Thread: Detroit Locker Failure

They’re pretty easy on the splines and don’t really wear them because the clamping force on the axle from the semi floating setup probably stops most of the movement. If anything they just snap beside the flange which is on the axle.

D2 axles are full floating. Semi floating means the axle supports the hub and vehicle weight.

Originally Posted by Red90

D2 axles are full floating. Semi floating means the axle supports the hub and vehicle weight.

Hmmm, thats one definition.

D2 is semi-floating - the axle and flange as an item are just 2 piece and bolted and the flange runs on the inside of the bearing as per semi float. It doesn't have its own stub axle that the hub runs over in isolation and you cant drive on it without an axle in it like a full float.

Guys, the half shaft has 2 ends....


both ends are splined,

if your splines looked like the ones pictured in the link below, thats an indicator to your problem IF your axle, side gears, drive flange/drive hub was the issue.

Wheel tech -Inspecting worn hub splines (wire wheels)

In a D2 having a fracture outboard of the shoulder you'll get very similar symptoms to what was originally described. if the splines have stepped its the same effect as for a defender stripping the splines.
in a D1, assuming it hasnt had a defender style axle setup fitted if the shaft fractures at an angle inside the stub axle you get the same experience.
In a defender setup you can get spline wear as per whats shown above to cause the issue


IF you have odd wear on the inboard side, theres a handfull of issues that it could have been, bent axle housing, bent stub axle, stressed axle and yes, I've seen stripped but not snapped splines on the inboard side of the axle. and Ive seen bent splines like these

Castlemaine Rod Shop custom bolt-in nine-inch diff build

with the next stage of that being a nice neat fracture at the bend.... (and if it wedges in its a nightmare to pull the diff center.)


In the d2, generally to the best of my knowledge there is always an underpinning problem if the axle has issues outboard of the shoulder, but theres no discouting a manufacturing defect.

Originally Posted by Red90

D2 axles are full floating. Semi floating means the axle supports the hub and vehicle weight.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Hmmm, thats one definition.
you cant drive on it without an axle in it like a full float.

Red90 has the correct definition, the D2 has full floating axles.

The axle bears no weight on a D2 but you can drive on it without an axle in it, it would just be messy unless you drained the oil from the diff or sealed the housings .

Originally Posted by discorevy

Red90 has the correct definition, the D2 has full floating axles.

The axle bears no weight on a D2 but you can drive on it without an axle in it, it would just be messy unless you drained the oil from the diff or sealed the housings .

Semi floating, its just a 2 piece setup, the axle isn’t even floating to start with. Without the axle, the flange isn’t mounted into the bearing properly, its only a press fit so you wouldn’t drive on it, but thats the reason why the axle and flange is 2 piece so that it can be assembled with that type of bearing and then when the axle/flange are bolted together, then the assembly is secure - with the flange as a part of the axle rather than the hub. I see the conflict in view and even if the flange comes assembled with the hub bearing, its secured to the axle, not to the bearing.

It is a full floating axle.

It’s not even floating.