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Honest D35 Opinion

S

Stroketech

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Mankato MN
Hy guys, I have read just about every rear end thread on the site. Great info for sure. I have just one good question though. I have the D35 in my '88. I plan on playing with it and now how to get off road and have some fun. My question is how will the D35 hold up with gears and about a 33x10.5 tire. I know the D44 and 8.8 are much better but dont have the money right now. For a tire no bigger then that with a set of 4.10 gears will I strip the rear out? I have also heard of upgrading the carrier to use axles with more splines. Just honest opinions on what has or not worked for you.
 
I have been running a 35 with stock 3.55's for 2 years with 33" tires. not great, but it is not making any wierd noises or grinding at all. runs fine, but I dont beat it
 
I bought an 8.8 with 4:10’s and a LDS diff for 200$ which should be less then a set of gears an install kit and a carrier if you need one. If you can weld or know someone that cans it’s an easy swap and you will have discs to.
 
Stroketech said:
Hy guys, I have read just about every rear end thread on the site. Great info for sure. I have just one good question though. I have the D35 in my '88. I plan on playing with it and now how to get off road and have some fun. My question is how will the D35 hold up with gears and about a 33x10.5 tire. I know the D44 and 8.8 are much better but dont have the money right now. For a tire no bigger then that with a set of 4.10 gears will I strip the rear out? I have also heard of upgrading the carrier to use axles with more splines. Just honest opinions on what has or not worked for you.
Click to expand...

Here is what works: Buy a new axle.

Here is what doesn't work: Putting money in a D35.

I've seen far too many of them break on the trail to even want to wheel with someone running one. They are a weak POS axle that can put you in a dangerous situation on the trail if they break at the wrong time and the wheel starts to walk out. I've seen it happen... I've seen it be nearly roll over material on a really bad boulder face... I'd never run one. Spend $300 and get a junkyard 44.
 
You can run it untill it breaks. Hopefully when you break a shaft it will be near your house or a shop. If you want to keep it stock then go ahead. I think what people do wrong is to throw a lot of money into a pretty weak axle with upgraded shafts and gears. The words "polishing a turd" comes to mind when spending money on a Dana 35, but lots of people do it.

I personally ran a Dana 35 with 33's and an open diff for a year before I switched to an 8.8 in the rear and a Dana 44 up front. I call that insurance. I did the swap because I also wanted to put in 4.56's and Detroit lockers, and I really didn't want to spend all that money just to have something break or bend.

My front Dana thirty broke 3.55 gears and an open differential on dry dirt. It blew the ball joints out on the way home and the tire fell off in the driveway.
 
Ive never had any problems with my D35. With 33's, you shouldn't have any problems whatsoever. I know of a kid who has a Cherokee on 34's with a Dana35 who absolutly torchers the poor thing and his hasn't broke at all.
 
If you are going to get serious with wheelin, most everybody on here who is also serious, will tell you to junk it. There is enough bad word about it that you should take that as a hint and not trust it for too much. People don't just say it's bad because they feel like going to a j-yard and ripping out another axle in the mud and gravel. People are just trying to warn you and like said earlier, keep you out of what could potentially be a really sticky situation. Believe us, I'm sure we could all think of a better way to spend $300 (and if you go to a pull-a-part it's not even $100) so if the D35 was sufficient, we'd keep it.

Do some more seaching on here and you'll see. That fact that it's brought up so many times should give it away.
 
I think it depends on the axle. I have a non C clip 35 that I have never broken. Yes, I am going to swap it, but I have been running it for 4 years with no trouble. I have 33x10.50 BFG M/T's and a Lock Right. My reading tells me that the non C clip rear is stronger than the C clip version.
 
A replacement axle is inexpensive enough that wheeling the weak D35 doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. I don't know about you, but my least favorite thing about wheeling is breaking, and I'd much rather have the (relatively) cheap insurance an 8.8 or a D44 gives you. Plus, a stronger axle will give you room to grow - and trust me, you'll upgrade tires eventually.
 
Or go 29 spline 8.25, bolt in swap that is usually very cheap, unless you plan on going bigger than 35s or deeper than 4.56 gears. Theres 2 in the NAC classifieds right now that are priced to move.
 
98XJSport said:
Or go 29 spline 8.25, bolt in swap that is usually very cheap, unless you plan on going bigger than 35s or deeper than 4.56 gears. Theres 2 in the NAC classifieds right now that are priced to move.
Click to expand...
probably the best option, it bolts in and guys that are replacing the stock axles will sell it cheap.
the 88 should have a non-c clip axle, so even if it breaks the wheel won't fall off, but you still can't go anywhere until you fix the shaft.
 
Hey everyone, you'll never guess what happend to me as I was leaving work. I scored an 8.8 4.10 LS for free! Complete setup! Only thing is its out of a Ranger so it has drums but i'm not complaining! I guess working at a Ford Dealer finally paid off!
 
Stroketech said:
Hey everyone, you'll never guess what happend to me as I was leaving work. I scored an 8.8 4.10 LS for free! Complete setup! Only thing is its out of a Ranger so it has drums but i'm not complaining! I guess working at a Ford Dealer finally paid off!
Click to expand...
That is a 28 spline, not a 31 spline like the Explorer 8.8s.
 
I ran a Locked Dana 35 for a LONG time on 33's, and beat the hell out of it. Never broke anything, and then I upgraded to 35's, and drive pretty hard on the 35's and haven't broken anything yet. I have a Dana 44 ready to go in, but I just got lazy and haven't put it in yet. I guess I figure that when the other breaks I will swap it in.
 
Run what you can afford. I wheeled a D35 for many years. I did however carry spare axles and tools. I broke a couple of axles, even with my 2.5L. But if you wait until you have everything perfect, you will miss a lot of fun. Just be carefull. The best drivers use the least skinny pedal.
 
D35 from an XJ with synthetic oil and new seals. 3.73 gears (250,000 miles on them) and although I have a matching front diff, I've been so busy working and moving 3 times the past 4 years I haven't finished the trans/tcase swap!

(didn't have anyplace to work till I built a garage last summer, right before I rolled one of my other trucks and broke a rib)
 
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