cracking. Great video though keep wheeling!

[@wayalife]

LOL - not to throw shade at your insight but if you take the time to look more closely, we show that the weld is already cracked. There's more to this story and we hope to post a follow up video soon.

[@trynsurviven2440]

That was awesome.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@trynsurviven2440]

@@wayalife Thank you for sharing this I hope the repair holds up.

[@motoboggin2619]

looks like it cracked when it was cooling off mate. I'd redo it with some high nickel filler rod if i were you, and add truss at the same time.

[@wayalife]

Good eye. There's more to this story and we hope you'll check back soon for it.

[@JeepGladiatorGuy]

Have you ever had like a clunk noise when coming to a normal stop? Like around 15mph when the transmission changes gears. Sounds like it’s sloppy. It gets better with a TPM flash, but then slowly gets worse again. Like the line pressure needs adjusting maybe?

[@wayalife]

Sorry, lots of things cause clunks and without driving yours for myself, it'd be hard to say what the cause is.

[@Cainexavier]

Did the heating process and welding possibly damage the seals on the housing? Maybe look for leaks near where you welded after a while.

[@wayalife]

Nah, the seals are fine, no leaks there but I did check, just in case :)

[@Rhdz_86]

Great video like always. You should do a video on your thoughts of the new 2024 Jeep Wranglers.

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video. If I come across a 2024, I'll see what I can do.

[@hakunamatata3134]

What a good day to have ifs

[@wayalife]

LOL - yeah, IFS is the better way to go for stuff that like but this seemed to work okay. Just need to beef things up a bit more.

[@badcat50gaming91]

Is there a way to brace that somehow or do something else to keep it from cracking like that down there give it a little bit more strength

[@wayalife]

Like I say in the video, we are considering a truss. It's not a for sure fix but it will help a bit.

[@mrtopcat2]

Awesome video! Great topic and greatly made as always! I am also happy to learn that there is a shop not too far from where I live that masterfully does this sort of thing. I always wondered where the HUGE forces were coming from that act towards or on the center of the axle. OK, I fully understand there is going to be forces there, but since the axle is suspended further out, I would have expected that with the leverage ratios, forces towards the center of the axle would be far less or at least not enough to do this sort of damage. But OK, quite apparently I am wrong, or I am missing something somewhere. Either way, I am just thinking out loud. 😸

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video and feel free to think aloud. I can't say for sure that the whoops caused the crack but what I can tell you is that it wasn't there before. And yes, please do give Disciple Offroad a call when the need arises. They are good guys who know their stuff.

[@mrtopcat2]

@@wayalife Thank you. Of course I hope I won't need to, but if I do, it is good to know there are good guys out there, who are recommended. 😸 As far as my thinking out loud. I really don't know. I am just thinking and have been thinking about this stuff for a while, because I read on forums on similar damages. So I am just interested as probably everyone else in this. Anyhow, I am glad you were able to get it fixed and more importantly by professionals, who certainly looked like they knew their stuff. 😻

[@wayalife]

LOL - and here I thought we were one of the very first people if not the first to be running trailing arms and punishing their Jeep in this way. I had no clue there were others out there who were playing this hard and cracking their differentials. But, I digress. Hopefully, you'll never need to use their services but yes, it's good to know they're near by :)

[@mrtopcat2]

@@wayalife Actually, you know, I just thought that may be an idea to make a video on the forces of the axle too. After all, there may be other viewers, who may be also interested. And I trust you being around for so long, you would know a lot of professionals, who can explain it in a video, or maybe even you can yourself explain it in a video. In any event, speaking for myself, I know I would watch another follow up video on that subject. Of course, it does not have to be, this is just a suggestion.

[@mrtopcat2]

@@wayalife To clarify, when I wrote _I read on forums on similar damages_, I meant on lesser stock equipment with in lesser challenging conditions. And so the idea about the follow up video would be to explore the forces that are involved and acting on the axle. Anyhow, I don't want to bug you too much with my writing, sorry. Thanks for your answer responses and of course for the great video as well. 😻

[@sunrisesurfshop1]

Great video, What happen to your fender chop lights ?

[@wayalife]

Our 42" tires tore them out.

[@JeepTherapy]

Isn't there an oil seal inside the housing? Or is it further out?

[@wayalife]

Yup, there are seals for the shafts and the pinion.

