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axel upgrades

mdwatkins

mdwatkins

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Heber, UT
I'm about to install a 4.5" lift on my 99. I'm going to eventually put on some Bushwacker flares, and 33's. When I do this I'd like to swap axels, but I know absolutely nothing on this. Anyone have any recommendations on what axel set up to use? Is it better to just swap out the entire axel and housing or just the shafts and gears? I'd like to upgrade to discs on the rear so I'm kind of leaning towards the complete swap out, but I'm not sure where to start.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Matt
 
You're on your own for front options, but for the rear, the Ford 8.8" is a great option. It is the right size and easy to fit into a cherokee. Right lug pattern (5 on 4.5") too. My buddy races mustangs and he routinely sees ~500 hp nitrous mustangs run on stock 8.8's without breakage.

They have plenty of parts available and come with discos on about '96 (?) and up Explorers. Gear ratios are avail up to 4.56's at least.
 
You can get 4.88's for the ford 8.8 I have them in my 94' wrangler
 
yep, only problem with those higher gears, from what i ahve heard, is that u need to but them from a mustang store, b/c many off road places wont sell em. but they do make them. as for upgrading, its your call. do u ahve a D35 or cryco 8.25? if u ahve the 8.25, u can run those 33's, as long as you're not beating the living piss oput of it. i plan on putting in the newer 29 spline shafts like you have, and calling it good when i get up to 33's here, then going big later. but thats just me.
 
dont forget the factory Dana 44's.... the 8.8's seem to be gaining in popularity but there is nothing wrong with the Dana-spicer unit.... it will fit into any XJ with no mods... don't you have to do something with the spring perchs on the 8.8? like they arent exactly a match of something? although i only know what i've been told by others...
mike
 
Run stock axles for now, assuming you have D30/D35 combo, definatly replace the rear with a D44, you can go with an 8.8 but its not DANA/SPICER, so I dont like it:D, but you need to have the pearches realigned. D44 is pretty much setup for 33s youll have a difficault time breaking it, ZJ brakes are compatible with some miner machining and drilling. search for writeups.

As for the front. Stay stock, I know this aint really what you want to hear but trust me. you MOST LIKELY break less things than you think with the 33s If you break a Joint replace it with some 297/760s. see what you break and how your wheeling style is, then upgrade. dont pour 3000-4000 G's iof the bat in to a front axle that you most likly wount use, spend that money on some lockers / a nice bumper / winch things like that.

Good luck


For all those guys that are gonna flame me for saying axles cost 3000-4000, remember this guy said he dont know anything about, so "oh ya all you need is the blue torch and a cutting will" not really going to cut it I was thinking of doing the same thing, geto fab is a no no for a daily driver, if its a trail beater thats a diff story. I rather leave the welding/fabing to the pros. at least to fab the housing rest i can take care of.
 
8.8 ratios are available up to 5.13, and they are available from just about anyone, including Ford.

CRASH
 
When I do this I'd like to swap axels, but I know absolutely nothing on this.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes: This guy is talking about upgrading axles, plural. To me, that means the 30 is out of the picture.

CRASH
 
Save your money. Don't let magazine articles and such get it into your head that your going to break stuff just because you have bigger tires, lift or whatever. IMHO, put your lift and 33's on, wheel it until it breaks and just upgrade what actually NEEDS upgrading. Just my $.02.-----------Dave
 
You need to regear with 33's to at least 4.56's, so why regear the stock axles, break the d35 and then pay to regear the replacement? I would replace the d35 with something stronger and then pay for gears.
 
CRASH said:
:rolleyes: This guy is talking about upgrading axles, plural. To me, that means the 30 is out of the picture.

CRASH
Click to expand...
Maybe, but no one has even brought up a suggested front axle yet. Besides, he's talking 33s, dont need to go that low for them.

If ya got the $$ try to find either a ford 8.8 or older stock XJ 44 for the rear. The front 30 should be fine for 33s depending on how you use it.
 
