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Dodge 8.75 axle

9

99XJLove

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Grand Junction, CO
Has anyone thought about swapping the Dodge 8.75 axle into the rear of the xj? From what I understand they come from the 70's to early 80's cars and trucks. Just want opinons on what ideas come to mind.
 
IIRC, The 8 3/4 axle came in cars from the 60's on up until the mid 70's when it was phased out in favor of the "Corporate" 8.25" axle.

You'll spend a pretty penny now for a 8 3/4.

If you want a sturdy axle, it's much cheaper to use a late model 8.25 or an 8.8 for most off-road applications. Some argue the D44 is the way to go, but again, you pay more for the axle than a 8.25 or an 8.8. You can get a 8.8 with stock discs in many gear ratios, you just have to weld spring perches on them.

Ron
 
Interesting picture. LOL. Anyway, why not go up to a Dodge 9.25? Newer and decent after-market support. As for the 8.75, I think people have put them in, but not very popular. Probably better off with a Ford 9 or 8.8. Much better after-market support.

Good luck.
 
The 8.75 Chrysler axle was a good setup. Drop out 3rd member like the 9" Ford, 31 spline axles. Dodge put them behind everything except the Hemi
If you want to build a totally custom axle and keep it "in house", the 8.75 has a few things going for it, and like the 9" a few things to avoid.
It has a welded-up sheet metal housing, and can be trussed as easily as the ford. Down side is, it wasn't used in the pickups, so there are no heavy-wall tubes: It HAS to be trussed to strengthen it. On the up side, the pinion doesn't hang as low as the 9", which gives the drive shaft a little more clearance. The 3rd member is physically smaller, weighs less, and doesn't hand down as far. It can be cut/shaved just like the Ford. Massive ammount of aftermarket parts available for it, mainly for drag racing. Gears/spools/ Detroit locker/trutrac available. as well as high strength axles. There was even stock versions with the 5 x 4.5' bolt pattern(look under a Duster/early Barracuda in the junk yards) although you probably want to start with a bare housing out of a mid-70s Polara/New Yorker/Fury to get the toughest housing available,...

Down side: No ARB/OX/ected/electrac,... or any other selectable locker. I don't even think they make drop-in lockers for it. Might be wrong there. 'You'd have to research it.


EDIT: The biggest advantage to either the Cry. 8.75" or the Ford 9" over the "conventional" axles is massively lower weight.
 
Last edited:
KJurasek said:
Interesting picture. LOL. Anyway, why not go up to a Dodge 9.25? Newer and decent after-market support. As for the 8.75, I think people have put them in, but not very popular. Probably better off with a Ford 9 or 8.8. Much better after-market support.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
I've asked before why people do not use the Chryco 9.25, most of the Dakota guys swap this in place of the stock 8.25.
 
Chrysler 9.25 has 31-spline c-clip axleshafts with very little aftermarket support. AKA no spline count upgrades and no gears deeper than 4.56 (correct me if I'm wrong). It does, however, have a pinion size that rivals a D60.

Chrysler 8.75 was used behind most Chryslers (except for 426 Hemi and 440-6 cars - they got a D60). 30-spline D44 sized shafts, no selectable lockers available, however the gears go at least as deep as 5.38s (I haven't seen any lower). You can upgrade the shafts to 35-spline, but I've only seen a spool made to accept them. There are different third members as well (741 and 489 cases - the latter being the stronger).

Again, very stout axle and it took 20 years for my Dad to do this to it behind his '70 Challenger with a built 426 Hemi (12.5:1 comp, built old-school in the late 70's) built 727 and these were 4.89 gears in a 489 case with a LSD.

3150_522945820640_41902041_31101058_209956_n.jpg
 
the 8 3/4 came in hemi cars that were equiped with autos. four speed and 6-pak cars got the dana 60. and good luck finding one from a duster/dart/baracuda. you thought finding a xj dana 44 was hard? and most were 5x4.5" bolt pattern as the B- and E-bodies were all that size. the A-bodies used a 5x4" bolt pattern up to about 72.

zedpapa
 
zedpapa said:
the 8 3/4 came in hemi cars that were equiped with autos. four speed and 6-pak cars got the dana 60. and good luck finding one from a duster/dart/baracuda.
Click to expand...

Good catch, forgot about that note :thumbup:

zedpapa said:
you thought finding a xj dana 44 was hard? and most were 5x4.5" bolt pattern as the B- and E-bodies were all that size. the A-bodies used a 5x4" bolt pattern up to about 72.
Click to expand...

