[JP Noonan]

ah shucks I wasn't put off, I was just having some fun.

The loop is bolted to the underside of the bed (body on cars) it catches the driveshaft if the front U-joint fails during a quartermile run. If it wasn't there a steel driveshaft will dig into the ground and flip the car. Mine is an alumnium shaft so it is mainly to save the shaft if the ujoint breaks.

The axles on my truck are held in with C-clips at the point they enter the differantial carrier. If I break an axle it "spits" out the side with the whell attached. Usally dosn't go far but can cause damage to the axle housing.

BTW carring a Jeep/Dana half shaft/axle my not help much. The ones I've pulled apart at NAPA needed to be pressed out of the hubs because the splines deform.