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front axle upgrades

1

1998xjspt

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Orlando, FL
so i know common XJ rear axle upgrades like the 8.8, d40 and 60. but what are some front axle upgrades? i have the hpd30. was wondering if i should upgrade to a better axle or just lock it or put better gears. i mostly mud and trails.. and same goes with rear, is the 8.8 a really big difference in power from the 8.25? i don't rock crawl, should i upgrade axles, gears or lockers on stock axles???

not looking for a "right answer" just wondering what the majority of you guys would run or recommend for the type of wheeling that i do. any input is appreciated :)
 
i say go for the top link with the yokes, this way if you break something it's an axle instead of your carrier. those CV shafts are awesome but won't break so something else in the drive line will, R&P, carrier, drive shaft, yoke on the shaft or ..... don't know.
 
I have had great success with my factory 8.25 rear and front hpD30 front in our rocky terrain out west. I'm geared to 4.56 on 33's and use the Warn hubs, chromoly shafts and Spartan up front. Change axles if you want to run deeper gears and taller tires. Rear discs would be nice.
 
The answer is "It depends". If you don't plan on going larger than a 33 or 35, the D30 will work. If you plan on 35's or larger, start shopping. D60/14B on 37's seems to be a good combo, or build a couple 9"s with an 8.8 Reverse cut RP up front.

Mark
 
Answer has alot to do with budget and tire size.

If there is no limit budget you might as well build a hp60. if there is a budget , then what tire size?

33" and under youll be fine with chromos or the bigger ABS shafts and 760x joints and not worrying too much about other upgrades other than steering . Currie is great, ZJ stuff is good and cheap.

33-36"
the above mods plus If budget allows a full carrier locker(stronger and reduce deflection better) , if not get a lunchbox with a hardened cross pin.
A ruffstuff cover to reduce housing flex.
truss it.
plate pass side UCA mount
LCA skids
Always carry spares regardless.

once you hit anything bigger than a 35 brakes become an issue. I went to the WJ brakes with 36s, and the stock brakes on 37s (toyo MTs weigh almost 100 pounds each) was kind of scary even with all centric premium stuff.

all of the above plus sleeve tubes, knuckle gussets, WJ brakes or Vanco brakes, and only plan this route if you are already pot comitted into the 30. that is, youre already into gears, a full carrier locker, chromos, spares, HD steering, sleeves, tubes, etc because you started on 33s and did axle upgrades every year and now you ended up on 36" tires on your 30.

36-39" tire on a dana 30 means you better carry lots of spare shafts/steering/ball joints/ brakes/etc and like a lot of the sierra chapter who guys are running 36+ tires on a HP30 you have to wheel accordingly and also not really give a crap about your axle since they are a dime a dozen, and know in the back of your head that you will eventually blow it up and need to be thinking about building a 60 over time.
 
I've learned the hard way, the best budget build for 35's or larger is a stock 60. Strong enough for 37-39" in stock form. Adequate brakes in stock form. Concerned about width, h1 or even h2 rims are dirt cheap. Only want to run 35's and concerned with clearance, shave it. Can usually be found with 4.10 or 4.56 gears and manual hubs. Rcv shafts for a 30 cost more than a complete hp60. Wj swap will cost almost as much as a 60. Manual hub conversion, close to the same. Full case locker and cover to help ring gear deflection would pay for the shave kit and spartan locker. Even after spending 3 times the money, you'll have a weaker axle with no more clearance.
 
I'd like to know what tire size the OP had in mind. I kind of read between the lines on his intended use and assumed mild-to-moderate wheeling with 31-33" tires. Seems like these topics quickly escalate to D60s and/or 14Bolts which is complete overkill for 31-33". Put in a cheap lunchbox locker and get a spare set of junkyard shafts and be done. If you break a shaft then you're out 30 minutes spent changing it and $25-35.
 
I hate when threads like this come up and totally ruin my faith in the purchases I've already made. I haven't even installed the gears lockers and truss I've bought on the hp44 and isuzu44 I've had for three years and now I want a 60/14bolt. Damnit
 
What makes it last is making sure the nut behind the wheel is tight ;)

I'm in the "It depends what you do with it" POV.

Years back, Jeep Magazine wrote an article on what axles hold up to what tire.
31's were what they rates the D30 and D35 at, but all bets were off if you locked it.

The stock axle has a shitty steering setup. Cheap Upgrade? ZJ Tie Link. Don't bother with the Drag Link.

Torque is the big axle killer. Tire spin that suddenly stops with torque applied and at a high u-joint angle will separate the U-joint and sometimes the lower ball joint faster than you can say "What was that noise".

Cheap Upgrade #2. Tack Weld the U-Jont caps on. At first I said "No F*** Way !". But it really does keep the cap from spinning, chucking the clip and throwing the cap (and all the un-needed crap afterwards).

Other than that, make sure nothing is worn. Do a decent alignment, and your good to go as long as you drive like you want to drive home again.
Drive stupid and you will break something, and it may not even be the axle.

I run 33's with stock shafts with welded caps. I have not broke a shaft with this setup, but I only do "Difficult" Trails, not "Insane" Trails.
 
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