Front Axle Swap..which one?

All this talk lately about axle swaps, I am considering it. I would like to do it if I can find one that has manual locking hubs already installed. I wanted disc brakes and went with the 8.8. What could I get that wouldn't be insanely difficult to swap to. I don't want to cut tubes...I will weld mounts though. I want something that will compliment my 8.8. The front end does not have to be out of a jeep.

Any suggestions?

Cipey

cutting and turning the knuckles isnt that bad. just grind the weld down turn the knuckle to your desired settings and re weld. easies would prob be a waggy. right width. get in touch with tntcustoms to get a truss with brackets and all. do a search, thie has been covered to quite an extenet and you could find some very good information. Look for crashs article on axle swaos as well as a title of dana custom width and tech or something along those lines.

1980+ waggy 44 with no vac disco is the easiest swap.

what i would do is use ford hubs and rotors to get 5 on 5.5" lug pattern in front and either wheel spacers/adapters or a super 8.8 kit to get the back end to the same lug pattern and width.

you may have to cut and turn the knuckles depending on how much lift you have unless you can live with a terrible pinion angle.

609. Do it.

ktm racer 419 said:

1980+ waggy 44 with no vac disco is the easiest swap..

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whats' a "waggy 44"? I'm not familiar with a lot of the jargon sometimes.
I would like to go with something that comes as close to bolt in as you can get with the manual hubs. welding brackets on is about as far as I can go..I'd have to pay someone to do the other stuff and i want to watch the budget as best as I can this time (useless, but I'll try) Didn't the cj5 have manual hubs? iF SO, how hard would that be to modify to get it into my 98 xj? if this become impossible, mabey I'll just gussie up my d30 and try to find a used warn hub conversion somewhere. But i'd really like to build a front axle. The 8.8 was fun to do.

Cipey

A waggy 44 is from a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, one of the fullsize Jeeps. It is the same width as the XJ axles. The waggy had dana 44's front and rear. The front is a low pinion 6 lug dana 44 that has spring under axle leaf perches on it. You would need to cut these off then weld on control arm brackets, or just TNT's truss. To get manual hubs, you would need to do what KTM said, get the ford hubs and you will then have a 5 on 5.5 pattern.

For the amount of money you would spend on a warn conversion kit for the 30, you will probably be better off going for a waggy 44, or having someone cut a HP d44 for you.

If I remember correctly, the CJ5 axle is too narrow.

Begster said:

If I remember correctly, the CJ5 axle is too narrow.

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well if the begster is telling me its too narrow, spacers won't make a diff, 'cuz I know you have said so!!

anyway, a "waggy" front end and ford hubs.what year waggie didn't have vac disco? was it a cetain axle and gear combo or just hodge-podge? what year ford? and are the hubs "bolt on" or is it gonna take a lot of work. do you know of a write up i could check out.
Sorry '[bout asking so many questions, but I know I need to be specific!

Please Direct and thanks!

Cipey

1980-92 or something, vac disco years were around 82-84

iirc the ford hubs will bolt in, im sure just about every year ford dana44 will work for you.

look at the axle swap sticky at the top of this forum and go to "44 tech" has everything you need to know

Also, www.broncograveyard.com.

Has a ton of stuff you could use for a D44, including the 5 on 5.5 hubs you would want. I'll be ordering some stuff off this site in a couple days for my D44 build.

X2 on Bronco graveyard...

Well, looking around and the mods and time required, I think what I am going to do is polish up the sneaker. New allow shafts and locker. I won't be going higher than 33's on this heep, (famous last words!) it is used on the street and back roads, beaches ect, so i'm not worried about busting it up.

I read about using YJ or ZJ calipers for the front brakes...whats up with that? I definatly want to go with a hub conversions....used that is..one on ebay the other day for 500 buy it now, but i let it go. sounded kinda pricey for me. mabey someone could tell me if I screwed up.

are there any other hub conversions out there? any other vehicle have man. hubs that i coax onto the d30?


Thanks.

Cipey

all the work polishing that d30 can be done much easier on the bench.... my vote is for a swap, if your still taking votes...

53guy said:

609. Do it.

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Yep.

xcm said:

all the work polishing that d30 can be done much easier on the bench.... my vote is for a swap, if your still taking votes...

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I have a spare front d30 (free) already at the yard out of a 97 xj..I figured I'd work on that one..

Cipey

There's always this:

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=80707

It's a sticky in this forum because it's been discussed um....4325924752565672345056978 times at last count.

!!!1

mud1059 said:

There's always this:

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=80707

It's a sticky in this forum because it's been discussed um....4325924752565672345056978 times at last count.

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make that 432592475256567234505697 and 9!!:compwork: :looney:

I checked it out..that was the first place I went..thank you..it had a ton of good stuff I noticed though lots of guys have tried newer or diff things since the sticky was writen. Just want to get the best bang for buck.The more ideas the better and the exchange of ideas on a new thread can be quite titillating!!!

anyway, i found a used mile marker hub conversion in wreacked 94xj with a d30 but it has no hubs. I'm thinking someone didn't know what they had. i scooped it up from the junk guy. Can I use warn hubs with the MM or do have to get MM Hubs?

Thanks

Cipey

Wow, rarely to people read those before posting. You have shocked me and I apologize! I have no idea if those are swappable.

Assumption: When they engineer conversions like that, they'll engineer it to take a hub they already manufacture if at all possible. If this is the case, Warn makes the same ones.

Before you do a swap, I would stop and consider how hard you are planning to wheel with it.

Chris @ GATR said:

Before you do a swap, I would stop and consider how hard you are planning to wheel with it.

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not hard...I'm not an axle breaker, i hear its a lot of fun, but alas, i need this pig to get me around as a dd! (although anything can happen, I might have a cat fall out of my ass one day and go nuts on the trailz!) Meaning moderate, mostly in muddy, loose soil or sand..no rocks.

keeping it on 33''s thats as big as my lift allows...about 5.5...prob. more like 5 now. I don't want to do any fender trimming and i like the height. this is why, now that i spoke to alot of folks on the forum, i'm going to keep the d30. The 44 would be nice, but by the time i find one, do the mods its going to get very expensive. i already have a spare d30 and 4.56 gears....new or used alloy shafts and a locker and possibly the MM componants that i need...i figure 800-1000. a d44 with the toys i want is prob gonna be about 1200-1500 the i hear it, an extra 500 goes a long way toward something else...i think.
also i now figure that i d44 would be a waste because i am just not goiing to need it. the abuse (hopefully) will just not be there.


Oh and by the way, i hear a lot about fords..did any fords use a dana 30 with man hubs? is it possible, with thier system to modify it a an xj d30. just asking...i just put on the nomex....get your flame throwers ready!!!!!



Cipey

Good point. I've wheeled the everliving hell out of mine. I still run the stock 30 with a Aussie and haven't broken anything due to stress. I did walk a cap out once though.