D35 weakpoints

FYI: this is in continuation to a thread last week on 3.07's to 4.56...

As we all know the D35 is not the strongest, so Should I invest in mine. Im upgrading to 4.56, yukon chromolly shafts and locked. I dont plan to run anything over 32-33's the MAX. I know the D35 does not hold well on big wheels, but Im not going big will this become an issue.

I plan to take it slow, since I know with the new gears and locked I wont have a problem with lots of stuff.

So the question is......Should I invest which Im a week away from doing the purchase? And what are the main things to worry about on the 35? And what makes it weak?

Thanks

Is it a c clip axle or not?

Not to sure how can I tell?

Crashed post on the D35 sums up what I saw in JP mag, issue 3 or 4.
It did not cover the Super 35 upgrade he is contemplating.

Here's the deal:
It's all about money and what makes sense.

If you drive it like you have to drive it home, then a stock D35 with lockers and 31's will be good. If you thrash on it trying for the Nth time to get up some obsticle that you think you should be able to make, then it will fail.
On my old XJ I ran a D35, locked with 4.56 gears and 31's. No issues.
I currently run a D35, locked, with 33X12.5X15s on the YJ, 4:10 gears and it had given good service on/off-road, but I am aware of the Jeeps limitations and don't push it.
I also know of folks that have the stock D35, locked, with 3.55 gears and 32's that have good service with that combo.

If you want the absolute in dependability, add the CM axles, but be aware that for that price, you can get a 97' and up 8.25 (29 spline) or a D44 and just bolt it in (With some minor adjustments to DS length) and have larger axle shafts and tubes and generally better brakes (The 8.25 comes with 10"X 2.5" shoes, not sure about the D44.)

I'm not a big fan of a D-35 but one advantage it has over the 8.25 is ground/rock clearence. The 8.25 can be shaved but it still will not have as much clearence.

xjtrailrider said:

I'm not a big fan of a D-35 but one advantage it has over the 8.25 is ground/rock clearence. The 8.25 can be shaved but it still will not have as much clearence.

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The same is true for any axle that has a bigger carrier.

I shaved the 8.25 on my 98' and have been very pleased with the results.

Crash says that polishing a turd is what you are doing and you still end up with a turd.

Just go easy on the gas pedal and the dana 35 will serve you well.

If you still think you are using too much throttle for a particular situation (like if you are in a boulder field), run your a/c. No I'm not kidding.

Running the a/c while wheeling does reduce the power/torque but it makes the application of power to the rest of the drivetrain much smoother (slower response).

This could give the dana 35 just enough of an advantage over the motor to survive with bigger tires.

Dont do it.

I just had two wheeling weekends where D35 blew up (both in TJ's). One was Aussie locked in Crozet, one was Detroit locked with a Super 35 kit which failed on a simple 3' ledge climb along a fire road.

For the Aussie the problem was limited to the shaft so it was quick fix that I just watched and provided moral support, tools and fluids. At least stock D35 parts are easy to find because no one who really wheels wants the darn things so the are laying around all over the place.

In the case of the Detroit a front D30 Chromo outer shaft broke silently (a long story and very strange smooth shearing of the shaft inside the unit bearing). The owner thought the ARB had given up. Anyhow when the front end stopped pulling the transfer of load to the D35 led to its instant destruction. It was non C clip D35 so the rig would roll. We towed it, the front wheel came off and the D30 axle hit a rock instantly and peeled back ripping off the axle mounts and destroying the control arms.

Why do I tell you this? Why is it relevant?
Because if the D35 had been a D44 it would not have destroyed itself and the rig would have had rear wheel drive and we could have used the winch and ratchet straps to replace the control arms and the rig could have been towed or driven in RWD off the mountain using the spare shafts and unit bearings I carry for the Dana 30. No one has spares for a Super 35. With both a destroyed front end and a broken D35 we had to replace the WHOLE D30 ASSEMBLY on the trail to get him home in FWD. This led to a long chilly 4th of July night at 4500 feet in a driving rain storm wrenching on the dang thing to get the guy off the "mountain" and a hellacous effort on the part of many others to get a new D30 up to us.

A 6 hour trail ride turned into an 30 hour "unforgettable" experience.

Do yourself and your trail buddies a favor DONT USE A DANA 35 for anything other than mall crawling or a boat anchor.

Friends Dont Let Friends Wheel on Dana 35's.

John

I used to run a d35 with 32" AT's, open diff, 3.55's. I broke a spider gear and a shaft, at the same time, making a u-turn in a dirt staging area. Got a little wheelspin and it hooked up, *boom*. I was in an 87 cherokee with an 18 year old 4.0, and while spinning the tires, not floored.

Why waste your money? Look at what you are about to spend, and consider that for only $200 or so more you can be in an 8.8, d44, or 8.25 that will not only hold up to what you already plan to do, but what you don't yet know you are going to do in 30 months.

Everybody thinks that the dana 35 is a junk axle. But it isn't. Why? Because of safety regulations. If it truly was a crappy axle it would have never been put under our Jeeps to begin with (or been recalled immediately).

