Chrysler 8.25 vs Dana 44 Question

[bshaw]

I've been running 33x12.50's on my 8.25 (27 spline) with a powertrax for a little over 5 months now. Yes I wheel whenever I get a chace, and I've used a lot of throttle in different situations. No problems at all so far.

 

[Goatman]

.........he is going to put in a limited slip. So how many times have you seen a limited slip break an axle shaft. Not nearly as many as if you had a locker in it. Like i said before, for what he is doing 27 spline will hold up. He doesnt even have 33's on the truck. He said that the biggest that he would go is 33.

Pete

Hey Pete, you live in NY, he lives in CA. Out here we have lots of dry rocks........anything with 27 spline shafts is dead eventually unless you baby it.

Personally, I'd do the alloy 29 spline shafts. Just the ring gear needs to be setup with a carrier change, which is pretty easy. So, new locker, new axles.....done, and will handle 33's nicely.

 

[NotMatt]

Buy the 44 for cheap, sell the 44 to fund some upgrades on your 8.25. Put in a locker of your choice in 29 spline flavor, then get some Yukon shafts for a few hundred bucks and call it good. That's what I would do anyway. The 44 is nice, but not nice enough to warrant spending a bunch of money on new gears and a carrier and all the other little misc. stuff you'll need to do a gear setup in it and swap it in. 29 spline 8.25 with Yukon shafts is probably a bit stronger than a factory D44 anyway. The only downside is C-clips, but I doubt you'll break those shafts with 33's, so go for it.

 

[MudDawg]

The auto trans is a lot easier on the rest of the drivetrain. Those West Coast guys been upside down too many times :laugh3: . You need Rockwells and Terra tires.....or maybe just keep the 8.25 and trail ride yer brains out.

 

[tcm glx]

WOW< never before have I seen so much response to one of my posts here, thanks alot to everyone...so I think I am sold on keeping my 8.25, but i will probably still pick up the dana 44 for some $$$$, anyways, one more question, what LSD do you all recomend, I hardly do any rockcrawling, but do alot of sand and loose dirt, also, drive about 70 miles a day to and from work.

 

[tealcherokee]

heres the deal, my 8.25 is GOING to break, but im running 35x16" boggers on it, open diff, stock gears, and im just wheelin it till it breaks, then ill stick the spool 8.8 in it

 

[Goatman]

heres the deal, my 8.25 is GOING to break, but im running 35x16" boggers on it, open diff, stock gears, and im just wheelin it till it breaks, then ill stick the spool 8.8 in it

Those folks you wheel with would very likely prefer that you put the bigger axle in before you break.

 

[tealcherokee]

prolly, but the 8.8 isnt done and i dont have the gears for the front yet.....so, for now, i wheel the 8.25

plus i have to break something everytime i go out, or its not me

 

[Kejtar]

plus i have to break something everytime i go out, or its not me

well.. if you do... those who will help you get off the trail will be giving you their blessing all the way home

 

[outlawjeep]

Well this is all funny... I bought a 44 last year and have been throwing money at it ever since I put it under my Jeep. First off the axle shaft bearings went bad then I had the pinion and carrier bearings go bad, then I went threw 3 more axle shaft bearings until I find out that the mechanic that put the shafts in had them on the wrong side... Now the seal on the passengers side is leaking.... And it is brand new. Man I am really conteplating going back to my 8.25 and saying the heck w/ it for this 44. They are just not worth it in my opinion. stick w/ the 8.25 man don't do what I did.


Ray

 

[Kejtar]

Well this is all funny... I bought a 44 last year and have been throwing money at it ever since I put it under my Jeep. First off the axle shaft bearings went bad then I had the pinion and carrier bearings go bad, then I went threw 3 more axle shaft bearings until I find out that the mechanic that put the shafts in had them on the wrong side... Now the seal on the passengers side is leaking.... And it is brand new. Man I am really conteplating going back to my 8.25 and saying the heck w/ it for this 44. They are just not worth it in my opinion. stick w/ the 8.25 man don't do what I did.


Ray

I'm sorry... but the fact that your mechanic screwed up doesn't mean that the d44 is not worth it. It means that your mechanic screwed up.

 

[outlawjeep]

Thing is he only screwed up the first time. After that I had someone else cut off the bearings and press new ones on for me but I was there the whole time and I re-installed the shafts... But I was putting them in the wrong sides due to the way it was originally set up.

Sorry I did not mean to hijack your thread, just give me experience.

to read more on what is going on plese click here.