• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Keep or Not?

S

southernrebel20

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Georgia
I've got a '99 XJ with the 29 spline 8.25 out back that is open and has 3.55 in it. There is a guy who has a dana 44 for sale with the factory limited slip and 3.55's for $350. Should I grab the 44 or stick and aussie in my 8.25? For reference, i've got 31's and dont plan on any more than 33's. What would you do??
 
stick with the 8.25 and put an aussie in it.

if your going to go with 33's, the 8.25 will be fine. 4.56 gearing with 33's would be nice.
 
stick with the 8.25. its plenty strong for 33s. i wheeled one for over a year with 35s locked, and had zero problems with it. i only built an 8.8 because i wanted 5:13s. if you KNOW you wont be going any bigger then 33s then the 8.25 is plenty strong
 
southernrebel20 said:
I've got a '99 XJ with the 29 spline 8.25 out back that is open and has 3.55 in it. There is a guy who has a dana 44 for sale with the factory limited slip and 3.55's for $350. Should I grab the 44 or stick and aussie in my 8.25? For reference, i've got 31's and dont plan on any more than 33's. What would you do??
Click to expand...

I will be the first to say go with the 44. You dont plan on going bigger than 33's but without knowing anything about you i would still hazard a guess that you may want to eventually. 350 for a L.S. factory XJ 44 is a good deal-on the plus side it matches your front gears so no rush on re-gearing. Another point is that allot of guys who want to upgrade their dana35 will buy your 29 spline 8.25 bringing the overall cost of the 44 down even more.
 
I say six of one and half a dozen of the other...

The 8.25 is planty strong for what you say you want to do. The Aussie locker will run you about $250. So the total cost there would be about $250. However if the D44 is a limited slip and you swap that in and sell your 8.25 them potentially you could wind up with a stronger axle and similar performance to being aussie locked at a lower price...depending on what you get out of the 8.25.

At this point the decision to me would be based on wether or not you want to do the work to swap the axle out or just slap an aussie in. Neither project is too taxing from a technical standpoint.

In my personal opinion, I would go with the D44. Leaves room for upgrades later when the bug bites again.

Matt
 
good advice. On the VERY low side you could give away your 8.25 for 150. More likely to get 200-250. That would put you between 100-200 dollars for the 44. Its stronger and cheaper than buying an aussie. I know you dont see much snow down in Georgia but i know from experience that there are slick icy roads. If this is your daily driver you may want to re-think an auto locker in your rear axle. That is a completely different debate, but something to consider if you havnt already.
 
Get the d44 and then put a locker up front if you find that you really need one.
 
For $350 it isn't worth it for an XJ D44. You already have an axle that is hardly any difference in strength. What's the point?!?!?!
 
As of now, I'm leaning towards the limited slip 44 only because its about the same price as a Aussie locker for my 8.25, and if i get it, then i can sell the 8.25 to someone who needs to get rid of a D35. I'll see if he's still got it.
 
The 8.25 plenty strong. and the limited slip will not give anywhere near the traction the aussie will. also how many miles on the 44 limited slip? chances are it's probably worn out.
 
so its a factory, 1987 lsd? good luck with that... those clutch packs can buy beer!
remove the lsd as a plus, and change it into what it is... a slight negative (gotta replace the carrier for any real gearing anyway...)


unless you plan to build up the 44, stick with the 8.25
$350 is lazy man price around these parts.... hows your junkyards around you?

if your re-gearing, its nice to build up the rear axle, then drop it in once its done, which would mean a new rear end, at which point comes the question: why build a 8.25?
 
I was able to score a HP D44 and a 9" at the junk yard here for 150 plus they pulled the truck out and cut the axles out for me.
 
Hmmm, I did not think about the clutch packs. Ha as you said, "they are old enough to buy beer!!" It would be a gamble whether or not they would work. I do plan on 4.10's in the future. Dang it! I'm stuck, I can't decide!!!
 
southernrebel20 said:
Hmmm, I did not think about the clutch packs. Ha as you said, "they are old enough to buy beer!!" It would be a gamble whether or not they would work. I do plan on 4.10's in the future. Dang it! I'm stuck, I can't decide!!!
Click to expand...

if it has LSD and the clutch packs are worn then guess what you are no worse off than you're stock 8.25!

quit over-thinking and get the D44!

dayum!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
2000 xj aw4 on 34s 4.88 or 5.13
2 3
Replies
49
Views
5K
Andre2000
A
S
96 XJ rear axle ratio
Replies
3
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
G
Remove no-slip for trutrac???
Replies
9
Views
2K
Grandmasxj
G
Root Moose
Mild Lifting with OEM Parts
Replies
12
Views
1K
Tim_MN
Tim_MN
ZomBrady
Things are looking up or how a couple of XJs gave me back my life
Replies
6
Views
172
ZomBrady
ZomBrady
Back
Top