Help: Drive shaft for D35/44 swap

Hi:

I recently fried the rear end (Dana 35) of my Selectrack equipped 89 LTD. I managed to find a nice shape D44 for a swap. The problem is the truck is stranded out of town, in a small town, waiting for me to ship the axle to have it swapped. I was hoping that the original drive shaft would work with the slightly longer D44 pinion nose. If, not the drive shaft will have to be shortened, which can't be done in the small town where the truck is so it will have to be shipped out and back (i.e more time and more $$$'s).

I'm been looking for a drive shaft from an Cherokee originally equipped with a D44 without success.

I was thinking that maybe a drive shaft from a Cherokee equipped 8.25 axle and Selectrack might pop right in (since the D44 and C8.25 are closer in size??) - I could ship the drive shaft along with the axle. I'm not sure about the length or if the drive shaft U joint/slip joint arrangement from the 8.25 are even compatible with my SelecTrack/D44 combination.

Any comments as to whether the original or drive shaft might work (it doesn't have to work for ever, just needs to get me home to where I can get it shortened if necessary)?

Or, are there other combinations of transfer cases/rear axles that would utilize a shorter (by about an inch) drive shaft than a Selectrack/D35 combo?

I can probably pick up a Selectrack/D35 combo drive shaft from a local junker and have it shorted but since I don't have the truck to make the actual measurements, I don't really know how much it needs to be shortened (presumalby about an inch), and since I don't have any reference to go by, I wouldn't know if the drive shaft I was picking up would be near the required length in the first place in order to be shortened properly.

PS: My 89 does not have a lift.

Thanks for any advice.

Don't worry about the transfer case - NP231 and NP242 are the same length, as long as the slip yoke design is the same (i.e. 95 down vs 96 up.)

DO worry about the transmission type however! M/T is a shorter drivetrain thus a longer driveshaft.

Any 8.25 equipped XJ with the same engine and transmission as you, 4WD, made in 95 or earlier should have a rear driveshaft you can use.

Since you do not have a lift I would definitely not try the stock driveshaft, you will either be bottoming out right from the start or a slight bump will do so, and this will destroy the transfer case and/or transmission.

Something else to consider - your U-bolts may not fit... might need new ones. Then again, the d35 and d44 have axle tubes that are very similar in diameter.

kastein said:

Don't worry about the transfer case - NP231 and NP242 are the same length, as long as the slip yoke design is the same (i.e. 95 down vs 96 up.)

DO worry about the transmission type however! M/T is a shorter drivetrain thus a longer driveshaft.

Any 8.25 equipped XJ with the same engine and transmission as you, 4WD, made in 95 or earlier should have a rear driveshaft you can use.

Since you do not have a lift I would definitely not try the stock driveshaft, you will either be bottoming out right from the start or a slight bump will do so, and this will destroy the transfer case and/or transmission.

Something else to consider - your U-bolts may not fit... might need new ones. Then again, the d35 and d44 have axle tubes that are very similar in diameter.

Click to expand...

X2^^ everything except the u-bolts. You'll need the u-bolts from the D44 to make it work.

From memory the D35 tubes are 2.625" in diam while the D44 tubes are 2.75" in diam. The same u-bolts worked for me when I swapped from D35 to D44.

huh, admittedly I changed the u-bolts due to differing size, but I guess you could use the D35 u-bolts. The upper plate does have elongated holes that could accept either one.

Did you have to "force" the u-bolts into place??

Shorty said:

Did you have to "force" the u-bolts into place??

Click to expand...

I don't remember having any issue reusing them but I honestly don't recall. I don't know if you can even buy u-bolts in a 2-5/8" size without going custom. Everything I have found is 2-3/4" size.

The four factors for rear driveshaft length:

2wd versus 4wd
manual versus automatic
96-down versus 97-up
D35 versus 8.25/D44

If you have a shaft for an 8.25 and all other factors are the same, then it will work for the D44

ehall said:

The four factors for rear driveshaft length:

2wd versus 4wd
manual versus automatic
96-down versus 97-up
D35 versus 8.25/D44

If you have a shaft for an 8.25 and all other factors are the same, then it will work for the D44

Click to expand...

