Dana 30/35 (kinda long)

Ok might belong in Mod tech or here not sure so here it is.

first specs..I have a 96 country model, 4" lift, 242tcase, auto tranny, 4.0eng.
stock D30 (tore up) stock D35, EZ Locker not yet installed. 3.55 gears

Is a jeep dana 30 a jeep dana 30 or are there differences in a 4cy to a 6cy or a wrangler to an XJ. My 30 in my xj is smoked, ring and pinion destroyed, so rather than pay the $$ to regear and lock and all I was thinking of picking up a junkyard axle with 3.73's and locking it and calling it quits. This is not a DD in fact I am off road only with it.Is this possible.

Now same question with the dana 35. I already have a detroit EZ locker for the rear but the axle is geared 3.55. are all 35's the same? and can I install 3.73 gears into the stock current housing? so if I buy some used 3.73's from any 35 is it good or do I need a specific year, make, model and all?

I know everyone is going to say go to 4.11's, 4.56, or even 4.88, but I'd rather not change my axel housinds if not needed and I think 3.73 should fit in stock housings. Am i right?

Part 3. If I can use 3.73's in my current 35 does anyone have some for sale reasonable? Used is OK I just wanna get rolling again.

Anyone Know answers to my questions? Anyone??

I dont really understand what you are trying to do but let me be the first to say you will kick yourself in the ass if you pay to regear from 3.55 to 3.73

I know everyone is going to say go to 4.11's, 4.56, or even 4.88, but I'd rather not change my axel housinds if not needed and I think 3.73 should fit in stock housings. Am i right?

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change housings? you can put ANY of those gear ratio's into a dana 30 or 35. though someome will make a coment about how crappy the D 35 is and tell you to get a D44 or 8.8 before you regear.

i think little more research should be done about regearing and the like since you say...

I am off road only with it

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you probably want to change your housings, and the rest of the axle to go with it if is a trail rig..

just my 2 cents

I'll try to help.

As far as the regear goes, you're gonna have to get a new carrier for the D30 if you wanna go to 3.73. So if that's your only problem you can go 4.10 if you actually want.
As for the D35 you won't have to change the carrier on that to go to a hogher gear.

Housings (I assume you mean the entire axle assembly), If you want a D30 housing, obviously get a passenger side pumpkin. However the brackets will be different on leaf sprung -vs- coil sprung. IIRC a Grand ZJ D30 will be compatible with an XJ, not entirely sure and possibly a TJ (best to find out more from someone whose done this swap).

I think he's trying to avoid buying new carriers for the lower ratios...

The D35 carrier break is 3.55 and UP so you could go 3.73, 4.10 etc...without changing out the carrier.

The 30 breaks at 3.73 and up...anything beyond 3.55 will need another carrier...no way around that, sorry.

your 96 should have a high pinion (reverse cut gears) housing. This is about as desirable as a 30 comes...especially if it has the larger UJ shafts. IIRC in 1999 or 2000 they went to a low pinion (TJ type) 30. IIRC YJ D30s are low pinion and lack the axle brackets to mount under an XJ. Some 'early' 30s had booted CV shafts (boo!) instead of traditional UJs.There were some hub/rotor changes, so try to stick with similar year parts.

Some options:

Find axles out of a 4 cyl XJ which 'should be' 4.10 ratio. Swap these in directly and not mess with the gear setup... If you find an open diff rear, toss in your locker. Keep spare shafts for later

Swap in a 29 spline 8.25 rear (gears more $ than Dana, supposedly easier to setup), 8.8 ford (factory 4.10, limited slip, and discs in V8 models) Dana 44 from XJ/MJ (bigger drums than 35 or 8.25, 3.73-down or 3.92-up carriers.) All these are approx the correct width and wheel lug pattern. The 8.8 and MJ axles will need spring & shock brackets welded on.

HTH

dont' mean to hijack your thread...but I've heard that I needed to switch my D35 carrier to go from 3:55 to 4:56. This thread says otherwise, anyone want to confirm this for me??

If you want a D30 housing, obviously get a passenger side pumpkin

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i might be retarded, but isnt the D30 pumpkin on the driver's side?

dana 30 = driver side

you are correct
pass go and collect 200 dollars :greensmok

NCSUcherokee said:

i might be retarded, but isnt the D30 pumpkin on the driver's side?

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OOps, Brain fart.Duuuuhhhh :dunce:

xjblaine said:

dont' mean to hijack your thread...but I've heard that I needed to switch my D35 carrier to go from 3:55 to 4:56. This thread says otherwise, anyone want to confirm this for me??

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Same carrier from 3.55 and up. You don't need to switch carriers to go from 3.55 to 4.56.

This I'm sure of

so the 4cy is a direct swap, thats what i was asking partially, there is one up the road been sitting, I may be able to buy cheap. so if i find a 4cy, it has 4.11' sin it, can I go lower if I chose...4.56..4.88 so on?

96xjeeper said:

so the 4cy is a direct swap, thats what i was asking partially, there is one up the road been sitting, I may be able to buy cheap. so if i find a 4cy, it has 4.11' sin it, can I go lower if I chose...4.56..4.88 so on?

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Direct swap if it's an XJ.

Yes you can go lower, because it is the correct carrier. 3.73 and up.

if i may say, buying a whole cherokee to axle set-up is somewhat uneccesary...

many people here have d30's and 35's sitting in their garages from when they did swaps. some people even give the axles away if you will come pick them up. and getting a new carrier isnt that hard.

Back to the front... if your 30 is otherwise solid (tight ball-joints & hubs, good brakes etc) it may be less a bargain to swap in a whole different axle that may need expensive attention than to just regear the front. Going from 3.55 to 3.73 is not a productive workday imho, unless you get all the parts for really cheap.

cool, my carrier woes are over. Finding a carrier for your D30 shouldn't be hard at all. I just picked up a low miles unit from desert fab here in az for $40. has bearings and spidergears that look brand spankin new.