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axle question
- Thread starter kdub41
- Start date
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
Don't buy gears for the d35. You're already past the point people generally recommend for a d35 on tire size...
Do yourself a favor, swap in an 8.25, d44, or 8.8. Those are in order from easiest to hardest; the order cheapest to most expensive is probably 8.25, 8.8, d44 because people pay a bit of a premium for a bolt-in XJ d44.
General prices:
8.25 - $100 for the axle at a pull-a-part, $50 allowance for U-joint straps, U-bolts (spring rebuilder made me my set for $43), you can add 100+ for brake hardware and gear lube if you want to get things right before you put it in. Throw on another 100 for a ruffstuff/ballistic/whatever diff cover to avoid scraping up your gears the first time you back into a rock.
XJ d44 - not sure how much for the axle, seen em go for 2-400 occasionally. Same $50 for U-bolts, U-joint straps, etc. Same idea on brake hardware and diff cover too.
8.8 - come stock with disc brakes! $100 for the axle at a pull-a-part, $30 shipped for the driveshaft adapter flange (2-2-1379 from alljeep.com is the cheapest I could find), $120 for ruffstuff's 8.8 simple swap kit (U-bolts+perches+shock brackets), say $20 for new brake lines. Same deal for the diff cover.
Add that to gearing costs. I'd rather spend a bit more for swapping in a new axle that isn't going to explode than spend gearing+labor costs on the d35, blow it up, then do it over again (if you're really stubborn about the d35) then swap in one of the above axles and gear that one too.
Do yourself a favor, swap in an 8.25, d44, or 8.8. Those are in order from easiest to hardest; the order cheapest to most expensive is probably 8.25, 8.8, d44 because people pay a bit of a premium for a bolt-in XJ d44.
General prices:
8.25 - $100 for the axle at a pull-a-part, $50 allowance for U-joint straps, U-bolts (spring rebuilder made me my set for $43), you can add 100+ for brake hardware and gear lube if you want to get things right before you put it in. Throw on another 100 for a ruffstuff/ballistic/whatever diff cover to avoid scraping up your gears the first time you back into a rock.
XJ d44 - not sure how much for the axle, seen em go for 2-400 occasionally. Same $50 for U-bolts, U-joint straps, etc. Same idea on brake hardware and diff cover too.
8.8 - come stock with disc brakes! $100 for the axle at a pull-a-part, $30 shipped for the driveshaft adapter flange (2-2-1379 from alljeep.com is the cheapest I could find), $120 for ruffstuff's 8.8 simple swap kit (U-bolts+perches+shock brackets), say $20 for new brake lines. Same deal for the diff cover.
Add that to gearing costs. I'd rather spend a bit more for swapping in a new axle that isn't going to explode than spend gearing+labor costs on the d35, blow it up, then do it over again (if you're really stubborn about the d35) then swap in one of the above axles and gear that one too.
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
Don't bother putting gears in a D35. 8.25's are readily available. You will be way ahead in the future.
tbburg
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Scottsdale AZ
I agree with the above opinions on the -35. By the time you have all the work done, you're looking at $500-1K per axle. throw another 100 at it and do it to a stronger axle to begin with. Now that we've thrashed the -35, let's talk about the front axle. Everything below applies to the D-30
What year is the Jeep? If it's pre-96, non-abs, you can swap in the later model shafts and get a stronger U-joint. Also does away with the vac. disconnect on the axle.(you have to put a seal in) or you can order a new passenger side ABS outer shaft/find one in a junk yard, which will have a larger joint.
Regardless, once you get the big joint shaft, replace the U-joint with a Spicer-760 U-joint. It's stronger then, and interchangeable with the -297 U-joint installed from the factory. If you want to go whole hog, grind the shaft to accept full circlips on the -760s.
Going to 4.56 gears, get a heavy duty cover. It'll help stabilize the center housing, and keep it from spreading under extreme load.
that's (I think)about as far as you go without getting a welder or spending a ton of cash.(or both)
What dif are you going to run? There are plenty of scary stories about the stock dif. case splitting when you install a lunch box locker and stress it hard.
What year is the Jeep? If it's pre-96, non-abs, you can swap in the later model shafts and get a stronger U-joint. Also does away with the vac. disconnect on the axle.(you have to put a seal in) or you can order a new passenger side ABS outer shaft/find one in a junk yard, which will have a larger joint.
Regardless, once you get the big joint shaft, replace the U-joint with a Spicer-760 U-joint. It's stronger then, and interchangeable with the -297 U-joint installed from the factory. If you want to go whole hog, grind the shaft to accept full circlips on the -760s.
Going to 4.56 gears, get a heavy duty cover. It'll help stabilize the center housing, and keep it from spreading under extreme load.
that's (I think)about as far as you go without getting a welder or spending a ton of cash.(or both)
What dif are you going to run? There are plenty of scary stories about the stock dif. case splitting when you install a lunch box locker and stress it hard.
jeeperjohn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Temecula, CA
Yeah, this happened to me but I can tell you how to reduce the chances of this happening.
