AMC or Dana rearend?

Greeting from the UK.

I have a rear axle from an '84 Cherokee 2.5 automatic. Can anyone tell me how to confirm if it is an AMC 35 or Dana 35? I suspect it is AMC as it has a rear cover with a ribbed rather than flat fixing flange around the outside, Torx headed screws hold the cover on and there is an allen head screw in level plug rather than the usual rubber bung. The cover is thinner gauge steel than the usual Dana offering and it has a cork gasket. Other than this it looks identical to a Dana. There are no tags on it but it's 3.73:1 open diff.
The parts catalog seems to indicate that all the internal parts are interchangable. Is this the case?

Thanks.

Aardvark4x4

There is no such thing as a AMC 35. The AMC 20 is round, the Dana 35 is shaped like a stop sign. The parts do not interchange.
Look at this.
http://www.800-923-jeep.com/techCorner/axle_id.cfm

You just described my rear axle which is a dana 35. I own an 85 with the dana 35. Also the crysler axles didn't have 3.73 gears. I don't think that 85's came with a AMC 20 or a crysler 8.25. HTH

Kim.

85xjwoody said:

You just described my rear axle which is a dana 35. I own an 85 with the dana 35. Also the crysler axles didn't have 3.73 gears. I don't think that 85's came with a AMC 20 or a crysler 8.25. HTH

Kim.

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Chrysler didn't buy Jeep untill 1991 so it sure don't have a Chrysler under a 84.
AMC 20 have 8 bolts on the cover, Dana's have 10.

Have a look at an '81-86 parts catalog. Lists AMC and Dana 35 on same pages with same part no. Maybe AMC were making 35s to the same design?

I bought my first XJ in May of 1984 after much research. Early XJs rear axles had a AMC numbers but I cann't remember what it was. In July of 1984 I put 4:10 gears in and found that I had a DANA 35 and that the AMC ID was the same axle. Later I installed an ARB air lockers and 4:56 gears. I sold the 84 XJ with 170,000 miles on it but kept the axles and put them under my 1991 XJ because of the ARBs and they have none "C" clip axles. This means that if you break an axle, the wheel, brake drum, and the rest of the axle doesn't leave the houseing with the none "C" clip. None "C" clip difs had a problem with a cluking noise on the trail and sometimes going around corners in town. It was caused by the backing plate bending. The easy fix for that was to put in 2 backing plates holding the wheel bearing in place. I have another 70,000 miles on this rear end with 33" tires in my 1991 XJ. Don't git crazy on the trail and it should last a long time.

aardvark4x4 said:

Have a look at an '81-86 parts catalog. Lists AMC and Dana 35 on same pages with same part no. Maybe AMC were making 35s to the same design?

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What catalog mine sure don't? How a company uses part numbers vary they could use the same number for all XJ pinions but when you order you need to specify AMC 20 or Dana 35.
One company that does that is JC Whitny read the fine print and they say the parts you recieve will have different part numbers.
All 3.73 ring and Pinions are "AW12133373" but to order you need to give them Year,Model, engine, trans, and axle type then they send the correct one. So the numbers you see are "stock numbers" not "part numbers".

I'm looking at a factory parts catalog for Jeep '81 to '86. In the '87 to '90 and later catalogs the references to AMC and Dana 35 on the same sheet has disappeared,

aardvark4x4 said:

I'm looking at a factory parts catalog for Jeep '81 to '86. In the '87 to '90 and later catalogs the references to AMC and Dana 35 on the same sheet has disappeared,

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None the less AMC 20 parts and Dana 35 internal parts are different.

langer1 said:

Chrysler didn't buy Jeep untill 1991 so it sure don't have a Chrysler under a 84.
AMC 20 have 8 bolts on the cover, Dana's have 10.

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*Cough*1987*cough*

Now what were we talking about?

The AMC model 20 (which is really the only Dana axle to carry an "AMC" model number) is readily distinguished by the smooth round cover - kinda looks like a Tommy's helmet in WWII.

The Dana 35 is sometimes referred to as the AMC 35 - both are the same thing. The BoM (Bill of Materials) numbers may be different to reflect the different manufacturers, but I'd be surprised to not find the Dana "diamond" logo on the AMC housing anyhow. The Dana 35 has an oval 10-bolt cover, and a fill/check hole threaded 1/2" NPT (I typically replace the steel drain plugs with brass - I don't like rust.)

Internals for the Dana 35 and "AMC 35" are the same - I could check the OEMR catalogue later to be sure (I have 81-86, 87-90, 94-96, and 97-99,) but I've got quite a bot of work to do before I lose daylight to-day (I'm just in here waiting for my drill motor battery to charge...)

