Will 2006 rubicon rims on 33s kill my D35?

1996 4.0 auto, np231, 120kmiles

I found a set of 06 rubicon rims on 60% Micky T 33s for 200$.

I'm gonna buy them, but will it kill my rear diff? Should I wait on installing them till I get a D44 back there?

And what's my gear ratio? Non tow pack 96 auto...

You miiiigght get away with 33's if you're REALLY careful with it, but most people on here wouldn't recommend it. Actually, most people wouldn't recommend a D35 with 31's. I would wait for the D44. A Chrysler 8.25 29 spline would be ok with the 33's too though.

The stock gear ratio is going to be 3.55. With 33's most people would go to 4.56 or 4.88 for gearing (I think), otherwise it's gonna be a slug when you hit the gas.

I run rubicon rim/tire take offs. (31's.)
The gearing sucks on 31's. (3.55's.)

And people have grenaded d35's on the street.

I was thinking 4.10s in a 8.25 might be easier to locate over a d44?

Didn't the 8.25 come with 4.10s?

And what swap would be easier? D44 or 8.25?

Does locking the diff make it come apart on the street easier? Does a locked diff bind? Like a posi?

just run it

^ no!

I don't want to kill my rig!

Sorry about dumbass questions, I'm still learning the dirt side of the vehicle spectrum

96XJ_4.0 said:

I was thinking 4.10s in a 8.25 might be easier to locate over a d44?

Didn't the 8.25 come with 4.10s?

And what swap would be easier? D44 or 8.25?

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The 8.25 did in the 4-cyl. If you are lucky enough to find a late model 4-cyl in the junk yard, grab the axles.

D44 And the 8.25 should be just as easy if they are out of an XJ. the d44 came in MJ's too, but you would need modify it to fit. The 8.25 is WAY easier to find and a lot cheaper though.

ive never seen a 8.25 in a 4 banger, but then i again i cant safely say they NEVER came in them. look for a late model with the 29 spline shafts. d44 or 8.25, if they are out of an xj its bolt in with the correct u bolts. if your looking for 4.10s you might have an easier time finding a ford 8.8 with disks... just a thought.

and ive got a buddy with 33s and d35 under his TJ. its doable, but kind of a ticking time bomb. id buy the tires, they are a killer deal. and i love the moab rims. hold onto them until your axels are ready for 33? :dunno:

Good stuff^

that's my plan...although i think i'll toss the rims on for a day to see what they look like.

dude, I have had 33's on a D35 behind a stroker for about 3 years now. Just don't go full retard while driving it and it will be just fine. That is assuming that it was in good condition before the larger tires. It will not magically explode from sitting in the drive way with larger tires. People seem to think that because you can break one while hammering it with 80% larger tires offroad, it must be a crappy axle. If you break it on-road, there is a good chance you probably went full retard. Moral: Just don't drive like a jackass.

I have another axle waiting for a swap, but If I can put it off till a less hectic part of my life I will. That just always seems to be next year.

wolfpackjeeper said:

dude, I have had 33's on a D35 behind a stroker for about 3 years now. Just don't go full retard while driving it and it will be just fine. That is assuming that it was in good condition before the larger tires. It will not magically explode from sitting in the drive way with larger tires. People seem to think that because you can break one while hammering it with 80% larger tires offroad, it must be a crappy axle. If you break it on-road, there is a good chance you probably went full retard. Moral: Just don't drive like a jackass.

I have another axle waiting for a swap, but If I can put it off till a less hectic part of my life I will. That just always seems to be next year.

Click to expand...

Everybody knows you never go full retard.

LMFAO^

hahaaaaaaa

wolfpackjeeper said:

dude, I have had 33's on a D35 behind a stroker for about 3 years now. Just don't go full retard while driving it and it will be just fine. That is assuming that it was in good condition before the larger tires. It will not magically explode from sitting in the drive way with larger tires. People seem to think that because you can break one while hammering it with 80% larger tires offroad, it must be a crappy axle. If you break it on-road, there is a good chance you probably went full retard. Moral: Just don't drive like a jackass.

I have another axle waiting for a swap, but If I can put it off till a less hectic part of my life I will. That just always seems to be next year.

