Contemplating Front Axle Options

OK. Hear me out on this one...

My current setup is 4.56 gears and ARB. Other than that, it's stock. I've also been hunting down a GC v8 tie rod, but that's beside the point.

I'm the type of person that would much rather prevent something from braking before it brakes. As of late, I've been thinking about my front axle.

So I've been wanting to make my front axle a little more robust. The big question would be do I polish the D30 or upgrade to a bigger / stronger axle.

Here are the main factors involved in my decision:
* don't plan on going over 35's for the foreseable future
* have a pretty light gas foot
* don't know how to weld
* don't know how to set up gears
* don't know how to cut / turn knuckles
* don't know anyone that I trust enough / well enough to ask to do above work
* live in an apartment so I have no place to leave a XJ up on jackstands for a few weeks while I fab/have someone fab a front axle
* already have alloy shafts in the rear d44 (5 x 4.5 bolt pattern) and would rather not have to replace them cause they're brand new

IMO, a D60 is way overkill for what I'm wanting to do (compounded by my lack of fab skills and the fact that I'd probably want to upgrade to a larger rear as well). So that leaves the D44 swap or polishing the D30. Again, my lack of skills / knowledge makes the D44 a little harder pill to swallow. Besides, the u-joints are the same (and i think the ball joints are). The only differences I can remember are manual hubs and stronger ring & pinion gears.

A Warn hub conversion kit (allong with the matching alloy inner shafts) would solve the hub problem (I really like the idea of slowing the wear of the front components when the hubs are unlocked). And I don't eat the money I already have tied up in my current axles.

Thoughts? Ideas? Rants? Insults? Other suggestions?

Steve

You said you were light on the gas. You said you wouldn't go over 35's. Live in an apartment, have little to no fab skills, and you probably wheel in muddy conditions more than rocks. Sounds just like me. Polish the turd.

Crap...totally left this part out...

I want to get alloy shafts up front and I'm 85% sure the passenger's side hub/bearing is shot and 50% sure the driver's side is going out. So they'll be needing replacing soon.

So if I am looking at replacing the shafts with alloys and both hubs, wouldn't the hub conversion kit be a good thing to consider?

yeah, i don't really see any other options. if money isn't an issue, then you can polish the turd. in these situations, i always tell myself that if i get real real real serious about 4xing, i'll start ground up. my XJ is still too nice to beat up too much!

I'd say so. The hub conversion comes with the outers, and the unit bearings are close to $100 bucks a piece, if not more.

FitchVA said:

Crap...totally left this part out...

I want to get alloy shafts up front and I'm 85% sure the passenger's side hub/bearing is shot and 50% sure the driver's side is going out. So they'll be needing replacing soon.

So if I am looking at replacing the shafts with alloys and both hubs, wouldn't the hub conversion kit be a good thing to consider?

Click to expand...

Yeah you are pretty much damned if you do damned if you don't at this point because you are going to be spending money either way.

I happen to like the Warn hub kit that I've got and its held up well. Of course it is more money, but if you are going to polish it, you should polish it right, no half-assing it! That means getting alloy inners with the hub kit (comes with alloy outers as part of the kit).

If you can't afford it, just live with getting new unit hubs.

Yes, get the hubs.
im guilty of a polished 30 in my xj. i now have warn inners and superior r&p. no probs. i used to run a detroit lunchbox and stock shafts. broke 2 at the ear. i reinstalled new spider gears when i put the new inners on. im gonna truss it soon. im gonna stay in the 36" flavor

Im running a D30 also and was in the same boat as you, but I have a place to keep mine on jackstands, know people that can weld, set-up gears, etc. So Im going for an 8lug 44. . I priced unit bearings today at Napa and they were $120 per side. I also just replaced my driver side shaft and u-joint..I can get the 44 axle for $100 complete, so Im not even gonna spend money on the 30, granted I will be spending more getting the 44 ready, ill be much happier in the long run with the 44 over the 30.

My .02cents is, get the hub conversion kit and call it good.

Get the 5 on 5.5 hub conversion, it will push each tire out about .75" then get wheel adapters for the rear http://www.spidertrax.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.18/it.A/id.1249/.f then get new rims, I have this setup with an 8.8 rear and I LOVE IT, I have warn inner alloy shafts as well, go with some CTM or OX u-joints, only weak spot in your 30 left is the pinion, HOPEFULLY the hubs will go before the pinion though, pm me if you have any questions, by the way installing all this is a piece of cake

why should i get the 5.5 kit over the 4.5 kit?

Fitch PM'm you.

returned

FitchVA said:

why should i get the 5.5 kit over the 4.5 kit?

Click to expand...

Well... for one the 5.5 kit comes with premium hubs that are stronger. I was under the impression that with the 5.5 kit, the track does NOT change.

I have the 4.5 kit and yes this kit pushes the wheels out about 3/4" on both sides. These hubs are not as strong as the premium hubs (so they say) but I am glad to have them because in theory the hubs are my weak link. (I'm running Yukon 4.56, ARB, Warn inners and 760 u-joints with full-circle clips). I carry a spare hub so if it breaks I can do an easy trail fix, but luckily I have not had to do that yet. I did quite a bit of searching before I went with this setup and found quite a few guys running it with 35's with good results. Most of them were Wrangler guys too, some even with the LP front axle...

Also most guys won't worry about the front track being slightly wider than the rear. I ran mine that way for a year, but I eventually picked up a pair of 1" wheel spacers for the rear wheels. I'm glad I did that because they make the tracks look equal again but more importantly, I was wanting to be a little wider anyway.

EDIT: Oh yeah.... if I had to do it over I would have gone with even a stronger u-joint, like the OX joints or CTMs just for piece of mind, but so far so good with the 760s.