Re-gear or re-axle?

Okay, take the following scenario as if you were ME, so consider cost as well as performance.

I have a 8.25 29 spline out back, its got new brakes and new wheel brearings/wheel cylinders and new axle seals. All that was $500 worth of work. Its also got a diff protector already on it. Front axle will be a 4.10 geared HP30 stock (my current HP30 is bent here and there with a leaking pinion seal, has new wheel bearings and brakes but theyre the hub assembly type bearings so i can just unbolt them and keep 'em for my new HP30 with 4.10s if that one needs them ever...)


OPTION A:
It does the job fine, i want to add 35" tires, not locked because its gonna be a daily driver i dont need all that clicking but i might put an LSD in there, light rebuild a track lock for a least a little traction then throw an aussie up front.

OPTION B:
I buy a 8.8 with disks, LSD, and 4.10s. Most likely ill need to do wheel bearings at some point and seals and stuff.... Might be overkill for 35" tires since ill just be running just the track lock in this, too (no big fancy detroit, only reason im locking the front is A) aussies are quiet, B) easy to install, C) cheap, and D) its a front axle...).

I really dont wanna throw a perfectly good 8.25 because its a pretty stout axle, i know its rated to handle 35s unlocked or 33s locked but could it do 35s LSD'd???? I mean im sure it could, but is an LSD more like an open carrier or more like a locker?

this is the diff cover thats on it.... its got that plus $500 of seals and bearings it already i just dont wanna part with it '


did i mention i cant weld?

Go do Like I just did and get a HP dana 44 front and a 9" rear. Oh and gear...its more better. But hey somewhere along the way I figured go bigger than you really need to save on parts and labor down the road.

The 8.25 will hold up fine to moderate wheeling on 35's, especially not locked. The LSD won't hurt it thats for sure. You can always throw a set of shafts in it for a little more piece of mind.

Keep in mind that 4.10's may be kind of shitty on 35's.

yea im wheeling 3.07s on 32s and it doesnt bother me, so i figure 4.10s couldnt hurt. It wont exactly be fast but whatever. So an LSD trak lock wont hurt it, will i be able to instlal this myself? Or does this include messing with gears?

emr1101 said:

Okay, take the following scenario as if you were ME, so consider cost as well as performance.

I have a 8.25 29 spline out back, its got new brakes and new wheel brearings/wheel cylinders and new axle seals. All that was $500 worth of work.

Click to expand...

I hope that wasn't just for parts.

emr1101 said:

my current HP30 is bent here and there with a leaking pinion seal, has new wheel bearings and brakes but theyre the hub assembly type bearings so i can just unbolt them and keep 'em for my new HP30 with 4.10s if that one needs them ever...)

Click to expand...

What year are the axles? If they have the same knuckles ('90-'01 were the same, '84-'89 were the same) then yes you can just unbolt the whole hub with the shafts still attached, and carry them around as spares. I've been carrying mine around for a while now.

mattyj said:

The 8.25 will hold up fine to moderate wheeling on 35's, especially not locked. The LSD won't hurt it thats for sure. You can always throw a set of shafts in it for a little more piece of mind.

Keep in mind that 4.10's may be kind of shitty on 35's.

Click to expand...

What he said....

I have been on that axle with 33s for a good two or three years, and fortunately it has worked well for me!

Begster said:

I hope that wasn't just for parts.



What year are the axles? If they have the same knuckles ('90-'01 were the same, '84-'89 were the same) then yes you can just unbolt the whole hub with the shafts still attached, and carry them around as spares. I've been carrying mine around for a while now.

Click to expand...

As for the front, from my research its looking like a 98-99 (or something like that) has the HP30 in the front reardless of gears, get a 4 cyl (regardless of auto or manual) and ill have 4.10s. Ill just look up those 2 specs and see what i can get at the junk yard. Itll be a axle similar to the year in my XJ, so i think that i might hit up the junkyard for that.



But no it was like $476 parts and labor, all seals fluid bearings wheel cylinders brakes and break rebuild hardware kit... like i said, a lot of stuff in it. Plus already got a diff protector for it. Would i be able to rebuild a junkyard track lock and put it in myself?