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I will disagree with this statement.
I have a tired 4.0/ax-15 combo in the MJ. I was shifting from 2-3 on the street, cornering through an intersection. I was not full retard. My D35 ate 4 teeth off the ring gear. I had 34x9.5 tires on steelies. It was in good condition and had new bearings, as it had a Detroit locker installed about 3 months previous.

If you're planning on doing the hard stuff off road, plan on the 8.8 swap. You get discs, and it's nearly unbreakable with anything smaller than a 35.

oh man ! these guys that say no way are startin to upset me .. and im thinking that they just dont know how to drive.. they drive with foot to the floor and when stuff breaks they blame everybody and everyhting but them selves .. these same guys will break 44's and bigger .. i have been on 33's for several years on a stock 35 .. last year i put in a super 35kit, locker and 4.88's and now im 35's .. and i still havnt broke anything.. i am careful, yes.. but i am not afraid .i know that im pushin it with 35' on a stock 30 . but it aint locked one day i will upgrade .. just havnt had to yet.
put the 33's on and when you can afford to, upgrade then..

87manche said:

I will disagree with this statement.
I have a tired 4.0/ax-15 combo in the MJ. I was shifting from 2-3 on the street, cornering through an intersection. I was not full retard. My D35 ate 4 teeth off the ring gear. I had 34x9.5 tires on steelies. It was in good condition and had new bearings, as it had a Detroit locker installed about 3 months previous.

If you're planning on doing the hard stuff off road, plan on the 8.8 swap. You get discs, and it's nearly unbreakable with anything smaller than a 35.

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How much extra stress do you suppose that detroit places on it? Especially cornering at the speeds involved in going from 2nd to 3rd gear?

i think the locker had a lot to do with it...

speaking specifically for off road use, there are a ton of factors that lead to failure beyond throttle usage. traction, tortional stress, yada yada... its doable, and fairly reliable. but that doesnt mean its ideal. if your simply driving to/from work or school then an upgrade may not be a priority. but i personally wouldnt dump money into a 35 when a far superior axel can be had for a very reasonable price.

as I recall cal broke one on a gravel road doing a u-turn with 32s. Not sure if he had a locker or not.

My reasoning behind not suggesting a 35 for any large tires is that it costs a whopping $100 at the yard to upgrade to a 29 spline 8.25. Even including new U-bolts, that's what, 3 tanks of gas? One tire and rim? Better to upgrade before you start thinking about regearing, because once you start dumping money into that 35, you'll want to keep upgrading it because you already put money into it and don't want to go back to square one, which is a perverse mindset to get into but results in all kinds of polished turds.

Damn good point!^

so...8.25 on the look out! My 96 a 29 spline?

wolfpackjeeper said:

dude, I have had 33's on a D35 behind a stroker for about 3 years now. Just don't go full retard while driving it and it will be just fine. That is assuming that it was in good condition before the larger tires. It will not magically explode from sitting in the drive way with larger tires. People seem to think that because you can break one while hammering it with 80% larger tires offroad, it must be a crappy axle. If you break it on-road, there is a good chance you probably went full retard. Moral: Just don't drive like a jackass.

Click to expand...

X2

wolfpackjeeper said:

How much extra stress do you suppose that detroit places on it? Especially cornering at the speeds involved in going from 2nd to 3rd gear?

Click to expand...

I would say that is negligible to the ring gear. The locker puts more stress on the shafts because they are locked. The detroit is likely a good thing fo the ring gear, as it's much less prone to flexing.

The 2nd to 3rd gear shift occured after the intersection, in a straight line, so the locker was not locking and unlocking, at about 35 mph. In town speeds, at part throttle. I cruise at 35 in 3rd gear, ( not running stock gears with 34's in a 5spd) so there weren't excessive speeds involved.

The simple facts are that the D35 is a 1/4 ton axle, with a small ring gear and small pinion bearings.

There was an 8.25 axle swap done at the campground on a trailer at this years Winterfest. It takes 4 hours to swap one in. Why even bother with the 35?
The 8.8 swap is a little more involved, and slightly more costly, but you get disc brakes and a nearly unbreakable axle with anything smaller than 35's.

Do what you want, this tpoic has been beaten to death, and it's generally accepted that you shouldn't run more than a 31 on a d35, or they go boom. There's a reason that there's a stickied topic about it in mod tech.
http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=80707
You may have the freak of the bunch that's lived behind a stroker or wheeled everything on the planet with 35s, but the bottom line is that there are better, stronger axles available for not much money.