Words by JD Keating
Have you ever noticed bright orange boots under your favourite truck or race vehicle and wondered, “ What exactly are those? Or, are you considering getting larger tires but you’re afraid of the stress on your stock axles?
Axle size is actually a very popular conversation amongst off-roaders. A common misconception is that larger tires require larger axles. While it is true that a larger tire adds more stress and centrifugal force to your OEM set-up, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to upsize your entire axle assembly.
Brad Morris
After install, having these recognizable orange boots under your rig can give increased confidence when pushing the limits, even at full lock steering.
A larger axle can increase strength, but that added meat comes at a price including extra weight, potential changes in bolt patterns, wider stance and decreased ground clearance. These are all possible downsides to moving up to a 44, 60, or 80.
Plus, if it’s not broken why fix it? The weak link in an axle system is the u-joints, especially when cranked to the extreme end of its travel. RCV’s line of aftermarket OEM replacement axles are meant to improve strength in that exact weak link.
Right out of the box, these axle shafts are significantly more stout than OEM parts. Plus, they can be easily greased without removing your wheels through the fittings on the ends. Our RCV CVs (part # CVJ44-JL-FAD) that we installed on a 2018 Jeep JL Rubicon can provide 6 points of fully engaged contact throughout any angle up to 45 degrees. This means they offer 100 percent strength even when the steering is at full lock.
Brad Morris
A large zip tie around the boot prevents hydro lock and makes installation much easier.
Each OEM replacement has a warranty validated up to a specific tire size. Tests prove that RCV axles are twice as strong as OEM, even stronger than OEM Dana 60 joints. Yes, re-read that sentence so you can fully process it.
Installation can be completed in one day with basic hand tools. But be forewarned, pulling your axle ends open and staring down the inside of an empty housing can be intimidating. While not for the faint of heart, RCV provides very detailed instruction videos on their website for you to follow along. Plus, the customer service is top notch.
Always double check your parts before beginning, to ensure you received all proper part numbers and included hardware. You would hate to have your axles torn apart and then need to run to the local hardware for a missing or lost grade 8 bolt. Having those recognizable orange boots under your rig can give increased confidence when pushing the limits of your truck at full lock steering, either that or the boots provide unparalleled street “ cred ” at jeep meets.
Brad Morris
Make sure the RCV boot is fully seated before moving on.
In the end however, we were more than happy with the results. The performance improvements were felt immediately as the RCV's are smooth compared to factory U-Joint style CVs. Not only that, they are twice as strong as factory without the binding or hopping at full-lock turning.
With the improved ride quality (and no compromises), we also have the added reassurance of knowing we’re not going to blow up a front axle assembly out on the trail, and will be able to get home safely in our daily driven rock crawlers.
For more information visit www.rcvperformance.com