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Low Pinion D30....stay away???

XJRN

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
So I blew up my HP D30. A fellow NAXJA'er has a set of axles d30 and 8.8 with 4.10's. The 4.10s would be nice and the stronger rear a plus as well. The problem I see however is that the 30 is a low pinion. This is not to offend, but I need some reassurance and more info. I searched and see a lot of people swapping the lp for the hp. I have seen people say the HP is stronger with it running on the drive side vs the coast side of the gear and I see some with vibes with the LP. I am at 4.5" of lift on 33s and plan to put an Aussie in it that I already have. What are people's experiences with LP30's? Should I try to stay with the HP and just get one stock with 3.55s for now to match my 8.25 or go with the LP?

Thanks for the help!
 
I would get the 8.8 and regear your HP to match. LP 30's are the least desirable front axles for all the reasons you've already listed. A lifted jeep with a LP axle will give you more issues with vibrations. I would never go back to a LP from a HP for any reason.
 
My experience: I am still running my factory lp30 on 4.88s and 35s. No, it's not locked, but it does have a truetrac. Yes, I'm aware it's a ticking time bomb. Yes, I plan to upgrade as soon as time/money/workspace allows. It's not a trailer queen and I do wheel it. I also don't do a lot of rocks and I'm pretty light on the skinny pedal. I have no vibes at 8" of lift on the highway and I'm not running a steering stabilizer either. JCR 1-ton steering and adjustable upper CAs can compensate for a lot. It IS possible if you're willing to accept the risk of breakage.

With that being said, the question you should ask yourself is this: How hard are you on your equipment and how long do you plan to run it? Personally, I can't justify upgrading to a hp30 and paying to have it re-geared just to get away from the lp. Is the 8.25 locked or chromo shafts? What upgrades are in the 8.8? How much does the seller want for the pair? What is your personal financial situation? You could always sell one of the rears and get some of your money back.

HP30s can be had for cheap, but for my money it's hard to pass up a bolt-in pair of axles with the right gears already installed. YMMV, of course.
 
What broke on you HP 30? You can swap everything from the LP 30 over to your HP 30 except the carier and gears. Depening on what broke I would swindel the deal for both axles and swap what you need from the LP 30 and purchase what you need to rebuild the HP 30. Then you will have extra shafts for the trail and you can sell the rear 8.8 or keep it and sell the 8.25.
 
I too have a LP30 and wheel the crap out of it. Yes it is locked, yes I have over 5 inches of lift. You might as well get both axles and swap them in. Then if you are truely worried about breakage, rebuild your HP30 with 410 gears, truss, or whatever else you would like to do to it, then swap that back in and sell the LP. This way you have a drivable rig while you ponder what you would REALLY like to do
 
What broke on you HP 30? You can swap everything from the LP 30 over to your HP 30 except the carier and gears. Depening on what broke I would swindel the deal for both axles and swap what you need from the LP 30 and purchase what you need to rebuild the HP 30. Then you will have extra shafts for the trail and you can sell the rear 8.8 or keep it and sell the 8.25.


Center pin came out of the HP30 breaking the carrier and destroying the ring and pinion. So pretty much everything but the shafts and housing are toast. The hubs are toast too as I didn't have stub shafts and had to limp it out on the bearings alone.

Also, I don't have the tools nor the knowledge to set up gears so a bolt in pair of axles would be the ticket.
 
My experience: I am still running my factory lp30 on 4.88s and 35s. No, it's not locked, but it does have a truetrac. Yes, I'm aware it's a ticking time bomb. Yes, I plan to upgrade as soon as time/money/workspace allows. It's not a trailer queen and I do wheel it. I also don't do a lot of rocks and I'm pretty light on the skinny pedal. I have no vibes at 8" of lift on the highway and I'm not running a steering stabilizer either. JCR 1-ton steering and adjustable upper CAs can compensate for a lot. It IS possible if you're willing to accept the risk of breakage.

With that being said, the question you should ask yourself is this: How hard are you on your equipment and how long do you plan to run it? Personally, I can't justify upgrading to a hp30 and paying to have it re-geared just to get away from the lp. Is the 8.25 locked or chromo shafts? What upgrades are in the 8.8? How much does the seller want for the pair? What is your personal financial situation? You could always sell one of the rears and get some of your money back.

HP30s can be had for cheap, but for my money it's hard to pass up a bolt-in pair of axles with the right gears already installed. YMMV, of course.


I seem to be pretty hard on my stuff. The last 5 times I have had my heep out have resulted in at least $500 repairs each time.

The 8.8 comes with a locker and 4.10s, everything else is stock and it needs cleaned up and brackets welded. I am limited on funds as everyone is, but really want to get this together before winterfest. My CA bushings are shot too and I have fixed arms and a not so good DL angle going on with the front. I have LA's to put on but need to have someone fab me a x member too and am looking at about 500 for the x member and stiffeners.
 
I have wrestled with this issue in the past. it came down to common sense in the end. I kept my LP 30, I wheel it hard and at least two full weekends a month year round in the rocks in the mud, I have yet to have a problem with it. I am at 4" locked. I had the opportunity to buy several HP 30's, but until it breaks Im just throwing money away I think. From several highly respected people I have talked to on here there isnt alot of strength difference. Now I am a believer, as I torture mine and its still fine. When it breaks I will put in what ever is the best deal at the time, hp or lp, I have experienced nothing yet to give proof to the fact that the LP is very much if any weaker. I think its a lot of theory here. I say if you blew up your 30, and you can get a correctly geared lp 30 do it. I have a several friends with jeeps of all makes, and we wheel them very very hard, one of us is on 37 44 jk rubi, another on 35's hp 30 tj, 4 of us are on 33's with a mix of hp and lp xj's, all are locked, the only break in 5 years and hundreds of trips, the axle in a dana 35 in the rear of the tj on 35's. and this happened on pavement, because he flipped a bitch too fast on the gravel side and when he hit the asphalt it caught and snapped. We have broken control arms, steering dampeners, shocks, drive shafts, LCA mounts, fans, radiators, but not an axle while wheeling. No expert but I have experience with alot of axles in alot of jeeps. just my .02 cents.
 
I have a lp 30. Im running 35s and 6 in of lift. I have had absolutely no problems.
 
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