• 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 truss

bluejeepkid

bluejeepkid

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bullhead City
Im about to start on a truss for the 30. Its a disconnect housing with a one peice passenger axle shaft conversion. I was wondering if anyone has bought a premade truss and modded it to fit the disconnect housing? Also, i know the center section and the passenger UCA mount are cast steel. Do i still have to preheat the area before welding? And i am also going to gusset the C's, should i remove the balljoints or will they be ok?

on a side note...
feel free to post pics, I havent started yet and am still looking for ideas
 
All of the pre-made truss kits will require you to remove the UCA mounts. That would be a lot of work for little gain on the disco housing.

I would recommend making your own out of 2x4x3/16" box stock. Make a template the same size as the box stock then cut the bottom out along the axle tube to follow the contours and transmit that to the stock and cut it.

Thats how I did mine on a non-disco housing, worked out well and has held up very good.

Here is a pic, my welds are fugly but they are strong!
P1020217.jpg

P1020224.jpg
 
Why do you feel the need to truss the front ?
Are you jumping the thing ?

A ton of people (include me) have run the D30 though some of the toughest trails out here in the west (think massive rockcrawling) with NO problems at all.



:)
Fred
 
StealthXJ said:
Why do you feel the need to truss the front ?
Are you jumping the thing ?

A ton of people (include me) have run the D30 though some of the toughest trails out here in the west (think massive rockcrawling) with NO problems at all.

:)
Fred
Click to expand...


For me its a matter of reducing ring gear deflection and housing flex. i'm running 35's and locker with the 30 so it needs all the help it can get. I never get air in my rig.
 
xjtrailrider said:
For me its a matter of reducing ring gear deflection and housing flex. i'm running 35's and locker with the 30 so it needs all the help it can get. I never get air in my rig.
Click to expand...

I ran 35's with 4.56's (auto) and Detroit locked (D30) on some of the toughest trails (think big, big, rocks) for years with no problems at all.

Are you having a problem ?
The best way to save money, on any mod, is to ask yourself:
"What problem, specifically, am I having, that I'm trying to solve".


:)
Fred
 
StealthXJ said:
I ran 35's with 4.56's (auto) and Detroit locked (D30) on some of the toughest trails (think big, big, rocks) for years with no problems at all.

Are you having a problem ?
The best way to save money, on any mod, is to ask yourself:
"What problem, specifically, am I having, that I'm trying to solve".


:)
Fred
Click to expand...

Why would I wait until I have a problem to solve it? I believe in being prepared. If anything, build it so that there will be no problems, just saying!

I'm speaking for myself not the OP, he may have different reasons.
 
xjtrailrider said:
Why would I wait until I have a problem to solve it? I believe in being prepared. If anything, build it so that there will be no problems, just saying!

I'm speaking for myself not the OP, he may have different reasons.
Click to expand...

However, if you're never going to have problems, why "waste" the money ?
Is it broke ?
Have you ever broken it ?
How many people, doing the same type of wheeling as you have broken it ?

I've wheeled for years, with people running D30's, 35's, low gearing, big rocks, and no one has had that kind of problem.


If you want to just spend some money, give some to a good charity ;)


:)
Fred
 
Well, 1st... i am running 35's with an aussie locker. Around tax time I am going to gear the axle and possibly buy a full case locker. I dont want to have to worry about the housing twisting or deforming under high load and stress. I want to add the truss for strength and also for the looks. Basically its for peace of mind, but that doesnt matter. Its what i want, so thats why im building one.

ps No i dont want a front 44. and plz post more pics =]

and yes, i have broke a housing in half, between the uca mount and the C. It sucked, and i dont want to have to deal with that again.
 
xjtrailrider said:
Why would I wait until I have a problem to solve it? I believe in being prepared. If anything, build it so that there will be no problems, just saying!

I'm speaking for myself not the OP, he may have different reasons.
Click to expand...


i agree

On a side note, StealthXJ, are you familiar with Bullhead city or Kingman?
 
Last edited:
bluejeepkid said:
i agree

On a side note, StealthXJ, are you familiar with Bullhead city or Kingman?
Click to expand...

Somewhat, and all over the Florence area and my Jeep's been to JV...


I'll post up photos last this afternoon or tomorrow some time.
Too much to do at the moment.

Those that are/have twisted or broken D30 housings are simply doing something really weird, most like bouncing.
As I mentioned, I'll post up real "action shots" of my Jeep and others and no one has ever had a problem with the D30 tubes or housings.
Ripped control arm and track bar mounts, yes, however that's due to reasons other than housing strength. It's due to improper suspension components and/or install, and I can talk about that more later if anyone wants to know.


:)
Fred
 
StealthXJ said:
Why do you feel the need to truss the front ?
Are you jumping the thing ?

A ton of people (include me) have run the D30 though some of the toughest trails out here in the west (think massive rockcrawling) with NO problems at all.



:)
Fred
Click to expand...

hmm, I didn't see anywhere where he was asking whether he should or not. It doesn't cost much if you have a welder and some time, and it will give you piece of mind on the high dollar parts you stuff in there. Good for you you haven't broke or bent it.....yet, key word....yet. If you don't......good for you. How can trussing it be detrimental? It can't! It is called thinking ahead and protecting an investment.
 
xjtrailrider said:
All of the pre-made truss kits will require you to remove the UCA mounts. That would be a lot of work for little gain on the disco housing.

I would recommend making your own out of 2x4x3/16" box stock. Make a template the same size as the box stock then cut the bottom out along the axle tube to follow the contours and transmit that to the stock and cut it.

Thats how I did mine on a non-disco housing, worked out well and has held up very good.

Here is a pic, my welds are fugly but they are strong!
P1020217.jpg

P1020224.jpg
Click to expand...

What kind of shafts do you have? and are those WJ knuckles or what?
 
RoyalXJ said:
all that work and u still have unit bearings
Click to expand...
Because not everyone wants to drop the coin on a front 44 for what they're doing, or for a D30 hub conversion kit. I'll be trussing mine soon and running RCVs because I'm only on 33s and won't be going up any time soon. For about $1100 I will have a D30 that will stand up to my 33s easily. Down the road, if/when I go 37s, I will build a 44.

Why truss? One of the biggest killers of ring and pinions is housing deflection pulling them out of proper engagement.
 
The one I'm working on now is a 44 but the one in my Jeep now is trussed almost the same.

When I got this 44 it had a manufactured truss on it that I didn't really like so I just added to it.

503070934_photobucket_18100_.jpg


On the 30 that's in my Jeep I did the same thing but went on over to the housing and made a similar piece on the other side... I wasn't finished in this picture but you can see what I was doing.

IMG00098.jpg


Neither of those axles have or will have a passenger side UCA since I run a RK 3-link.

It cost me nothing. A scrap piece of 2x4x.25 and my welder and viola.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
2000 xj Dana 30 truss
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
Anak
Anak
ehall
steering overhaul
Replies
6
Views
125
XJEEPER
XJEEPER
techno1154
Inner C truss?
Replies
10
Views
4K
Evan03
E
B
Dana 30 arb locker question.
Replies
13
Views
233
Bmfinney
B
A
dana 30 low pinion 488 on 33.6 inch tires ?
Replies
6
Views
1K
75SV1
7
Back
Top