I went wheeling the yesterday and I think something is starting to break in the front. It will make a popping noise when under a load sometimes.

So here are some options

1) rebuild the axle I got (I never did one before) and run it
2) buy my buddies stock axle and run SPOA or maybe YJ
3) I can get a full toyota truck for $400 and go yota axles with spoa with stock springs

option 3 !!!!!!!

sounds like you are about ready to take on a challenge !!!!

anyone else have some advice for a local wheeler?

How well will stock axles hold up to 31's max 33's doing trails and rocks.

With a stock engine they hold up very well (your mileage may vary).  Do you have a front locker?

stock motor no lockers (yet)......I want yj, lockers front and rear, 6.5, 31-33" tires, maybe gears.

my green zuk im running 33's on stock axles with 6.5 to 1, stock efi 1.3 im locked front and rear and i had problems with the front birfs,so i got birf rings and i wheel pretty hard and they have held up for just over a yr now. you could go either way and should be ok.

I would rather stay stock axled I want a cage bad.  If I get yota's money will be slim.  I tend to go slower over obsticles than my buddy.  I don't like to hop or hit objects to hard I know it is bad on the axles and other stuff.

nwodedispu: What kind of lockers you running?

got access to welder ??

save some $$   and do your own.

i have richmond lock rite lockers front and rear.

  It's the way to go...ANYWHERE!

Yeah I have a welder and a pipe bender but I heard my pipe bender will not bend tube right. 

need a different die?

man  it sure feels good to figure it out and do something youve never done before.  my cage is all me and a little help.

although now that ive got better im going to clean up some bad welds.

hint on bending

check everything 46 times before you do it then stop and check once more.
in ither words dont hurry.

im telling you from expierence.

I would love to do I already drew out what I want and figured out a way that I would not have to bend any angles more than 45 deg.  But my bender is a cheap harbor freight pipe bender not a tube bender.  I heard that it is only for bending pipe not tube and will kink the tubing.  If I had a peice of tube I might try it but I got to find a piece of 1.5" DOM or ERW to try it.

i see
i wonder if there is any way to remedy that issue. maybe sleeving it with something  or lots of little bends.?

not sure  i learned to bend 20 years ago with a conduit bender   and that didnt help bending my 1.75.

was similar marking the bends but i obviously didnt remember well enough.  next time im at the shop ill have to take a pic of my scrap pile (um   almost another cage    )

Lowbuck Tubing Bender Fact Page
http://www.lowbucktools.com/benderFAQ.html