Jeff 98XJ WI
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Butternut, WI
Well, I finally experienced some great axle carnage this weekend. I had to have a friend tow me home 2.5 hours and return with my $600 MJ to pick up my pop up camper. I'm running a '98 XJ probably not exactly light in the weight department with 35's. It's also my daily driver. I have a D44 front with an ARB, 4.88 gears and Warn shafts with Longfield joints. The rear was running a ARB equipped Waggy D44 with stock shafts and 3/4" spacers. I broke a rear shaft at the splines, but it broke into many pieces which ground around and pretty much ruined the end of my ARB. It expanded the bearing journal, broke the bearing, and broke the bearing race. I disassembled this thing in the field hoping to remove the remaining piece of axle from the ARB, but after seeing the damage, I gave up and trailered it home. Oh, I couldn't get the carrier out of the housing very easily and ended up threading a rag into the gears, turning the pinion with a pry bar, and finally, the thing popped loudly and moved out. The question is, what do I do now?
Do I purchase a set of 30 spline aftermarket alloy shafts for this axle and get a new Flange Cap for the ARB and call it an expensive day or do I do something else?
I understand some ARB's will fit 33 or even 35 spline shafts. Can my RD06 be retrofitted with new side gears to fit 33 spline shafts? I understand the 35 spline ARB's are a different animal than the 30 spline RD06. If I buy custom shafts, I might as well get 33 or 35 spline units as I doubt the price difference is much, but I'm not sure.
Is this D44 worth building more? Should I move on to a different axle? Cost is always a BIG issue.
Jeff
Do I purchase a set of 30 spline aftermarket alloy shafts for this axle and get a new Flange Cap for the ARB and call it an expensive day or do I do something else?
I understand some ARB's will fit 33 or even 35 spline shafts. Can my RD06 be retrofitted with new side gears to fit 33 spline shafts? I understand the 35 spline ARB's are a different animal than the 30 spline RD06. If I buy custom shafts, I might as well get 33 or 35 spline units as I doubt the price difference is much, but I'm not sure.
Is this D44 worth building more? Should I move on to a different axle? Cost is always a BIG issue.
Jeff