• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

dana 30 or 44?

mxracer5647

NAXJA Forum User
Location
de pere
i have a 2000 xj with 4" tomkin lift and 33X11.5 thornbirds. recently i was wheelin and i broke a bunch of teeth off of the gears in my front diff. i have the stock dana 30. and im not sure if i should buy a new ring and pinion and pay for someone to put it in or buy a used dana 30 and throw that in my self. or would it make more sense to go bigger while im at it and put a dana 44 in. with putting the 44 in what kind of work do i have to do? would i be able to find one that will bolt right in with barely any work? just looking for opinions and knowledge about what will have to be done and if anyone has front axles near green bay Wisconsin send me a pm

thanks for the help!
 
the only bolt in D44 would be one from a TJ rubicon, but that really isnt an upgrade. a full width D44 would be a lot of work to put in. do a search on here and youll see. i recommend throwing in a whole HP D30 from a 95-99 XJ and be done with it.
 
ok thanks. when i searched before i found some dana 44s that said they were for xj. idk doesnt that mean they did the work on it to make it fit in there jeep and i would be able to just bolt it in?
 
I second 1990JeepXJ, and replace the low pinion D30 you have with a high pinion D30. The ring and pinion are stronger on the HP30 since the gears are running on the drive side of the teeth, rather than the coast side.

As Jeeperjohn said too, a sturdy diff cover will make the housing more rigid, and help to prevent it from flexing, and blowing up the gears. Plus it will protect the gears as well.
 
thanks for the input. ill call around and probably get a d30 and put a stronger diff cover on it. what about a truss on the d30? would that be worth it or not?
 
Thornbirds? De Pere,WI....so your Jeep is white isn't it? If so, you live about a 1/2 mile from me. (PP/Old Martin Road area).

Call Ron Garrity over at Bay Auto on Velp, he normally has some XJ and YJ stuff laying around. Kevin at Kerstners Off-Road in Appleton also may have some as he's doing away with all the old CJ stuff he was known for and specializing in the later model TJ's,XJ's,YJ's, Grands, etc. Your probably going to be paying around $300.00 take or give for one.

Also call Mikey Smet at Smets in the White Potato Lake area, 920-897-2384. Mikes usually got some XJ stuff laying around.
 
I am in the same situation as you. I have a HP Dana 30 that I purchased new with breaks as Cherokee Surplus on DiscountJeepParts.com I was considering upgrading it. There is a very good article in JP magazine about building one up. I was going to find a second housing and then sell the one I have in there now. Now here is the kicker, why just stay with the HP 30 when you can put in a HP Dana 44? The only real strength difference comes from the larger ring & pinion. But, these can be treated fairly inexpensively by CryoScience in California. As for the HP Dana 44, they really don't make one for the XJ/TJ. Dynotrac is coming out with a HP Dana 44 housing soon. It should use the same internals from the TJ. From what I understand, just get a reverse-cut ring & pinion and you're set to go. From what I understand, as of now, if you want a HP Dana 44 to fit in the XJ / TJ, then it is going to have to come from a custom shop with custom axles. Please let me know if I am wrong.

As for me, well I already have the rear Dana 60. What to do about the front is still up in the air. I am waiting to see what Dynatrac comes out with. Something like 8 - 10 weeks.
 
yea i bought a hp dana 30 and im putting a riddler cover on it and probably going to truss it eventually. i just want to be able to drive my jeep again
 
if your running 33's you have 4.10 or 4.56 gears right? if not i would regear your whole machine with some quality gears, then go with alloy shafts, riddler diff covers and a truss for the D30
 
sadly im still running the stock 3.55. what does it cost usually to regear?

Prices vary depending on what gears you buy, how much the shop charges for labor, and whether or not you have to get a new carrier. Do your homework on this forum and you'll know what all is involved.

First time I regeared, I didn't do my homework and paid around $1400 when all was said and done. Second time around, I learned from my poor shop decision and had them done for less than $900.
 
I am in the same situation as you. I have a HP Dana 30 that I purchased new with breaks as Cherokee Surplus on DiscountJeepParts.com I was considering upgrading it. There is a very good article in JP magazine about building one up. I was going to find a second housing and then sell the one I have in there now. Now here is the kicker, why just stay with the HP 30 when you can put in a HP Dana 44? The only real strength difference comes from the larger ring & pinion. But, these can be treated fairly inexpensively by CryoScience in California. As for the HP Dana 44, they really don't make one for the XJ/TJ. Dynotrac is coming out with a HP Dana 44 housing soon. It should use the same internals from the TJ. From what I understand, just get a reverse-cut ring & pinion and you're set to go. From what I understand, as of now, if you want a HP Dana 44 to fit in the XJ / TJ, then it is going to have to come from a custom shop with custom axles. Please let me know if I am wrong.

As for me, well I already have the rear Dana 60. What to do about the front is still up in the air. I am waiting to see what Dynatrac comes out with. Something like 8 - 10 weeks.

Whoa- I keep reading that the r&p is the only strength diff between 30 and a 44. The fact is that even the Rubicon 44 or any other low pinion 44 is a substantial upgrade because of the axleshafts and in a non-Rubi 44 because of the hubs and bearings. The R&P is actually not much of an increase between a HP30 and a LP44 for reasons already mentioned.

Reid Racing has a set of flat top knuckles for the HP30 that allow the use of Chevy brakes and Ford Rotors along with predrilling and tapping for high steer. That and 30 spline axles cryoed r&p would make for an axle stronger than a Rubi 44. Might be cheaper to cut down and build a Ford HP44 though.
 
Prices vary depending on what gears you buy, how much the shop charges for labor, and whether or not you have to get a new carrier. Do your homework on this forum and you'll know what all is involved.

First time I regeared, I didn't do my homework and paid around $1400 when all was said and done. Second time around, I learned from my poor shop decision and had them done for less than $900.

Never pay more than $350 (in my area) to set up gears... period. You can usually find someone to do the labor for $250.
 
Back
Top