Correction... 95-down vs 96-up.

96 was a mixed bag and one of the things they changed was the slip yoke housing design.

kastein said:

Correction... 95-down vs 96-up.

96 was a mixed bag and one of the things they changed was the slip yoke housing design.

Click to expand...

Hey Kastein:

Thanks for the info. Does that compadibility rule apply only to XJ's or Grand Cheorkee's as well?

Are the U joints, including the Cardian joint and slip yoke all 'bolt on' compatible?with my Selectrack and the D44? If I find a used 8.25 drive shaft, I guess I should really replace all the U joints while I have it out -are the U joints the same size the stock 89 drive shaft?

I'm already planning on repalcing the U-Bolts, spring plates and spring pins. Having difficult obtaining the U-Bolts, only because I need to have them made up and Saturday is the only day I can get around to doing it, but of course, lots of stuff to do on Saturdays as a rule. I already picked up a pair of spring pins - apparently the pin head is larger on the 44 than it is on the 35. The tough one to find are the spring plates. You'd think with all thouse hundreds of thousands of Cherokees out there, it'd be easy to find a used set or aftermarket set, but so far, no luck (althoug I do have a line on a used set now). I don't have the facilites (i.e. drill press) right now to make a set otherwise I think this one would be a no brainer.

Thanks for your advice.

Not sure on the ZJ/WJ transfer case changeover years... I know pretty much zip about them, except which ones I can pull XJ upgrades off of

The driveshafts are probably different lengths though, I'm nearly certain the grand cherokees have a different wheelbase and most of them have different transmissions.

According to my catalog, your '89 spring plates should be universal, that is, they should fit the d44 or d35 U-bolts. New they are part number 5200 3500 and cost FAR too much. When I got ready to swap in my Ford 8.8 rearend (haven't actually done it yet, it was pushed off till my next build) I bought a couple feet of 10" wide 1/2" steel plate and got busy with an angle grinder and drill press, it only took me an hour or so to produce two bomb-proof spring plates.

EDIT: oh... I see you don't have the facilities, completely understandable.

Thanks for the info Kastein.

I wonder if those are universal 'replacement plates', as opposed to what the truck originally came equipped with?

Is there an online source for these plates? I've been searching various on line parts sources for days and can't find where those plates are listed anywhere.

You can usually buy them from MOPAR resellers but they are EXPENSIVE for pieces of pressed 3/16 plate (or is it 1/4 stock? I forget.) Just google for "52003500 jeep" and a few sellers should pop up, try to avoid the sketchy overseas ones unless you're using a disposable credit card.

The originals were the same for d35/d44 equipped vehicles till '90, when they changed over - I'm not sure, probably because in '90 the d44 was no longer an option for XJs.

EDIT: it appears no one has those particular parts though. Any metal fab/small machine shops around your area? Any friends you could bribe with beer to borrow a drill press for a bit? It's really not difficult at all, if you can operate a set of calipers and a drill press you can do the toughest part.

Hi Kastein:

I did a search for 52003500 jeep and it came up as a U bolt.

I could make a set of spring plates, I have a very powerful hand drill, but I'd prefer to use a press but I don't have access to one. In any case, I think I have access to a used set of plates - waiting patiently to hear back.

This project has been so frustrating because the truck is stranded out of town. I can't make any measurements or confirm what I have now (spring plate configuration and drive shaft length are good examples of this). If I had the truck in my garage, this project would have been completed 3 weeks ago!

Thanks again for your advice on this.

No problem... been there, my M54A2 is stranded at a friend's place a state away from me right now actually! Fortunately he's a member and an awesome guy, we did most of a head gasket job on it Sunday. Definitely real tough to get projects done when they're far away from home, though.

