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8.25 swap ?'s

G

gameface87

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
Hey guys,

I have done alot of searching but cant seem to find a straight answer on this. I am swapping a 8.25 out of a 2000 xj into my 96 xj with a d35 that has a pinion bearing that sounds like its about to explode.

I know about spline counts, ubolts, zj disc conversion, and no abs. My main concern is the drive shaft. I have read conflicting answers to this and Im hoping for a direct answer. Will I need to shorten my driveshaft? I am running a RE4.5 lift that is really about 5" in the rear with 33" tires. I am on a tight budget and trying to keep the costs down so doing a sye or buying a new ds is not in the plans for now. Thanks for your input.
 
Your not going to tell until it is swapped in. The 8.25 is pretty big compared to the D35. Your best bet is to swap it in and measure. My guess is that you are going to need a shorter drive shaft. Do you have an auto or manual?
 
Im going to do this swap soon, do yourself a favor and just get a front driveshaft from an XJ with an auto transmission (longest ones) and do an SYE when you swap the rear axle... youd be good for 3-6 inches of lift on it, maybe more?

as far as cost of doing SYE now vs buying a new/ used DS from the JY to fit for the time being, and then doing an SYE anyways later on (you should be running one with your lift anyways) youd save yourself money by doing it all at once... I looked around the JY here for a couple hours, found an xj with what looked like a freshly rebuilt front DS, well it was, and I got it for $36... get the yoke and seal flange (if its an older 242 TC) from iron rock for $145 and call it a day...
 
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Pretty sure you need an sye at that lift height
 
Make SURE you are bumpstopped properly.

You probably should get a new driveshaft, but you can get them for 20-40 dollars at the junkyard around here. Any 96-01 with an 8.25, 4x4 and same engine/trans as you will have the right driveshaft.

The thing is, the springs aren't just a beam, they flex as they compress. Therefore different springs are going to behave differently. I have had jeeps where I couldn't get the driveshaft in place unless I had it jacked up to the point that the rear axle was hanging, and others where I couldn't get the driveshaft in place unless it was on the ground.
 
Thanks guys for your responses. The jeep is an auto. I know I SHOULD have an SYE, and I understand one could be had relatively cheap, but I am selling the jeep and I just need to get it drivable. Plus, I really don't have vibes and I dont do any real wheeling. I think I will give it a go with the current ds, and If I find it needs to be replaced, I will revisit my decision against a sye. Thanks again!
 
When I did my swap I was at 4.5" of lift and I needed a shorter shaft. The 8.25s have 2 different sizes for the pinion yoke. My 8.25 had the bigger one making it stick out alot more making it necessary for a shorter drive shaft. I had to get a 29" (from center of the eye to center of the eye) shaft at a junk yard. It was 25 bucks.. good luck!
 
I've done a d-35 to 8.25 swap on 4 XJ's and one MJ now and I just use the 8.25 DS from the donor. If you have some lift the D-35 shaft will work as well. I'll add that all the swaps I did were 4.0/AW4/NP231 equipped vehicles. The MJ used the stock D-35 shaft since I lifted it 3"
 
I just finished swapping an 8.25 for a D35 in a '90 4.0/AX15/231. I'm running 4" Tomken springs and 2" extended shackles. I think the stock shaft is too long in my case, as it seems like it is already bottomed into the case (there's only about .5" of the yoke exposed when the Jeep's sitting on the ground.
Is there a list of the various driveshaft lengths and what they came under?
 
Hey Guys,

I went to the local pick-a-part today and pulled my 8.25 for $85. In the process, I snapped the lower shock stud at the base of the threads. My Plan is to cut it off, drill it out, then replace with a Grade 8 bolt. Any Thoughts? I recently sold my welder, so anything that requires welding is out of the question.

Also, I am doing the zj disc swap. I saw that I got some dirt in the gears while I was pulling the shafts. I was planning on spraying some Brake Kleen in there, would that cause any issues? I am going to do a write up on this soon. Thanks again!
 
There's no metal sleeve in rear XJ shocks on the lower end, so I'm not sure that will work out well. I'd get a new bolt of the right size (make sure the smooth shank is approx. the same diameter as the stud you are replacing) and pay a bored meineke employee a few bucks to weld it in for you.
 
Hey Guys got another question here. I went ahead and started the disc conversion. After putting the shafts back in, I noticed that the shafts spin together. If I remember right, I could spin each one individually. Maybe I am being paranoid. Did I do Something wrong?
 
Try spinning one while holding the other stationary (a spare lug nut and a 4-way lug wrench are useful for this.) The pinion should spin.

Is it an LSD axle or open carrier? Did you put everything back together the same way you found it, including the thin thrust washers behind the spider gears?
 
I checked it again this morinf before work. The will not turn individually. I know that some people say the shafts are two different lengths. If I mixed them up would that make a difference? I'll try swaping them when I get home. Thanks.
 
I'm kinda confused how that would fix anything since he's putting disc brakes on an 8.25 already...

edit: oh, you replied to the first post without reading the rest of the thread.

I forget if 8.25 shafts are different lengths, I think they might be. You'd know if you put them in wrong though. Mind posting some pics of the brake hardware setup you have (from above and straight on) and maybe the inside of the diff? Not quite sure what could be wrong.
 
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