Axles for 38's

After breaking a 27 spline 8.25 shaft which also destroyed my Detroit at Tellico this summer I began looking for a replacement.



Currently I am running 35" Mickey's with 4:56 gears and Detroits at both ends. This set up works very well both on the trail and on the street, or at least it did. During my search for a replacement rear I came across this build:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=424394

I will be constructing a similar radius arm setup with 38's, but will have a little less lift, someware around 9".

A friend had a junk '79 F-150 with a radius arm HP Dana 44 up Front and 31 Spline 9" rear. I convinced him that he didn't want to do anything with them and quickly removed them before he changed his mind.

My plans for the front are an Ox locker for better streetability and turning on the rocks, 5:13 gears with chromoly shafts and CTM joints. I will then use the stockers for spares to get me home.

For the Rear 5:13's, a Detroit and explorer brakes, but what shafts should I use? I have at most maybe 220 horse through an automatic and 4:1 case gears. Do I need 35 spline shafts or are chromoly 31's good enough? I would prefer to use the 31's for costs savings and to have spares, but I don't want to throw anymore money away as I did with the first set of axles. Any and all advice will be helpful.

P.S. Anyone want to buy a HP Dana 30 with a Detroit, 4:56's and warn 5 on 4.5 hub conversion?

You can't have rear shafts that are too big.



SeanP with a busted 31 spline shaft on his 9".

I would agree with Goat on the 35 splines in the rear.

Your front my or may not live depending on your driving style. Dry years seem to be when the eastern guys start breaking a lot of stuff. Keep that in mind if you've got traction.

Go with a 14bolt.

If you go with the 31 spline, then plan to carry those spares.

Throw 35 spline alloys in the back and don't bother carrying spares. You'll have a hell of a time breaking them with 35's, plus if you go bigger, which you will, you won't have to worry about upgrading the rear until 39ish. That is assuming you are going to use a nodular third member and daytona style pinion retainer. If not, then don't bother with the 35 spline shafts. It will be a coin toss to see if the 31 spline shaft or the chunk will go first. I've got 20 bucks says the chunk goes first. At least that's what the internet told me.

Go with the 35 spline and do not worry about it. No more need for discussion.

afd516 said:

Go with the 35 spline and do not worry about it. No more need for discussion.

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yes there is! i am bored and need to read!!

BTW you can get 5.38s for HP D44s now. May as well go as low as you can.

38's on a D44 front doesn't seem to be very smart in any situation. Kinda like lift blocks over an inch tall to get more lift. :explosion

Here's the 35 spline 9 inch shaft that replaced my old 30 spline D44 rear shafts:

why 38's? All you need are 36's. But still I would get bigger axles.

Weasel said:

why 38's? All you need are 36's. But still I would get bigger axles.

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how can you say that

GREEN XJ said:

Go with a 14bolt.

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NO! I would not sugest that... you will get hung up bad in some areas of Tellico...

Ghost said:

NO! I would not sugest that... you will get hung up bad in some areas of Tellico...

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30 minutes with an angle grinder and it has same ground clearance as a stock d60 , and when you take the giant drums off the weight difference is insignificant. 14 bolts are great for 38+ tires on a budget

Amen! And you can beat the ever living hell out of them and not have to worry about shit except for the rest of your Jeep falling apart. I wouldn't trade a portal 9" for mine.

GREEN XJ said:

Amen! And you can beat the ever living hell out of them and not have to worry about shit except for the rest of your Jeep falling apart. I wouldn't trade a portal 9" for mine.

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id trade mine in a heart beat then sell it and buy a d60 for the front along with another 100$ 14 bolt

Goatman said:

You can't have rear shafts that are too big.



SeanP with a busted 31 spline shaft on his 9".

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aww, what nostalgia. Proof that in some prior life SeanP actually wheeled his junk.

BTW, those were 31 spline dutchman alloys that broke (and twisted).

35 spline 9" is the way to go. Lots of cheap ($225-250) lo-pinion thirds for them, one really expensive high pinion.

You folks sure this isn't some photochop. SeanP wheelin'? Come awn, there's some things even I won't believe.

O.K. O.K. I will go with 35 spline shafts. Now the question is which ones? I am thinking Strange shafts with an aftermarket cast case with daytona style pinion support.

SeanP said:

aww, what nostalgia. Proof that in some prior life SeanP actually wheeled his junk.

BTW, those were 31 spline dutchman alloys that broke (and twisted).

35 spline 9" is the way to go. Lots of cheap ($225-250) lo-pinion thirds for them, one really expensive high pinion.

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I checked into the currie unit, but am not impressed. The 8.8 gears are not nearly as strong as 9", no pinion support and your gearing is limited. The Tru High 9 is just plain outside my budget.

SeanP said:

35 spline 9" is the way to go. Lots of cheap ($225-250) lo-pinion thirds for them, one really expensive high pinion.

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Actually, No.
There are no cheap third members for a 35 spline 9".
35 Spline requires the aftermarket 3.250" main bearing cases. Stock Ford stuff is all 3.0625" (with the noted exception of some very, very rare muscle car cases from the late 60s).

A 33 spline is the biggest shaft you can run in a stock case. And only spools are available for the 33 spline.

I used the Strange nodular iron case. Once completed with the pinion support, spool, bearings, billet yoke and gears it was almost $1300 delivered from Randy's R&P. Had I have gone with a locker rather than the spool, you could have added another $200-$500 to that price.

The cheapest way to go 35 spline (or equivalent) is to do a D60 or 14B.

I'm an absolute lover of the Ford 9" axle but once you get beyond the 31 spline factory options, being cheap is no longer one of it's benefits.