What To Do About My Axles

I am trying to determine what to do to my drivetrain. I have knocked around a couple ideas but am currently undecided. Please give your opinion.

Let me give a little more info: 5" DPG Hybrid lift kit and 33x12.50's and I intend on hitting Moab.

I have the same lift and am planning on running 32x10.5 tires.

D30: Warn lockouts, 4.56s gears, ARB, plus misc goodies.

Scout II D44: Warn FF, 4.56s gears, ARB, plus misc goodies

For me it was deciding to stop messing around and get the thing on the road as quickly as possible - it's my daily driver. I could have built a HP D44 front, etc., etc. but I'll save that for my YJ.

r@m

For a 33-35 I'd run the D30 and 8.25/D44 if you have that, otherwise an 8.8.

The D30 has held up to 36-38" tires under pretty hard wheeling. Yeah it's not bombproof for sure, but it's not as weak as you might think.

The one thing that the D30 really lacks is good brakes. I realized that after putting my new 31's on. It's got new rotors and pads and they suck. Im sure with a new master cylinder, bigger calipers, good pads, etc, it'd probably help. A Warn lockout kit would be nice also. But if you add up how much you're putting into the D30, you might be better off building a 44.

Thanks for the input so far, and for the voting. More input is always welcome as I know many of you have already upgraded the D30 or changed assemblies all together. For those people that have, and had it to do all over again, what would you do with what you know now?

If you ever plan to go larger than 35's with hardcore wheeling, get yourself an 8.8 for the rear and a D44 for the front.

If you really want hardcore wheeling do yourself a favour and don't dump any money in anything smaller than a 9" or a D60. With a 44 you still have those weak u-joints that ill fail now and then. Sure you can get CTMs and alloy shafts but they will break too. Get real beef if you want to see what your XJ is capable to do. If you're already thinking about new 44s put a bit more money in and get a pair of 60s.

dana 60s with 33's huh. might be a bit overkill, sure it will have great ground clearance though

You didn't say anything about how much money you want to spend. With a limited budget I'ld say a d30/d44 with alloys is your best bet. If you're spending for new custom axles I wouldn't do less than HPd44 front and a 9" rear because they are all going to cost you $2-3K anyways, you might as well make your $$$ last.

Ramsey said:

dana 60s with 33's huh. might be a bit overkill, sure it will have great ground clearance though

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Agreed. An XJ on 33s needs Dana 60s like a fish needs a bicycle.

r@m

Root Moose said:

Agreed. An XJ on 33s needs Dana 60s like a fish needs a bicycle.

r@m

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sounds like a photoshop opportunity

Ramsey said:

sounds like a photoshop opportunity

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Yeah, logo on a t-shirt for those guys that can break anything perhaps?

r@m

if you're gonna keep the 30 , I broke my stock shafts first time in the rocks with a truetrac and 33x12.50, I read closely in the fourwheeldrivehardware catalog that the model 30 superior shafts are just Dana units, machined to accept the 279x/760 joint. perhaps warn or yukon 4340 outers. if you switch to a 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern you can adapt the warn premium lockout set with 30 spline 4340 outers. of course that is a costly venture.
The logic behind the dana 60 suggestion (I called currie) is that a custom high pinion 44 front end (same price as a reverse 9" front end from currie) uses the same outers that you already have. so does the 9". so to step up and not break a 760x (which I have been assured is very very rare with anything less than 35" tires) or the weak outer yoke on a stock 30, 44, or high pinion 9" (all the same outers), the only logical solution is a big ass overkill 60.

oh and looking at alloy shafts the warn are visibly a better quality product than the yukon.

go with alloy shafts on the 30 and warn premium hub conversion cost $1300+
(limited to 27 spline outers unless you convert to 5 on 5.5)
vs.
custom dana 60 at $3000

unless you plan on steppin up to 35+ tires

in the rear I can only say what I know, my 8.8 got me out and home and didnt even break a sweat

Ramsey said:

dana 60s with 33's huh. might be a bit overkill, sure it will have great ground clearance though

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You need to look at whats written there.

1. Read YETIs post
2. Read my post

Now try to think about what i wrote :laugh3:

XJoachim said:

You need to look at whats written there.

1. Read YETIs post
2. Read my post

Now try to think about what i wrote :laugh3:

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ok i see that you were directing that at yeti

?que?

About getting 60's front and rear, not with 33's but for the guy who was talking about going bigger.

The Warn 5x5.5 Hub conversion is very interesting. I really like the idea of having the Premium manual hubs, and then have the hub fuse so hopefully that would break and not a u-joint. When combined with the Warn inners would be quite strong. What joints does the Warn kit use? Can you use CTMs instead?

With all the money just spent on all those parts would it be smarter to put that money into a D44 or even a D60(cough) to get the stronger housing, inners, ring & pinion, locker options, etc...?

For the rear it doesn't seem that many believe in upgrading the stock 8.25 and I tend to agree seeing that I can't get the rear locker I really want (e-locker/electrac, not available in a 9" either to the best of my knowledge). That leaves me with using my '87 Grand Wagoneer rear D44, buying a custom D44, or even a 60.

I have not seen alloy axles available for the GW 44 and I would have to convert to 5x5.5 lug pattern. A 60 seems overkill and too much of a weight penalty even if my XJ is not my primary vehicle. A custom D44 will be built exactly the way I want - disc brakes, alloy shafts, locker, gear ratio, new bearings and such.

I am so damn confused, it is really starting to piss me off. Does it really pay to spend $2,000 with parts and labor to really build a D30 with hubs and all, or spend $xxxx on a new D44 from a company like Dynatrac or Currie with all the king ding a ling parts I want. I think I am set on the rear though as I am really leaning towards a D44.

The lift kit is on order and is the DPG Hybrid 5" kit and hopefully will be installed in January. I will be adding bumpers and rocker guards as well as the full compliment of skid plates. I fully intend on using this vehicle pretty hard. I specifically purchased this vehicle for the purpose of lifting and wheeling. I want to be able to go to Moab at least once a year and wheel in Montana during the non frozen hell months without worry of not making it home. I will be starting on 32x11.50 Pro-Comp Muds with my stock axles(3.55's) and then going to 33x12.50's. If you had your choice, and most importantly money was not an issue, what would you do?

money as no object, running 33s I would run a custom high pinion 9 inch front end with an electrac, 4340 alloy shafts, , (why go 30 spline d44 when a 31 spline 9 in is same price?)
CTM u-joints matching 9 inch high pinion rear end electrac, 4.56's or 4.88's (depending on what you want), disc brakes and 5 on 5.5 all the way around with the warn front hub (30 spline) kit.

tires any bigger and its dana 60's all the way

money being no object of course