[@javiermendoza4006]

Does Guy do engine swap? I would like to put in an crate engine in my 81 CJ7. Please advise. Thanks

[@wayalife]

Sorry, we are not a shop. This is just my garage :)

[@mattbrew11]

I wonder how a portal axle like the DS Tracs would hope up to abuse like this and whether a portal would be better or worse for for suspension cycling

[@wayalife]

Portals are nice as they give you a lot of ground clearance under the center of your Jeep but they are NOT made to drive fast. They're not even made for suspension that would offer big travel as they would have your Jeep standing super tall just with factory coils. They would do horribly at something like this. If anything IFS is really what you'd want for this kind of driving.

[@richardagostino5085]

Metal on the sound system all day that shop 😛

[@skatefreak666666]

is that a crack at 11:14 in the new weld?

[@wayalife]

Yes it is, good for you for noticing it. We hope you'll check back for the rest of the story.

[@drrockf4d]

11:14 the new weld looks like it is cracked

[@wayalife]

That's because it is.

[@sacredshogun6325]

Daaang on a Dana 60? Well like the guy said, nothing is bullet proof. Good job

[@wayalife]

Yup, nothing is bullet proof.

[@Scoobienorth]

Man after seeing the comments section and I can’t believe some seen that crack. Maybe I’m old and need one of those big screen phones.

[@wayalife]

LOL - we tried hard to show it but it does take a bit of effort to see.

[@TheLootownpunx]

11:15 that the weld or the slag cracked?🤔

[@wayalife]

LOL - bet you actually thought you were the first to see that! Yes, we showed that for a reason and you can pat yourself on the back for seeing it. More to come on a future video 😁

[@timolheiser7874]

Babies' got a boo boo! that happened to me when I slid on ice sideways into a concrete barrier and broke my axle housing at the pumpkin in -38C weather.

[@wayalife]

Yikes! Hope that was the only thing that got hurt.

[@timolheiser7874]

Bent drivers control arms, bent drivers inner axle shaft front and rear, bent front rim, bent drivers front knuckle. Basically at total axle rebuild. Wouldn't recommend the skid on ice. I luckily have a great mechanic, insurance broker, and Jeep dealer. Most expensive picnic cooler I never bought, and missed a great ice climbing trip. No body damage nor anyone else affected. That's what's most important. Jeeps were not designed to take that side load, I guess. Live and learn.

[@camronbay1]

What front axle are you running.

[@wayalife]

Dana UD60 but personally, I don't think the make is the reason for the crack. I've personally broken or seen plenty of other bends or breaks in person and on other brands.

[@TwistedOff]

👍

[@RogerJG21]

Absolutely incredible craftsmanship thanks for the video. Eddie what tires are on your Gladiator

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video. We're running 42" Trail Grapplers.

[@lewisgarland4025]

nice work maybe should put Guss reinforcement while it was up in the air

[@wayalife]

A truss is something we're considering. No need for gussets though.

[@stevestearns7037]

Eddie - Have you updated us on the plans for the gladiator as the 396 has joined the fleet? Seems like the setup continues to change! Great job as usual! 0lllllll0

[@wayalife]

Glad you enjoyed the video and no, we have not posted up any updates. We do have a lot going on right now but hope to get to it soon.

[@carlstrohm3785]

392?

[@jaycrane761]

Is it just me or was new weld cracked as well?

[@wayalife]

LOL - Nope, not just you. There is more to this story and hope you check back for it.

[@jaycrane761]

@@wayalife ok old eyes just checking I know your going to do it right!

[@navseal345]

👌

[@blackrhinotactical6195]

I’m a welder. It’s cracked. Please re-check the back bead of weld. There are two hairline cracks. It’s even clear in the video if you pause it. I just don’t want you stuck in the desert. Guy did they best he could but unfortunately it’s cracked right in front of and along the top of the small dimple crater in the back

[@wayalife]

LOL - Yes, we showed that for a reason and you can pat yourself on the back for seeing it. More to come on a future video 🤪

[@blackrhinotactical6195]

Just trying to look out for ya. I’m a huge fan of the channel and don’t want to see it break at the worst possible time - in the middle of the desert

[@wayalife]

Trust me, we appreciate it but were well aware of the problem. We're just trying to tell a story here 😎

[@blackrhinotactical6195]

Awww. Ok Looking forward to the next video/part 2. 😊

[@daveallen7767]

Was the weld made with nickel alloy wire ? That's what's needed when welding cast iron. Ni - 55

[@kernalclink77]

So are we just going to ignore the depth of that snow? Where was that?

[@wayalife]

LOL - that was crossing over the Sierra Nevada. It's been a record breaking year of snow for us, the most we've ever seen and from what I understand, not since the Donner Party has there been so much snow.

[@kernalclink77]

@wayalife Wow! So glad you guys didn't have to hold up in a tiny shack and wait it out. I hear the menus in that area are limited. LOL seriously though, that's the coolest (no pun intended) clip I've seen in a while. Great welding job too.

