Upgraded Dana 30 / ABS Compatability?

I'm currently installing an '87 Dana 44 rear end in my ABS equipped '99 XJ. I have found a way to keep my ABS intact, but before I go ahead with the plan I need to make sure I'm not going to hit a brick wall further down the road. Future plans for my Dana 30 call for either a Superior Super 30 kit or an Alloy USA Grande 30 kit. Does anyone know if these are ABS compatible or not? I've searched and checked both their websites but have found no references to ABS fitment issues.

I just don't want to waste time and money modifying my 44 if upgrading the 30 will prevent me from keeping my ABS anyways. I know, I know... many folks will say any time and money spent modifying my 44 for ABS is time wasted. In the 9 years I've been driving my XJ I think I've only felt it kick in maybe once or twice. But even if it's rarely needed and/or used, it's still comforting knowing it's there.

I know that your ABS system is quite diffrent than the one I took out of mine 1990 Bendix 9 but does your system have tone rings on the front axles??? If so Ive taken those off before but they may be a pain to get back on the new axles. Again I dont know how your system works or what it looks like.

The tone rings for the front axles wont work with aftermarket alloy shafts. I wouldnt waste your time with fitting the rear with ABS either.

Search on how to get rid of the ABS all together.

My .02.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I was assuming machining the alloy shafts to accept tone rings was out of the question. I just wasn't able to determine if ABS compatibility was worked into the original design from the manufacturer. If the front won't/can't work, I guess it's time to give up the rear Dana 44 ABS project...

CanMan said:

Search on how to get rid of the ABS all together.

My .02.

Click to expand...

Time to start on the ABS removal project. I've seen a lot of different opinions out there while searching on the subject. Remove one relay, remove one relay and a bulb, remove multiple relays, remove relay and fuses, remove o-ring from proportioning valve, replace proportioning valve... There doesn't seem to be much agreement on how to best go about doing this. Is there a good link to a write up that you could recommend with definitive answers on how to best go about this? I'd like to just pull out my MC and PV and all other ABS related parts and just replace them with the stock non-ABS setup. Seems like this would be the cleanest and most reliable option.

why don't you machine the tone rings to fit the alloys up front?

i wouldn't ditch ABS so quickly, I plan on keeping mine during my D44 build with disk brakes (abs from a ZJ plugs right in)

why don't you go for ABS up front, and write it up for everyone else?

tomcat said:

why don't you machine the tone rings to fit the alloys up front?

i wouldn't ditch ABS so quickly, I plan on keeping mine during my D44 build with disk brakes (abs from a ZJ plugs right in)

why don't you go for ABS up front, and write it up for everyone else?

Click to expand...

There isn't that much beef on the tone rings to cut, and you'd have to cut a TON of beef out of the shafts to take the rings as they sit.

Well I just called up both Superior Gear and Alloy USA to ask them about ABS compatibility on their upgraded Dana 30 kits. Tech support from both companies advised that while the axles are beefier and the materials are better than the stock components, the dimensions of the part of the assembly where the toner rings fit are identical to the stock dimensions. You just need to remove the toner rings from your factory axles and press them onto the alloys.

For those who said it wouldn't work, do you have some sort of first hand experience that contradicts the information they provided? Or were you just guessing? I know tech support may not be familiar with every application their axles may be used in, but I don't think they would be intentionally giving out false information. Both reps I spoke with sounded very confident and didn't even ask what vehicle I was installing the kit in. I got the impression that all of their kits were designed to accept ABS toner rings so long as it was a factory option for that given model.

Well, I guess maybe the rear Dana 44 ABS project is back on...

i got rid of mine all together on my 90

just bipassed the unit....