tnxjjeeper said:
How does the 29 spline 8.25 compare to a stock dana 35 off a 2000 XJ? My friend was talkin crap when I got mine about how his is 10 times stronger and is the best axle you can get under a Cherokee since the dana 44's.
The 29 spline 8.25 is closer to the strength of a D44 than a D35. It has a far larger ring & pinion than a D35 (and the pinion is a lot bigger than a D44), and the housing is a larger (a major apparent weakness of the d35 is housing flex). The axle shafts in 29 spline form are not as strong as a 44, but much stronger than a D35 (closer to the 44 than the 35 in load rating, I believe).
Having said this, the 8.25 is a fairly heavy axle with poor ground clearance for its strength. It is a c-clip design, the drum brakes just plain suck, and it is prone to heavy gear noise when you install lower gears, especially 4.56. It also has a low pinion that is prone to excessive amounts of rock rash.
All in all, the 8.25 is only a decent axle because it comes stock and isn't the POS D35. It may look like gold compared to a D35, which would be true of almost any rear axle, but it is largely a turd, too. You'd never choose to build one if it wasn't already under your Jeep.
Why Jeep can't put out an axle like the Toyota 8", which has the strength of a D44 with the clearance of a D35, is beyond me, because that is the ideal solution for vehicles claiming to be offroad kings. I'm honestly still suprised that the 8" hasn't become a hot Jeep swap since late model Taco and 4Runner axles are 60" WMS to WMS (same as XJ), and you can run 35's on them with D35 clearance. They have huge 12.1" drums, can be found with factory 4.56 gears and electric locker for $600, and have the advantage of 3rd member design if you want to change gears/diffs. Must be that little bolt pattern issue (6 on 5.5).
Nay