[@cbob7423]

it's rare to see SFAs used at such high speed usually you see IFS in Baja style fast bumpy driving like this, I'm not sure IFS would have held up any better tho ofc

[@cbob7423]

also you probably have the best gladiator I've seen ever

[@wayalife]

Oh yeah, this Jeep wasn't originally built to be a go fast across the desert type of rig. It just evolved into one LOL 😁

[@wayalife]

Flattered to hear you say as much too.

[@jongonegone1262]

the welder, taking your $$$$$$

[@philipparana9225]

Gotta drill it and fill it

[@pennypackmtb2542]

Why are all the best places on the other side of the country?

[@wayalife]

Not sure where you're at but there are good shops everywhere :)

[@ahmonguniform]

Man 🎉anything broken is a badge of honor 😂

[@wayalife]

Oh yeah. Just wish it didn't cost so much to fix LOL

[@mattbrew11]

While I do agree. A badge that bad leaves you stranded and costs more than my first car 😢

[@TheGoodkilo]

That looked like a legit weld. Now go break it!

[@wayalife]

LOL

[@rudetoy8264]

You may already know… “Way of Life” is Suzuki slogan since 2006

[@wayalife]

Yeah, they're bastards. Since you don't already know, I have been using "way of life" since 1996 and have had "wayalife" trademarked since 2000.

[@AyyLarry]

@11:16 the weld looks like it cracked

[@AyyLarry]

Oops I see that’s been noted . Can’t wait for the next episode

[@wayalife]

LOL - yes, it's been noted a few times and kudos to you for having a good eye too. It may not be the "next" episode but the story does continue soon.

[@Jackal_Blitz]

Am I seeing things, or does it look like there's another tiny fracture at 11:15?

[@wayalife]

Nope, you're seen things right. More to this story coming soon.

[@shmohsin-lasvegas]

You need a JT Mohave for the stuff you’re doing. 😮

[@wayalife]

LOL - I love JT Mojave's, they're great Jeeps but you're kidding yourself if you think they could hold a candle to this rig out on big whoops and at these speeds.

[@mattbrew11]

This must be trolling lol

[@shmohsin-lasvegas]

@@mattbrew11 I am not trolling, why the heck would you say that. The Mohave is marketed as a high speed desert off roading. Less upgrades would be needed on the stock Mohave compared to a Rubicon for such a purpose. Rubicon and Mohave are meant for different environments.

[@Scoobienorth]

@@shmohsin-lasvegas this Jeep is built to a level that it really doesn’t matter what you start with. Everything Mojave would be tossed to get it close to this

[@mattbrew11]

@@shmohsin-lasvegas dude there is no stock truck running over whoops this speed. The mojave is meant to highER speeds than a classic jeep but is in no way comparable to a long travel trailing arm suspension

[@woof3598]

baged oil ? first I have seen that

[@wayalife]

LOL - yeah, it's relatively new and you can even find it at places like Walmart under the Valvoline brand. I LOVE using them!

[@teranitupfpv]

amsoil severe gear is definitely some of the best stuff there is, same with there signature series oil. unfortunately it's almost 16$ a quart for the oil now and the severe gear is 22$, bit pricey but if I had enough invested in parts it's definitely worth investing in the best fluids

[@raylowry1265]

Why can't it be closer to Indiana? Dang!

[@wayalife]

There are some good shops in your neck of the woods.

[@chalinp4886]

Jb weld

[@max7143]

Did I see a loose Pass. TRE jam nut.

[@USautoservice]

Uuhh there is a big crack in the weld. You can clearly see it @11:15-18. Definitely not good.

[@wayalife]

Uhhh, duh. I bet you thought you're the first person to notice it. More to the story coming soon.

[@jongonegone1262]

yah but thats extreme abuse for oem stuff, race conditions need more, change the whole rearend diff, youll be chasing cracks and breakdowns.

[@wayalife]

We're not running OEM stuff, these are UD60s.

[@jongonegone1262]

@@wayalife thats a shame, same problems as oem, those housings should be made stronger for that kind of money.

[@jongonegone1262]

sell one to make one stronger, faster.

[@maughan6957]

Surprised it lasted that long on stock front end with no truss no sleeves no nothing I'd say you got lucky pushing things like you have.

[@wayalife]

Actually, it is not stock - you are looking at a Dana Ultimate UD60 front axle. But even at that, we've pushed it way harder than we probably should have LOL

[@maughan6957]

@@wayalife then I'd say you beat the shit outta it pretty good Lol.time for a new housing a a good truss.