I'm trying to get an idea of what exactly happens during a C-Clip failure.

Does the actual clip itself break (If so, how? What forces are acting upon it?) or does the axle break at the spline end below the C-Clip? Is it a failure of the C-Clip directly or a failure of the axle?

 

It's a failure of the axle. The c clip holds the axle in at the inner most part. If the axle breaks anywhere then the axle and wheel are coming out. An axle that is held in by the bearing will stay in the rear end as long as the axle breaks somewhere between the bearing and inner end.

 

Could be either... more often it's the axle but both can fail. The "mushroom" feature usually breaks off the end of the axle.

 

That's what I thought. Looking at the design I couldn't figure out how the clip itself broke.

Sofa, what do you by "mushrooming"? Are you referring to the clip bending and breaking the "button top" off the axle?

 

He is talking about the button on the end of the axle breaking off. I've never seen this happen, but it's possible. Most axle failures are somewhere between the flange and the splines.

 

Good to know. Makes me feel a little better about running Moser 5140 axles. Although I have not gotten a good launch on the new motor and have no idea what it's capable of.

 

Right: axles in general usually break right next to the splines; leaves the splines stuck in the side gears.

I was speaking to how C-clips fail. The clip doesn't fail, rather the part of the axle that it holds, breaks off. Doesn't happen near as much as just the axle twisting off next to the splines.

 

Back in my V8 Vega days I used to shatter the spider gears which would allow the c clips to fall out. I usually kept a spare set with a floor jack and fluid in the car. A ford 8" out of a maverick finally solved that problem.
Ah to be young and dumb

 

I finally got the new motor running and tuned good and want to get at least one good launch and pass in.

I'm tuning up a few last minute suspension details and going over other considerations.

 

Well there is the left rear inner end of my 2021 chevy silverado it broke off thankfully no accidents because it have disk brakes

 

Well there is the left rear inner end of my 2021 chevy silverado it broke off thankfully no accidents beacuse it as disk brakes
Note my truck only has 37k milles

 

I know my 82 was recalled for C-clip issues, either the clip wasn't wide enough or the groove was too wide. They fixed it in the mid 80's but it always clunked.

Fast forward, it finally uttered a final clunk and destroyed the spider gear a few years ago.