There's a line of 8.75s on the wall in the background of this pic. Probably about 20 sets of shafts and over 15 third members of various ratios, LSD/open, 489/741s, etc.

5648_1205653226736_1390813315_30616140_6639925_n.jpg


If you were to turn around in this pic, you would see two D60s underneath the stairs.

One is an original 4.10 unit that was never ran. My dad got it straight from the crate from a dealer:D
 
I had a 72 Duster 340 and a 74 D100 pick up,Both had 8.75 s. 4:88 in the Duster.Truck had a factory 440.

There is aftermarket support----if you know where to look.There is even a a custom housing from Moser,same as the 9" Ford housing.

Wayne
 
Okay the reason I started this topic is because I have a friend who is from the "muscle car" era. He used to be the president of our local Mopar club back in the day. Anyways he now has a 95 XJ 8.25 and D30. He wants to swap those out for somthing more substantial. He also has a 96 ram with the 9.25 and D44 He is runnin a TracLoc LS in the rear and an OX in the front both with 4.88's (MoparManiac new info for ya) Also there isn't much aftermarket support for it. They do make Alloy shafts for the rear from what he as found.

Up untill last week he was planning on stuffing the ram running gear underneath the xj. Awesome Idea I think. He already has everything the jeep needs it's just under a dodge. Now he's having a hard time parting with the dodge, and wants to keep it the way it is. Its mostly an expedition style vehicle, way too heavy to do any serious rock crawling.

That is where the 8.75 came in. I'm not sure if he could find one locally but he still has plenty of connections. But the Idea seems good. As far as the lockers go LS or Detroit is all you would need, being that it is in the rear anyways. So It's either that or he was thinkin a D60 and D44 combo but for the size tire's he is going to run the D60 is going to be an anchor, IMO. Any more opinions would be great.
 
tbburg said:
The 8.75 Chrysler axle was a good setup. Drop out 3rd member like the 9" Ford, 31 spline axles. Dodge put them behind everything except the Hemi
If you want to build a totally custom axle and keep it "in house", the 8.75 has a few things going for it, and like the 9" a few things to avoid.
It has a welded-up sheet metal housing, and can be trussed as easily as the ford. Down side is, it wasn't used in the pickups, so there are no heavy-wall tubes: It HAS to be trussed to strengthen it. On the up side, the pinion doesn't hang as low as the 9", which gives the drive shaft a little more clearance. The 3rd member is physically smaller, weighs less, and doesn't hand down as far. It can be cut/shaved just like the Ford. Massive ammount of aftermarket parts available for it, mainly for drag racing. Gears/spools/ Detroit locker/trutrac available. as well as high strength axles. There was even stock versions with the 5 x 4.5' bolt pattern(look under a Duster/early Barracuda in the junk yards) although you probably want to start with a bare housing out of a mid-70s Polara/New Yorker/Fury to get the toughest housing available,...

Down side: No ARB/OX/ected/electrac,... or any other selectable locker. I don't even think they make drop-in lockers for it. Might be wrong there. 'You'd have to research it.


EDIT: The biggest advantage to either the Cry. 8.75" or the Ford 9" over the "conventional" axles is massively lower weight.
Click to expand...


it was used in 1/2 ton pickups in the 50's and 60's, before the 8 1/4 came out as a light duty axle for trucks, and also before the 9 1/4 came out. and there is a company out there now that makes 4.88 gears forthe 9 1/4,
4 wheel parts sells them. the 9 1/4 would be a better upgrade for the xj, becauseon the 1/2 ton truck versions, the axle tubes are the same size as a car, you could weld on the 8.75 housing ends and get 8.75 axles to eliminate the c-clip, and there are a bunch of locker/lsd's for them now. plus, you can use the stock drive shaft from the 8.25 xj on the 9.25 as the pinion lenght is the same.
 
moparjim1987 said:
it was used in 1/2 ton pickups in the 50's and 60's, before the 8 1/4 came out as a light duty axle for trucks, and also before the 9 1/4 came out. and there is a company out there now that makes 4.88 gears forthe 9 1/4,


Yukon is making the 4.88's for the 9.25. He has them in his 96 ram right now. So you're saying that the 8.75 isn't a bad way to go, you just have to be able to find one. Right?
Click to expand...
 
yea, the 8.75 is a decent axle, but, for structural strength and housing integrity, the 9.25 would be a better choice for the simple fact that it is way more readily available, and it is only .5 inches smaller than the holy grail dana 60. later dakotas and most durangos have them and they are closer to the width of our xj's, and like i stated before, will bolt up to our factory driveshafts.
 
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