I broke an axle last race weekend with my new welded diff setup. It was after I had a bit of an offcourse spin. Is getting on the power at full lock something that typically brakes axles?

the inner CV joint cracked in several places

 

Huh... hard to say. On the one hand the high forces in an locked axle can't "bleed off" to the other side as it would through an open diff. The diff and axles are designed to handle a certain power input and one would hope they designed each axle to handle that power. If they cut corners they may have made the axles smaller (cheaper) since only half the power goes through each... With a locked diff all the power could go through one very easily.

Of course a diff like a Quaife can run all the power through one axle when working normally...

Hell I don't know. BTW, have you taken it apart yet? Is it the axle that broke or could the welded diff have come apart?

Edit: Rereading your post again it does appear the axle/CVs just can't handle all the power coming out one side of the diff. Did you hit anything, a rock maybe? Stock engine?

 

yeah I changed the axle immediately (it was on a race weekend) and the car was good as new after that.
I could have hit anything, rock, corner bump, just smashed the edge of the track as I spun off, etc.

I'm just trying to figure out what to avoid doing to keep from doing 15 minute axle changes in the future heh

 

Full lock with grip could break an axle, or if you are trying to get grip from a grass to pavement transition, and one wheel grabs, that could do it also. A little easier on the throttle will be easier on the shafts, but we all know that's tougher than it sounds

 

You don't want to pop the clutch with a lot of lock in with a welded diff. The combination of high torque and angularity does put pretty huge loads on the system, with less compliance than you have with an open diff...

K