We, at Inline Four, are proud to announce the release of our newly developed line of drive axles: CLASS AXLES. There is no secret recipe or science to them, but because our market only has a few to choose from and some are overpriced for what you get. We've decided to produce an affordable alternative as well as providing one with exceptional quality and strength. iL4 Class Axles are offered in three "classes"; OE+ spec, R. Spec and D. Spec. OE+ plus is our equivalent to an OEM specification axle, such as OEM Honda, but with upgraded inner components as well as a stronger outboard unit. Upon testing, they hold-up better than ANY "aftermarket O.E." axle you can get at the local auto parts store, as well as OEM Honda axles. As superior as you think an OEM Honda axle may be, many of them are remanufactured. Also, you must understand that they produce thousands of them at a time, and their machine tooling and bits will dull and sometimes do not produce consistent high-quality. Since we are manufacturing them in much smaller numbers, we can oversee the machining process more closely and monitor or change our machine tooling and bits before the wear starts to affect the consistency of the product quality. That is where our OE+ plus axle stands out "superior" amongst the rest. Due to the quality and strength of the OE+ plus axle, it is the best choice for majority of enthusiasts. We recommend them for daily use, road race and auto-x.
The D. Spec is the Drag Race or Severe Duty axle. So far, they've been tested up to 730 whp in a B-series configuration and have eventually failed. But happily, they failed on the component side. Meaning, inside the inboard casing. What this means, is that upon the shock- load (launch or hard shift), the load transmits from the transmission, through the axle shaft, down to the front hubs and then rebounds back through the shaft and into the inboard case and then failure at that point occurred. This is great news to us, because it proves that the "shaft and outboard section/spline" can withstand the shock load. Whereas, all other competitors axles have either broken on the outboard spline or the center shaft. Awesome!
The R. Spec axle is currently in testing and will feature a hollow-core center shaft. This is designed to reduce drive train weight. As an example, 1 kilogram of weight saved in the drive train, equals to 15 kilograms of saved weight in the chassis. 1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds. Therefore, these axles will be excellent for the serious road racing and auto-x enthusiast.
Ok, so we've discussed the different types available, but what about the serious stuff? What separates the good, the bad and the ugly? Below are the axle assembly specifications to which we have them produced.
The materials and parts are not imported from "overseas manufacturers"; China, Taiwan, or Korea. They are 100% sourced and MADE IN THE U.S.A.
1. All axles are produced from E4340, that goes through the following processes: Cold Finish, Rough Turn, Normalized(metals memory erased) and Tempered to specific specifications, then they are annealed (core is softened for torsion).
2. Heat Treat: Stub Spline Area: Sub Critical Anneal prior to austenite and heat treat, stabilize- 100 degrees F and double temper to attain RC(Rockwell Surface Hardness) 48 +/- 3, case depth min .150".
3. Outer and Inner Housing Body: 8620 type allow forging modified.
4. Torque Test: Inner and Outer joints tested @ 1800 ft. lbs. Test performed by Stork Material Testing Laboratory.
5. Lubrication Grease: Hi-Temp polymetric E.P.(extreme pressure) #2 with molybedynum (MOS2)(Same coating found on ITR/CTR piston skirts).
6. CV Boots: 100%^ neoprene or thermal plastic Dura Boot.
7. Boot Clamps: Oetiker OE Type stainless steel clamps.
8. Hardware: All neccessary clips, nuts, amd ABS Tone Rings installed as required by application.
In conclusion, we also made these with the mentality of "bigger is not always better". Our competitors outboard housing cup is "oversized" to provide extra stability and strength. At that size, it is mainly providing you with a great drag axle, but that's about it. When it is oversized like that, the cup is longer than it needs to be and will "bind" during tight radius turns. iL4 Class Axles utilize a strengthened outboard housing, but maintains the same geometry to allow for factory, OE movement and full tight radius turns are hassle free with no binding, clicking or knocking noises.
If you are in the So. Cal. area, drop on by and say Hello!
