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debating rear axles!

T

terryd

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Elk Creek/Covington Va
ok, here's the thing, with aussie locker developing a locker for the 8.25, i'd like your opinion on these options. base info
98 Cherokee 2dr.
4.0L, 5 speed, 231 case. 1.5" lift, 31 10.50's.

now, i'm gonna be switching to 3.55 gears, this thing is a part time wheeler, full time transport, so the gearing will be close to the 3.08's i have now w/ factory tires. my rear axle choices are as follows

#1 drop gears in the 8.25, install locker, weld pipe bung to oil fill hole to eliminate the 1/2 oil 1/2 water problem i'm having now. re-seal and disc brake install
#2 install 8.8 w/ factory disc brakes and 3.55's, install locker.
#3 cut down ford 9", use disc brake conv kit, i have big bearing chunk w/ 3.55's already installed, add locker.

lemme know what you've used, what you like, and which you think would suit me the best.
 
sent aussie an e-mail, said it should be out by spring time....said they finished the development work, and had sent in an order... just what they told me ne ways...

say a no slip and the plug? the 8.25 seems strong, but it needs a re-seal kit, and new carrier bearings, the pinion bearings are new, just put them in jan of 06... does any one know where i can get the spanner wrench to set up the 8.25?? i used a punch and small hammer last time, not right, but works in a pinch...just wondering if anyone makes a spanner for it?
 
Are you sure the no-slip is for the 29 spline 8.25?

I know there are 3 lockers out for the 8.25. I have been waiting for aussie for 2 years now.

One of the lockers I looked at was only for the 27 spline if I remember correctly.
 
My recommendation would be to go get an 8.25 from an automatic and bolt it in. It should have 3.55 gearing all ready and probably would be cheaper and less work then re-gearing what you have.

Personally though I want the ford 9" with the Hi9 center, hey a boy can dream right?
 
If you want the best do the 9", hands down the best of the 3, ~= to a stock D60, if you want the easiest do the 8.8 explorer swap and lock it, but all in all the 8.25 is not a bad axle.......just stirring the pot.

Dan Fredrickson
Ruffstuff Specialties
 
Cheapest would be a j-yard 8.25. Lots of 3.55s can be had. And most u-pull-its will let you out the door with an axle for under $150. Which is less than a gearset... But, you want to go with disk brakes...


I'd get an exploder 8.8 in that case. It's got pros and cons; but it can be had with the 3.55s and disks for the same low price as j-yard 8.25. A little welding and you can make it fit in there really nicely. And you can put the shock mounts in an intelligent place! And, once you've got it welded up to fit an XJ if you ever decided to sell it you can get a fair penny for it.
 
the 9 would be the best axle but the 29 spl 8.25 is plenty strong for your setup. I've been running the Detriot EZ locker for the 29 spl 8.25 for a while and have wheeled it in lots of places.
 
If you ever plan on going bigger (which is always the case) then I would go with the nine and a locker. The only thing I would add is a yoke slider and discs. I cant remember where I saw the yoke slider, theres a link around here somewhere, its only like 70 bucks and will save many a u joint
 
The problem with spending the money to build a really nice rear axle that is 60"~ wide and has a 5x4.5 bolt pattern is that when you decide to upgrade... That nice rear axle won't give you any problems, but the front will be a total PITA.


Double drill the axle shafts I guess. But, I'd never spend the bucks until I knew what I planned to do with the front.


Oh, the 8.8 will reliably hold far more than the D30 can. Unless you're one of those guys that thinks it will hold 38s.


Besides, a lot of guys decide to go fullwidth when they go big. For more reasons than it's cheaper than narrowing.
 
well, w/ 31/10.50's on it for now, an not wanting to go over 32's in the future, i think the D30 is safe, no locker for it, maybe a Warn locking hub upgrade but this thing is just a DD that i wanna be able to take up mild trails w/o the use of a strap. if i decide to go big, i'm lookin at buying a slightly damaged XJ just like mine but 4dr for $600, so, i'll go big w/ that body, D44hp, 9" or GM 12bolt, full widths, 360 AMC, 727, and maybe an Atlas II is what i've been thinking, but this ones just for cheap thrills, and i'm spinning tires at stoplights in town now when it rains, i grew up w/ pos-trac in every thing we owned, so i'm not used to spinning.....(mini spool in the AMC Spirit and V-8 S-10 Conversion, no slip lol)
 
I know you're getting the gears cheap, but if you use this as a DD & might be going to 32s I've read that you might want to regear to 4.10s.
 
You can get 8.8's with 3.73's and an LSD all day at a yard for $100. If you're gearing the front anyway, you could put it in, gear the front to 3.73 and go. The 8.8 also solves your rear disc brake install.
After perches and hardware, some brake stuff, you wouldn't have to get into the insides of the 8.8, just bolt it up.
 
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