The real problem is that people don't understand that the dana 35 was designed with certain limits in mind. If those design limits are exceeded, the axle will break. And when the axle does break, it is noone's fault but the operator's. Not Jeep, nor the engineers at Jeep, not anyone. They provided us an axle that is designed to provide reliable service for several hundred thousand miles within the limits of its design.

Noone should act suprised when the axle blows up when it had to deal with huge tires and/or lockers, because it wasn't designed for that.

All these horror stories are from people who abused the axle. Yes, I consider locking the dana 35 with big tires "abuse". Even the super 35 kit doesn't change the fact that its a dana 35 to begin with.

If I had the intentions of going big, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a dana 44 front AND rear.

But since my XJ is my daily driver, it has a very modest budget boost with 29" all terrains and open diffs, and I've never broken the dana 35, and probably never will, because I'm still with the design limits. I'm also a very slow off roader, and when my throttle control gets too touchy, I turn on the a/c like I said above.

j99xj good for you. stay small, stay open, stay on the porch.

I think the D35 is junk because I see them break all the time (unless its at the mall where it was designed to be).

now read the first post.

4.56's, 32's or 33's, locked.

John

Zuki-Ron said:

The same is true for any axle that has a bigger carrier.

I shaved the 8.25 on my 98' and have been very pleased with the results.

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Point well taken, I'm shaving my 8.25 soon, should have done it when I set up the 4.10's and had it out on the bench.

i beat the piss out of my jeep. its a 96 and its all stock with the d35. i havent broken it only for the reason that i havent added anything to it yet but i know once i put the 6.5" lift on with the 34" super swampers i got its going to explode like a rocket on the 4th of july. so to mr. limitations up there, yes it works when its stock or slightly modified. but i plan on wheeling in something a little thicker than a rain puddle at the end of my driveway.

nosigma said:

j99xj good for you. stay small, stay open, stay on the porch.

I think the D35 is junk because I see them break all the time (unless its at the mall where it was designed to be).

now read the first post.

4.56's, 32's or 33's, locked.

John

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stay small,stay open,and stay on the porch
:roflmao:
that phrase should be made into a sticker

I watched 2 35's go in Moab this year and have heard ton of bad stories.

The 1st one was in a dirt wash that had a little sand. The XJ’s and truck in our group were all shocked on the location it had broken since it was an area where a car would have made it. I believe this Wrangler was on 33’s.

The other was a Super 35 on a Jeep with 33's. This was on an ok obstacle. All the XJ’s went up without an issue. The Wrangler’s driver was not best and gave it a little to much gas while bouncing around. I would have to put this one on the driver.

I had a 35 in mine and after watching everyone break and hearing stories of breaking I put in a 44. If you are planning to wheel the FJ or TM area I would go with an 8.25 or a 44. If you keep the 35 I would carry spares!

nosigma said:

j99xj good for you. stay small, stay open, stay on the porch.

I think the D35 is junk because I see them break all the time (unless its at the mall where it was designed to be).

now read the first post.

4.56's, 32's or 33's, locked.

John

Click to expand...

I will. Staying small and open (or limited slip) is what the axle was engineered for. It is also necessary for me to note that bigger isn't always better (at least for the trails I wheel in Colorado). In CO, you must have a relatively low Jeep. There are numerous reasons for this. One of which is that there are a lot of low tree limbs that would stop and do serious damage to tall Jeeps. Second, for steep climbs, you need to keep the center of gravity as low as possible in order to prevent roll over. I'm a hunter, and I need my Jeep to get me in and out of places without breaking, and thats why it is build mildly.

I promise you the dana 35 was designed for off road use. Just not off road use with lockers and really big tires. The dana 35 was never offered with a locker, and there was a reason for this. When Jeep made the TJ rubicon, they upgraded the axles because they knew it would need it with the lockers.

I may have a small Jeep, but I have a lot more money in my pocket because of it that I spend on more important things in life.

I understand what everybody is saying, so I will carry some extra shafts, even some junkyard carries. But with speaking with others I have been told I will be OK, but If it breaks on something small and stupid, I would definatley consider a D44 or 8.8.


Well I'll try it for a few rides, need to see how it works out before I hit ur TDS 2008 and Moab in 2008. But its not a DD its only a trail rig.

Wounded- nestime we go out hopefully you can jin us, and see if you were right.


And for that saty on the porch comment, man that was Hillarious! :laugh:

I still have the origional 35 under my '91. Untill I got it several years ago, i am sure that it had not even had the diff oil changed. It wheeled great through the stock phase, and through the budget lift and K&N stage. Now I am pushing 33'' tires and a 4.7L torque moster.

Lets just say it is on the way out. I am looking for a D44 or a 9'', because I am going to 4.56 and looking to mod out the engine some more. The 44 also gives me more options for stuff likes brakes and lockers.

The 35 was a great axel to start with, but with the locker and gears you are looking at, it will not hold up.