Without getting into all the spun up possibilities of the absolute best thing....I swapped both axles relatively cheap. Was a great learning experience. My 2000 XJ has a '92 HP D30 lock-righted and 87 XJ44 geared to 4.56 and detroit locked. I waited to lock and gear until I had both replacement axles. I run 33x12.50 MT/R's with about 6" lift and 2-3" trimmed on the fenders. IF you want to "upgrade" axles I can't see going to the 33's until you do as I believe any gears YOU SHOULD BUY to run those 33's with 3.73's on your tranny. Of course I ran 33's with stock gearing....anyway I say run it until you break something. There really isn't a cheap way to do it b/c you never know what will happen. Maybe get a super 30 spline shaft for the 35 and lock it, then when you "upgrade" to a 44 if that can be done. <-- warning I don't know if thats possible -- HTH its definitely amatuer opinion.

P
 
To all you guys who are saying that the puny, insufficient D30 is going to snap like a toothpick, and that the gears need to be AT LEAST 4.56:1 I have something to say to you.

I have a Dana 28, which is smaller in every way, shape and form than a D30. Less splines, less diameter, and the ujoints are so small that the cap seals rub eachother.

I run 33's on these, they are General Grabber M/T's. The axles have only 4.10:1 gears and my t-case has only an anemic 2.45:1 low range. With an automatic, it crawls just fine. Only once have I found a situation where I needed deeper gears, it was the bypass for knocker-rocker.

I have only broken ONE u-joint with this setup ever, even with lotsa throttle and maximum steering. Even 260-x joints are like an unattainable DREAM to me.

Gentle drivers can get by with stock and even worse parts even with big tires and tough trails. Save your dough for the things that matter.
 
From my experience the d30 will hold up fine with 33's, the d35 will probably be ok if you are light on the throttle. I grenaded a d35 with stock tires, and I wasn't being that hard on it, so I guess I am biased against them. As for the gearing you should use the formula (rpm x tire diameter) / (mph x 336) = gear ratio. Going a ratio lower will give you better trail performance but worse fuel econ. So it's a trade off. If your not going to regear or if you find a good deal on gears then I say stick with stock axles, if you are going to regear or plan on running 35"s in the future then I would swap at least the rear axle.
 
Agreed, run it until something breaks.

I bang the snot out of my xj on 32 11.50s.

3.55 geared d35/d30 open front and rear. (yeah yeah/lockers when I regear.)

I'm waiting to break something other than a rear driveshaft.
wrapped it up like a candycane.
 
yuppiexj said:
Agreed, run it until something breaks.

I bang the snot out of my xj on 32 11.50s.

3.55 geared d35/d30 open front and rear. (yeah yeah/lockers when I regear.)

I'm waiting to break something other than a rear driveshaft.
wrapped it up like a candycane.
Click to expand...

Put the lockers in then let us know how the D35 holds up. ;)
 
Get a high pinion D44 off a mid '70's Ford fullsize for the front and a Dana 60 for the rear. Then run 38's.

Nay
 
Nay said:
Get a high pinion D44 off a mid '70's Ford fullsize for the front and a Dana 60 for the rear. Then run 38's.

Nay
Click to expand...

well hell, let's just go hi60 frt and 70 rr and set it on some 44's :eek:
 
Nay said:
Get a high pinion D44 off a mid '70's Ford fullsize for the front and a Dana 60 for the rear. Then run 38's.

Nay
Click to expand...

naa.. If I was me I would just skip that.

2.5 ton rockwells are the way to go just, slap them on and call it good :rolleyes:

thats the kind of info that this guy does NOT need. Here he is asking for reliability for 33s and telling us he dont know much about axles and this genious is telling him to go get a 60 rear from a fullsize, and then run 38s.
then guys that dont know much start listing to bullcrap info from idiots like this and actually thinking they need a 60 rear to go wheel. :rolleyes:
 
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