I'm a little confused by the fact that it came up as a U bolt also, my only guess is that it's supposed to say U bolt plate. Hopefully that set comes through for you, or yours are still strong/non rusty enough to be reused.

[FONT=&quot]Hey Kastein:

I picked up a drive shaft from an ... not sure what year it was but the wrecker said it was from a 95 4x4 or older with an Automatic and a Chrysler 8.25 rear end. Since I don't have my own readily available to measure it against. I paid way too much for it, especially since I’m going to have to change the U joints, so I hope the right size.

Speaking of U joints, I was a bit surprised, I thought that the rear DS had a double cardian joint but the wrecker insisted there was no such thing on the rear of a Cherokee - at least not from the factory. I distinctly recall greasing it, but he said I must be thinking of the front. I can't believe that my memory is failing me on this one – I guess I’ll find out when I deliver the axle and drive shaft.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In any case, thanks for answering all my noob questions.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Once I get this rear axle thing resolved, my next project is to replace front and rear springs (I have one broken coil and the rears are sitting pretty flat these days).[/FONT]

Don't seem to be able to edit my previous post... It should read:

I picked up a drive shaft from an ... not sure what year it was but the wrecker said it was from a 95 4x4 or older with an Automatic and a Chrysler 8.25 rear end. Since I don't have my original drive shaft readily available to measure it against, I'm not sure if its' the right size or not. I paid way too much for it, especially since I’m going to have to change the U joints, so I hope it's the right size.

Speaking of U joints, I was a bit surprised: I thought that the rear DS had a double cardian joint but the wrecker insisted there was no such thing on the rear of a XJ- at least not from the factory. I distinctly recall greasing it, but he said I must be thinking of the front. I can't believe that my memory is failing me on this one – I guess I’ll find out when I deliver the axle and drive shaft.

In any case, thanks for answering all my noob questions.
Once I get this rear axle thing resolved, my next project is to replace front and rear springs (I have one broken coil and the rears are sitting pretty flat these days).

The wrecker is correct. Stock, it's just single cardans at both ends of the rear shaft. Many people install a slip yoke eliminator kit and double cardan + slip joint rear shaft to eliminate driveline vibrations experienced after lifting the vehicle.

That driveshaft *should* fit. BTW, you can usually get the U-joints out using some big sockets and a vice - it's much better for the yoke ears than just hammering the hell out of it, and thus better for the life of the new U-joint.

The fact that it came from a 4x4 XJ with an 8.25 rearend, and is a 95 or older, means that it's from a 92-95 - in 91 the 8.25 was not yet an option according to my information.

Stock rear driveshafts for 4.0/4WD/AW-4:
5300 3246 - w/o 8.25 (i.e. w/d35) 91-92
5209 8204 - w/o 8.25 (i.e. w/d35) 93
5300 5008 - w/ 8.25 91-92
5209 8205 - w/ 8.25 93

I'm not sure why 91-92 are different from 93, but the part number for the '93 w/8.25 shows up in a few aftermarket parts catalogs as fitting a d44 or 8.25, pre-95 slip yoke style, 4x4, automatic, 4.0L, and I can't see the 91-92 being very different from the 93, it probably was a strength improvement or something, similar to how early/OBD-I flexplates can be replaced with OBD-II ones but are different from the factory.

Hey Kastein:

Thanks once again for your advice.

I actually tried to press the joints out in a rather large vice. I couldn't get them to budge, then put a 4 foot extension on the vice winder (not sure what's called), and.... promptly broke the vice. The part that the vice winding screw goes through broke in half. So not only did this not get the U joints out, I now have a useless vice to boot.

I ended up cutting them out using an angle grinder - detailed in this thread: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1044128.

kastein said:

The fact that it came from a 4x4 XJ with an 8.25 rearend, and is a 95 or older, means that it's from a 92-95 - in 91 the 8.25 was not yet an option according to my information.

Click to expand...

The build sheet on my 91 says it came with a 8.25

(it has a D35 now because of a rear-end collision)

Interesting. I'll have to remember that... must research further.