when to consider upgrading axles

[texassteel]

I bought a jeep not to long ago and new to the jeep world so i need some advice i currently have 32's on 5inches of lift but to get to the point im lifting it to 7ish inches and was thinking 33's or 35's should i upgrade my axles if i go to 35's any advice is appreciated.

thanks

[etkeeny]

What axles do you have now?

[GhostDakota]

Your front D30 should be fine for 35's, depending how you drive. If you have a D44 rear you're good up to and above 37's. 8 1/4 rear I'd say up to 37's as well. This ALL depends how you wheel and what condition everything is in. If you have a 35 rear, ditch it and go with a 95+ Ford Explorer 8.8 rear with disc brakes. 4.10's would be nice.. and a LSD. These are quite common. If you find a TJ D30 with 4.10's to match, you'd be set!

FWIW: I blew up my Dana 35 within 6 months of purchasing my rig. It had 120k miles on it though and I beat the heck out of my rig as well.

[goodburbon]

Your front D30 should be fine for 35's, depending how you drive. If you have a D44 rear you're good up to and above 37's. 8 1/4 rear I'd say up to 37's as well. This ALL depends how you wheel and what condition everything is in. If you have a 35 rear, ditch it and go with a 95+ Ford Explorer 8.8 rear with disc brakes. 4.10's would be nice.. and a LSD. These are quite common. If you find a TJ D30 with 4.10's to match, you'd be set!


DUDE WHAT?!?!?!



:roflmao:

please be nice to the newb.

d-30's start to break somewhere in the 33" range depending on driver
d-35's start to break at about the same point.
d-44's start to break around 36-37"
C 8.25 is a tiny bit weaker.

33's with 4.10 is ok
33's with 4.56 is better
35's with 4.56 is good
35's with 4.88 is awesome

[GhostDakota]

DUDE WHAT?!?!?!

:roflmao:

please be nice to the newb.

d-30's start to break somewhere in the 33" range depending on driver
d-35's start to break at about the same point.
d-44's start to break around 36-37"
C 8.25 is a tiny bit weaker.

33's with 4.10 is ok
33's with 4.56 is better
35's with 4.56 is good
35's with 4.88 is awesome

I'm being nice ;-) I guess it really all depends on the driver. From my personal experience what I listed is what I've seen. That's not to say I haven't seen a D30 break with 31's or a D44 break on 32's ;-)

In regards to gearing.. I was saying go with 4.10's if he ends up upgrading axles. It's cheaper to find an 8.8 with discs and LSD with 4.10's and a D30 from a TJ with 4.10's that almost bolt right in (cutting/welding of new perches on the 8.8 for example). If he went with regearing and putting in a locker and what not, it'll cost anywhere from $200-$500 per axle just to do that job, not to mention an install kit, new carrier if needed, the gears themselves, etc. I'll shush though :-D

[goodburbon]

tj d-30 is low pinion and a poor choice for replacement especially someone wanting to run 7 inches of lift. an xj d-30 from a 4 cyl would be a good match if the goal was 4.10 which is ok with 33's on flat ground, but not great on the highways with hills.

[texassteel]

k i have a d30 upfront and the 8.25 in the rear with a auburn gear LSD and it has randy's ring and pinion 3.73's front and back as far as a driver i dont beat on my jeep at all i like to take it nice and slow and not fly through anything unless i have too.

[GhostDakota]

k i have a d30 upfront and the 8.25 in the rear with a auburn gear LSD and it has randy's ring and pinion 3.73's front and back as far as a driver i dont beat on my jeep at all i like to take it nice and slow and not fly through anything unless i have too.

I'd say you're good where you are at, with 33's. You may look at upgrading your shafts with Alloy or Superior just to make it a little stronger. If you want to run 35's, I'd consider a regear and the stronger shafts. I am running 33's with stock shafts, 5.5" lift, and 3.55 gearing and have no problems. It'd be nice to have 4.56's though :)

Here's info related to gearing and tire size:

http://www.quadratec.com/jeep_knowledgebase/article-26.htm

[texassteel]

thanks for that article helps a lot my buddy has 4:56's and is running 35's and that thing is awsome on and offroad thats def what id go to if i did go with 35's.

[GhostDakota]

thanks for that article helps a lot my buddy has 4:56's and is running 35's and that thing is awsome on and offroad thats def what id go to if i did go with 35's.

No problem. That page helps me out a lot as well. I'm still pondering whether to do the swap I discussed above (8.8 rear with 4.10's, matching front HP30), or regearing... I'd be happier with the regear, but the swap would be cheaper. Hmmm... Decisions... :)