to polish or replace? long...

ok before you say search, I have
before you say don't polish a turd, read on.

keep in mind prices to get things up here, add minimum 20% to the US$$ price, than customs, and sometimes brokerage charges.

I recently installed an 8.8 w/discs, detroit. Y-link and stiffiners installed in the next few weeks, going to top out at 5.5" I figure.

to find, and buy, and convert a D44 is not going to be cheap by any stretch of the imagination for me. Wreckers want $500 for a D30... finding a D44 to match my new 8.8 both width and bolt pattern wise is gonna be difficult and pricy. Either finding the right D44, or re-drilling the 8.8 and getting new 5 rims to match and mount the tires again.

The D30, I just redid the balljoints, new RS dif cover, Aussie years ago. But I am dissapointed with the braking, and would like to address that. Strength isn't a big concern, only ever broken one u-joint and I knew it was going to, but it had to happen.

I don't wheel very hard, I rather go slow and finesse the trail, and don't enjoy gassin it in the mud, the odd time I actually get into some. I do prefer difficult trails, and expect to try harder once my Y-links are installed, but my local area isn't to demanding unless you really go looking for it.

I don't want to, nor will I need to go fullwidth in the near future. So taking costs, availability, future use and money already sunk into the D30... am I better off doing the WJ swap, or one of the others (Reid Racing knuckle, Tera high arm, etc) or should I wait it out, find a D44 and spend the time money to swap it in, also re-drilling my 8.8 shafts to match, new rims, etc etc?

Believe me, if I could I would swap a D44 in a second, but its just not that easy here, $$ or otherwise.

Thanks for the help.

a front 44 swap is a very expensive and time consuming project. if you're planning on staying with your 33s for awhile, there is no reason the 30 won't be good for you. plus, like you said, you've already got a bit of money invested into the 30 as it is. i think how you're planning the future of your jeep, whether you want to stay at 33s indefinitely, or are planning on 35s soon, etc, really ought to dictate what upgrades you do with the 30. are the brakes on the 30 new? if not, you may find quite a big increase in braking power simply from some hi performance pads/rotors...

The D30 is everything you need it to be.

I was just checking in 'real quick', packing my suitcase and catching a plane in a couple of hours, but PM me in 3 or 4 days and I can answer every d30 question you can think of.

very quick responses, thanks, and kinda re-enforcing what I was thinking.
to answer, and add.

the brakes will need to be replaced by the new year, DD duty is done for this thing, but I want to keep it road worthy as weather occasionally requires something better than the VW during the winter months here.
also, while doing the bjoints, I noticed the knuckle where the brake pads make contact at the top, has worn away a divot and now the inside wears faster than the outside (pass side).

I will eventually goto 35's, but at that time I may also go for a dif t-case (stakD300 4:1?) instead of re-gearing again... dang inchitis!!

I can source and swap the WJ knuckle, brakes and new steering... but it will be time consuming & costly. The D44, will be very time consuming, and costly out the yingyang... Cal I will be taking you up on that offer, thanks.

Cal definitely knows his stuff when it comes to the 30, you can read all that he has to offer with confidence that it is good and accurate information