As far as production goes, the XJ/MJ design is AMC/Renault, and was produced to AMC prints until the 1991 MY. AMC was purchased by ChryCo (just to get the Jeep marque) in 1987, and production specs, electronics, and axles went to ChryCo in 1991 (although the later ABS systems, as I recall, used D35 w/C-clip - but I'd have to check.) Also, the 1990 and earlier XJ's are "pre-OBD" - which causes me no end of trouble at our biennial emissions checks. Early control systems are typically referred to as RENIX - they were made by Bendix/King under contract to Renault. From 1991 forward, electronics were the Chrysler SBEC - Single Board Engine Controller.

HTH.

5-90

5-90. have a look in your '81-'86 catalog, rear axle fig 3-1100 and tell me i'm not goin' nuts. It's referred to in the parts catalog as "AMC model 35" alongside the "Dana model 35" there are two different cover designs shown (not very clearly) to distinguish the two.

Considering that there was no XJ until 1984 and you are looking at a catalog that goes back to 1981, I think you are finding references to axles used in the Eagle and Concord vehicles. AFAIK the early XJ rear axles were all Dana 35s, non c-clip style.

So it's a Dana 35 AKA AMC 35?
AMC 20 is totaly different and was never in a XJ?
I see a AMC 20 Ring is 8.857 and the Dana/Amc 35-c is 7.562.

langer1 said:

So it's a Dana 35 AKA AMC 35?
AMC 20 is totaly different and was never in a XJ?
I see a AMC 20 Ring is 8.857 and the Dana/Amc 35-c is 7.562.

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The AMC Model 20 was never used in the XJ. In 1986 only it was the optional heavy-duty axle in the Comanche, but in 1987 the Comanche started getting the Dana 44, same as the XJ.

langer1 said:

Chrysler didn't buy Jeep untill 1991 so it sure don't have a Chrysler under a 84.
AMC 20 have 8 bolts on the cover, Dana's have 10.

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I have a owners manual for a 1990 cherokee that on page 3 has "An important message to you from Jeep Eagle corporation" heading.

And on the back cover the Chrysler Motors logo with a copyright of 1989 inside the back cover.

So when did Mopor buy out AMC?
I too throught it was in 1991 until I found this manual.

73's KG4BET

jeep was bought out in 1987....that is why most people that own '86 and under jeeps say they own a real jeep. because '86 and older is when jeep was actually jeep and not chrysler jeep.

"On August 5, 1987, American Motors was bought by Chrysler, and the Jeep marque became a part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division"

The AMC 7 9/16" axle (AKA: AMC model 15) was built by Dana for AMC, and used in most compact & mid size 4 & 6 cyl cars of the late 60's, 70's & 80's (not sure what the intro year was).

~58" wide for compact (Hornet, Concord, Gremlin, Spirit)
~60" wide for midsized (Javelin, Pacer)


When the Eagle was introduced (compact Concord/Spirit body), it got the midsized ~60" wide version, in SOA configuration.


When the XJ came out, the same exact ~60" wide SOA AMC 7 9/16" axle went under that.


By 86/87, they started calling it a Dana 35, so they could market it to other manufacturers (like Ford).

Over the years it improved from having 2 piece bolt together shafts (in cars), to two piece welded shafts (84/85 XJ's), to fairly strong 1 piece shafts,
then downgraded to C-clip axles, with Chrysler axle housing/backing plate patturn, and tiny 9" brakes in 1990.

I've never heard it called AMC 35, but I guess it's as good a name as any.
In the AMC days, it's most common name was AMC 7 9/16".

Either way, it's all the same axle (though there are different generations), and most 84/85's did have 3.73 gears.

aardvark4x4 said:

I suspect it is AMC as it has a rear cover with a ribbed rather than flat fixing flange around the outside, Torx headed screws hold the cover on and there is an allen head screw in level plug rather than the usual rubber bung.

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The AMC generation ones have the thin cover, with ribbing between the bolts, and the crappy torx head screws.
AFAIK, all D35's had screw in oil fill plugs till 1990.

A 86/87 to 89 cover would be thicker, and still have the metal fill plug.

aardvark4x4 said:

The parts catalog seems to indicate that all the internal parts are interchangable. Is this the case?

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Yeah, everything swaps.
The shafts are weaker, and should be swapped with some 87-89 heavier duty (thicker) shafts.
You need to change the inner axle seals, but it's worth it.
Swapping the later cover is a good idea too.

Jeepman4804 said:

jeep was bought out in 1987....that is why most people that own '86 and under jeeps say they own a real jeep. because '86 and older is when jeep was actually jeep and not chrysler jeep.

"On August 5, 1987, American Motors was bought by Chrysler, and the Jeep marque became a part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division"

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I don't know the source of that quotation but I do know two things: (1) The American Motors Owners club recognizes Jeeps through (including) 1988 as AMC; and (2) I bought my '88 XJ new. It was delivered the last week of January, 1988. Every piece of paperwork associated with it says AMC. Chrysler zone reps didn't start showing up at the dealership until March or April of 1988. There may have been a handshake on the deal in late 1987, but it was not effectively consummated until February or March of 1988.