Update: Rear Axle Tube - 1200 Miles Warranty Covered

[kgolive]

I'd love to see a Prius try this.
Rad looking Bronco btw.

Thank you! I said that because I actually saw a Prius heading into the end of the trail the last time I was there. The driver thought it was comical as well.

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[huey]

I've never seen welds that are so inconsistent. I'm assuming these are done by a robot. How does that even pass QC off the line in 2023? Are they just letting bad welds get by due to the demand and shortage of parts?

unfortunately robotic welds can very easily be bad. Lets say there is a weld touch up that is done incorrectly, now every weld is bad. Another possibility is the tooling holding the part is bad, same result. That is why there is quality control, and yes someone or some system is not catching what should be caught

 

[Pilsner]

agreed. However I don’t think the issue is 3 vs 4 plug welds. It all depends on the effective shear area of the welds. It is possible to have 3 larger plug welds that can carry more load than 4 smaller plug welds. The main issue here is the quality of the welds.

can someone measure the diameter of the 4 plug weld design? Curious if they went to three welds with larger diameter to compensate. I would like to think so. But still don’t think there is a design issue.

I also have a Jeep with a current gen D44. I'll check tonight if I can get time to check. Prepping for a trip this weekend and have a few things to wrap up.

 

[Pilsner]

Current Jeep D44 welds. There are 4.

 

[Elimax]

According to the Ford Dealer today on inspection, Ford DOES NOT warranty "weeps" only leaks if they are actually dripping on the floor. I explained my concern had nothing to do with the "weep" the concern was the fact the weep was coming from the plug welds holding axle tubes to the housing which means they are likely compromised. Dealer stated there is nothing from Ford on the issue and they did not see any problem with the weeps. So I either wait until it breaks and creates catastrophic damage, or I have them welded up and if there is a problem in the future I will be told I voided the warranty by trying to fix it myself....... argh...

 

[87-Z28]

Thanks for measuring.

17 mm is about 5/8”. I measured the Bronco welds with a tape measure and they seemed to be 5/8”. Maybe a more exact measurement with calipers is better. Nonetheless, it appears that the 3 Bronco plug welds have an effective shear area that is 75% less than the 4 Jeep plug welds. I would have hoped the manufacturer would have increased plug weld area (diameter) when going down from 4 to 3 welds. Probably did it to save some time and associated costs. Slightly disappointing.

still don’t think this is a design issue just quality control. But Jeep welds for same axle housing will be able to carry more torque.

 

[Pilsner]

Thanks for measuring.

17 mm is about 5/8”. I measured the Bronco welds with a tape measure and they seemed to be 5/8”. Maybe a more exact measurement with calipers is better. Nonetheless, it appears that the 3 Bronco plug welds have an effective shear area that is 75% less than the 4 Jeep plug welds. I would have hoped the manufacturer would have increased plug weld area (diameter) when going down from 4 to 3 welds. Probably did it to save some time and associated costs. Slightly disappointing.

still don’t think this is a design issue just quality control. But Jeep welds for same axle housing will be able to carry more torque.

Comparing the weld quality, the Jeep looked better without doubt. Looked like correct penetration and fill. My Bronco wasn't as bad as some posted, but not the same quality as the Jeep welds for sure.

 

[dgorsett]

Bronco Nation addressed Warranty Issues for TTA, off road use and Modifications. Mostly double speak but includes SSM 51524 which states warranty work would be approved if used off road in accordance with Owners Manual. Addressing modifications was very vague.

https://thebronconation.com/news/ar...0lAV7y17asH7XozX2c-Q7LL06M8RVvkRVClz87kJ0UdeU

 

[flip]

Well, well, well. @ajbower

'21 Bronco BB, 4D, 2.3, auto, soft top, company demo, 21,000, in for oil change. Seep/weep from both axle tubes at center section or plug welds, a few mild off-road trips. Going to use this as a test to see if we can find the source as no physical evidence is present.

A theory from Mark, who is the equivalent to the Yoda of suspension and axles is Dana, "didn't put enough sealer on the tube ends before they got shoved in and welded".

We're going to clean the residue off and put a bottle of UV oil leak dye in and check in a month or so to see if we can find where exactly it's weeping from. Again, absolutely no sign of physical damage or missing plug welds but unable to tell if the leak is at the tubes and the plugs or just tubes themselves.

 

[RedHotLava]

.

 

[flip]

That's about normal for the mileage. The big thing to see was no slivers or chunks, just a little bit of slimy iron dust.

 

[Fishwrinkle]

my 21 BD 2.3 12,000mi plug welds look same if not worse on a couple. i looked at em while throwing some coilovers on 2 wks ago. this worries me and i've been tossing around the idea of waiting for failure or upon returning back home to MI in august, to pull the axle, jig it up and weld the tubes. while at it i might as well truss it too.

 

[DangerMTBBronco]

Square it up and weld it up. If you haven't broken yet but know you play hard, it's going to be easier to weld it before it breaks and skip the squaring part.

Until you start seeing broken R&P or shafts I don't see a reason to lose ground clearance with a D60.

What did you use to weld it up? I assume it's cast and need to weld with Ni Rod. Thanks for the info.

 

[Fishwrinkle]

don't forget to preheat and cool it slow. TD, why only a root pass?

 

[broncosaurus_bend]

Well, well, well. @ajbower

'21 Bronco BB, 4D, 2.3, auto, soft top, company demo, 21,000, in for oil change. Seep/weep from both axle tubes at center section or plug welds, a few mild off-road trips. Going to use this as a test to see if we can find the source as no physical evidence is present.

A theory from Mark, who is the equivalent to the Yoda of suspension and axles is Dana, "didn't put enough sealer on the tube ends before they got shoved in and welded".

We're going to clean the residue off and put a bottle of UV oil leak dye in and check in a month or so to see if we can find where exactly it's weeping from. Again, absolutely no sign of physical damage or missing plug welds but unable to tell if the leak is at the tubes and the plugs or just tubes themselves.

Thanks for testing! I am very interested in the results as this situation just bit me 2021 Big Bend 2.3 Automatic non-sas and weeping occurs every drive but I see no visible root of the weep.

Dealer isn’t covering warranty due to “visible scrapes and marks from rock impacts”. Funny part is I’ve only been out wheeling in the desert since noticing this started.

I plan on welding up the plug and keeping an eye on it. If it weeps again or worsens, time to upgrade!

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