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i searched, but i dont think this has ever been asked.

NorCalChris

NAXJA Forum User
i havea 90 cherokee. that im building. ive already put on a 4.5 RE kit. with spacers and longer shackles, it totals about 5.5 inchs. perfect for me, but i still have the stock d35. well, i know a guy who will sell me a 8.8 for $175. its installed on a 93 cherokee that he's parting out.
now for my question.
should/would this axle swapp directly into my jeep?. im using a 4.5 lift, its coming out of a jeep with a 4in lift.
the way i look at it is, the axle should just bolt in? possibly, i doubt it will be that easy, but its worth my time to try.

thanks in advance.


by the way, it has the 3:73 gearing .
 
Yeah it will work and thats a good find, you saved some work and some coin. The front may have to be re-geared to match. What is your current ratio?
 
factory is 3.55 if you have an auto.

Do it. I was lucky enough to find someone parting out his totalled XJ and scored an 8.8 already set up from him. The 8.8 will net you another 3/4" lift in the rear due to thicker tubes. If its under an XJ, it will just bolt in though.

To gear match you may want to make him an offer for his front axle. I got the front axle out of the one I got my 8.8 from so that I wouldn't have to re-gear
 
Note, I think you will need different U-bolts for a 35 to 8 1/4 swap as the 8 1/4 has 3 in axle tubes.
 
Pinion angle will be slightly off. Shims are an easy fix for that.



I assume we are talking about a 95+ 8.8 out of a xploder with disks and 31 spline shafts.
 
norcalchris said:
i will need different u bolts, but im just going to take his, and i didnt realize i have different gearing, i should ask for his front too,

I wouldnt re-use U-bolts....I'd get some new ones....
 
JNickel101 said:
I wouldnt re-use U-bolts....I'd get some new ones....

I re-used the ones on my 8.8. Of course it hadn't been on the Cherokee that long.

Almost a year later no problems
 
This is a really stoopid question...

...but can you just re-gear one axle at a time? ie, I want to lock and gear the rear end only. Will this break stuff if the front is still stock?!
 
IslanderOffRoad said:
Of course it hadn't been on the Cherokee that long.

Exactly...

I would suggest getting new U-Bolts....

:eeks1:
 
Check to see what spring packs he is using and look at the difference between the 2 side by side if you can before he takes it out that will help identify alot of things that could come up.
 
xL8 APEKSx said:
This is a really stoopid question...

...but can you just re-gear one axle at a time? ie, I want to lock and gear the rear end only. Will this break stuff if the front is still stock?!

yes, however you cannot put it in 4wd, or you will blow up your transfer case.

I drove around with mine mismatched for a couple weeks. Alot of guys recommend you pull the front shaft, or put something over the t-case handle to remind yourself. I had no reason to go into 4wd, so I didn't.
 
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You don't even want to know how many times I have reused ubolts...
 
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