how common is it to pull out axle tubes?

[pissedoff92]

my car has an 8.8 and the right rear axle tube was welded to the housing when i got the car, didnt realize this at first. But anyways today it came apart when i did a john force burnout. Is this a common problem in the 8.8's and whats a good solid fix for this issue?

 

[capri debris]

Being welded may have caused the problem. Welding the tubes to the diff housing is a popular "upgrade" thinking it will strengthen the rear axle assembly... but being a certified welder has taught me that welding steel to cast iron actually changes the characteristics of the cast iron to the point of making it brittle and prone to cracking where the welded steel makes contact. Every time this subject comes up, I try to convince people NOT to do it, but I always seem to get told I'm wrong... guess all the welding education and American Welding Society certifications I paid for was a waste.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

I don't think the center of an 8.8 is gray cast iron. I've welded gray iron before...hard to weld and make it actually penetrate without burning the iron away completely, and the 8.8 center welds beautifully...IF you have a welder that's got enough balls to do it. A 200a Mig ain't gonna do it either...just makes things worse. You need about 300a OR preheat the snot out of it. Also the center section passes the spark test. Cast iron doesn't spark much. The 8.8 center sparks like soft mild steel or at least mine does.

Kind of like welding on a turbocharger hot side-everyone thinks they're cast iron but they're cast steel I believe. They weld nicely with a mig...or at least Holset HX and HY35's do...as well as the Ford TB03s.

 

[MFE92]

In any case, it's not common at all.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Not common.

I think the center is cast iron. I recall the last time i had mine open it had a dull thud sound when i hit it and not a more metallic ring like steel would give.

Spark test would be more definitive, but i don't feel like taking a grinder to my housing.

In either case, axle tubes pulling out are not common at all. In fact, you are the first i've ever heard about

 

[2000xp8]

I've been doing this a while and i've never seen it or hear of it either.
I have heard of them leaking, and i've had torque boxes and Southside bars rip the tubes open by the control arms, but nothing of the pulling out axle tube kind.
It was probably welded improperly like capris said.
Just get another rear.

 

[pissedoff92]

if i planned on keeping the car i would swap the rear end but im trying to sell it

 

[Mustang5L5]

Well there's not much else you can do right now other than track down a $100 housing and swap it. You def can't just hold it together and reweld it.

 

[89llx]

Being welded may have caused the problem. Welding the tubes to the diff housing is a popular "upgrade" thinking it will strengthen the rear axle assembly... but being a certified welder has taught me that welding steel to cast iron actually changes the characteristics of the cast iron to the point of making it brittle and prone to cracking where the welded steel makes contact. Every time this subject comes up, I try to convince people NOT to do it, but I always seem to get told I'm wrong... guess all the welding education and American Welding Society certifications I paid for was a waste.

true! its always the welded ones that fail