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LP D30 keep it or junk it?

hitchhiker

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Wake Forest, NC
I've got a 2000 Auto XJ 3.5" lift, I run 31" BFG KM2's with an Aussie Locker in the front and I like to do offroading that does have a few rocks in it.

I'll be getting a trailer soon so I'm thinking off regearing to 4.11 or 4.56.

Is it worth it to chase down a HP D30 before I regear or for smaller tires I run would it not really be worth it.

I don't really have any problems getting the front drive shaft hung up on anything and I'm not lifted that high and with the trailer in the future I can't see really lift much higher (1 more inch at most).

I was reading the d30 tech guides but I can't really say I understand from that which HP D30's would actually be better then a perfectly working LP30 for what I do and if any of them would be worth chasing down.
 
I still have the LP D30 and have not had any problems with it.
The LP's gears are a little weaker and it hangs down more so if you are into serious rock crawling, upgrading is a good idea.
For more modest trail running, the LP D30 should work fine as long as you do not go much higher.

When lifted much above 3", the LP quickly runs out of caster adjustment when trying to get the front drive-shaft u-joint angle right.
My XJ has a 4" lift with 5 1/2 degrees caster. I was able to get this much caster only by installing adjustable ball joints when I rebuilt the front end.

You might want to watch the 'for sale' sections. Re-geared HP D30s occasionally show up when their owners upgrade to bigger axles.
 
Well 9yrs now for my LP D30.I run 32's&33's with a 6" lift and do alot of hard wheeling!
 
if you want to upgrade to HP30, probably make sense go with a HPD44 instead
 
Everyone here would love one,got any that are bolt-in that You know of but everybody else doesnt!
 
if your thinking of regearing and possibly going HP, i would say do it before regearing. if you wait to go HP until after gearing you would be either setting up used gears in the HP housing (used gears can be noisy) or getting new gears to put in there.

i would recommend going for a non disco HP housing- doesnt matter what year, what gear set or what size u joints. take your outer knuckles off the LP and put onto the HP so that you can use your years brakes and shafts. keep the HPs original shafts as spares.
 
if your thinking of regearing and possibly going HP, i would say do it before regearing. if you wait to go HP until after gearing you would be either setting up used gears in the HP housing (used gears can be noisy) or getting new gears to put in there.

i would recommend going for a non disco HP housing- doesnt matter what year, what gear set or what size u joints. take your outer knuckles off the LP and put onto the HP so that you can use your years brakes and shafts. keep the HPs original shafts as spares.

Wouldn't he need new gears anyway since the HP is reverse rotation and the LP is standard?
 
I have been running my lp for a couple years on 33's and now 35's bone stock. Im sitting at 6" now and havent had any problems so far. Im unsure of my caster and that could be completely out of whack for all I know though. I have 4.56's for my lp30 and 8.25 but Im thinking I will go hp before I regear and resell the gears I have now. If your looking for a killer deal on some new 4.56s and install kits pm me!
 
I would junk it and minimally get a HP 30.. Much stronger and bolt in

Keep your shafts as trail spares.

Now that the clunkers are well into the scrap yards.. they are very plentiful.
 
I am also interested in upgrading my LP 30's on my 2K. What would be the easiest swap to do? Someone said that a "non disco HP housing- doesn’t matter what year," is what they would recommend. Dumb question coming, are they the pre '96 LP 30's without the vacuum hose running out of the top?
 
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