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lift or lockers 1st ?

Jeff Dean

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Houston, TX
I have a '92 that has been my DD for the past year. I bought it with a 3" lift and 31" tires, otherwise completely stock. I am planning to build it up for some wheelin and need some opinions.

I want to put a 6" lift , 33" tires with dual ARB's and new gears.

My question is, would the first step be the best to go with the lift, or to go with the lockers and gears (for the 33's) ? It will probably be several months til I can do the other half.

It will also continue to be driven almost daily.
 
What usually stops you when on the trail? Dragging bottom and not having enough clearance or spinning your tires in ruts and losing traction at some of the wheels? The answer should determine which you purchase first.
 
Hey Jeff,

If you 92 has a dana 35 rear, I would say shop around for a rear axle (Ford 8.8 or dana44) before you buy gears and lockers. If it has the corporate 8.25, I would put 29 spline shafts and the ARB in it along with your dana30 front and why not gear them for 33s at the same time (say 4.56s or 4.88s).

The XJs are very capable at 3" lift and 31s when they are locked, but I wouldn't put any $$$ into the D35 if that's what you have.

HTH,
Crunch
 
Re: 8.8

From JP Magazine
Ford 8.8-inch: This has become an increasingly popular swap due to its simplicity and availability. However, some 8.8s have dinky 28-spline axles that are only marginally stronger than stock Dana 35 shafts and not as strong as the 29-spline shafts found in ’97 and newer Chrysler 8 ¼ Cherokee axles. The 8.8 has C-clip axles like the 35 and 8 ¼, which really doesn’t seem desirable to us. But if you want to run a Ford 8.8 look for 31-spline shafts and avoid 8.8s with HREW (hot rolled electric welded) axletubes. They are more prone to bending than DOM axletubes.
 
Full skid plating and rocker protection would get my vote for the first on the "to-do" list. Next would be EZ Lockers or Lock Rights front and rear ('cause I'm CHEAP!!). Then I'd worry about more lift. I've been running the same 4" lift for over a year now,on two different XJ's. Running 33" Swampers and TJ flares. Full skids front to back and rocker gliders. The biggest improvement I made to mine was locking it front and rear (lincoln locked 8.25 rear,Lock Righted non-disco HP 30 front). It allowed me to finesse my way over obstacles that I normally had to hit with some momentum to get over.

The second best improvement was the skids. It gives me more confidence knowing the underbelly is protected when the going gets rough. I still recommend the skids first,though,because it doesn't matter how locked up, or how much lift you have, or how big your tires are if your t-case,oil pan,tranny pan,or gas tank gets busted on a rock ledge 5 miles away from the nearest paved road :D

Lutin Plunder:Sorry,not tryin' to bust yer chops or anything,but don't believe everything you read in the rags. They are there for one sole purpose:to make money. They make money from their advertising. Their advertisers are ?? Currie?? Dynatrack?? And various others that would rather see you buy something from them that to see you buying something from your local wrecking yard. I've been running a welded 27 spline 8.25" for almost a year now,and have pretty much beat the snot out of it with out breaking it-yet-. The 8.8" and 8.25" are VASTLY superior axles compared to the Dana 35. The housing strength of these two axles alone would make them a good candidate for a 35's replacement.
:D
 
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lift or lockers

was only offering another point of view, I personally have a stock D44 so I don't have to worry about it
 
Ford 8.8

The Ford 8.8 rear axle out of a 1995 to 2000 Ford Explorer is the axle to get and its only 1.5" narrower over all vs stock Jeep. This 8.8 had disk brakes and can be found with 3.27, 3.55, 3.73, and 4.10 ratios open or limited slip. The axle shafts are of a C clip design but who the frick cares? The axle shaft is flipen HUGE and is 31 spline not to mention the calipers and disk brake will keep the broken shaft from leaving out from under the vehicle. The only problem with these axles is the axle tubes will spin in the housing. If running 35" or smaller tires, I have yet to hear of this as a problem. I have an 8.8 waiting to go under mine and have helped and seen many other 8.8s put under Jeeps at Carolina Rock Shop and have yet to see one come back with a problem.

The 28 spline and drum brake Ford 8.8s the magazine is talking about are the older 8.8 out of other Ford vehicles.

AARON
 
I speak from experience on the D35. I snaped a shaft in the Rock Garden at the Campground on the Tellico Crawl with a 4 popper running on 3 pops!
 
Neither! If it really is completely stock, the very FIRST thing you need to do is add tow points front and rear. Then, like Georgia Mike said, armor comes next. Only AFTER you've done these things should you consider a lift or lockers (and I'd go with lockers).
 
are you willing to fab up the leaf spring perches and deal with the bolt pattern/axle lenght issues? I was thinking about doing an 8.8 swap last year but found out that the 8.25 is a really sturdy axle that lots of people take to 33s or bigger.
Also, the pumpkin on the 8.8 is friggin huge.
If I were you, I would find a cheap 8.25, im sure lots of people can point you to one. It would require no fabrication and save you lots of money for lockers.
 
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