• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Help w/ driveline!

tomas0210

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Carolina
OK so I have 97 xj with a 6.5" lift and 33" tires. I've alway's been into the mud but now I want to experience the rocks. So I need your help. What type and size of axles, gears, lockers, joints, anything. I'm new to this so help me out!!! thanks
 
Dana 44's or bigger (8.8 ford is plenty strong for a rear axle), ARB's (If you have the dough) If not, then a Lockrite in the front, and Detroit in the back. 4.56 gears or lower. Possibly 4.88's or 5.13's if you don't drive the street all that often, you're gonna need an SYE if you don't already have one. HD SYE is recommended.

A Tom Wood's rear shaft is gonna help out a lot when it comes to strength. The front shaft I wouldn't worry about upgrading, just carry a spare.

Longarm always helps if you aren't already running them, the more flex, the better when it comes to crawling.

Winch, or some good buddies and some sturdy recovery points.

Rock sliders if you like your rocker panels...

Carry a spare tire and wheel..

Hi-lift is a must, and load up with tools before you go out.
 
tomas0210 said:
OK so I have 97 xj with a 6.5" lift and 33" tires. I've alway's been into the mud but now I want to experience the rocks. So I need your help. What type and size of axles, gears, lockers, joints, anything. I'm new to this so help me out!!! thanks

Are you going to stick with 33" tires, or how big do you plan on going? You should already have a 29 spline 8.25, which will hold up fine with 33's, and you can change it to aftermarket allow shafts and it will hold up to 35's if you pay attention to the throttle. You're '97 should already have the larger 297x axle u-joints in the front, which a good for 33's if you take it easy. Again, if you plan to stay with 35's, you can get chromo shafts for the front and install Spicer 760x axle u-joints using full circle clips, or you can upgrade to 30 spline chromo axles and go to aftermarket axle u-joints.

Obviously, you need lockers front and rear, but it makes no difference at all what type you get. Make locker choices based on your own personal preferences and your budget, one is not any better than another for off road performance. Your basic choice is between selectable or automatic, and each has it's advantages. You should have at least 4.56 gears, but that depends on what rear end you use and what's available, and what tire size you plan to run.You don't say what tranny you have, but if you have a stick low t-case gears are mandatory, and prefereable with an automatic.
 
Are rear axles a must? What's most important to get and what's least? Oh and what exactly do lockers do? Thanks agian. I'm really learning alot.
 
Last edited:
If you already have the 29 spline 8.25 rear axle, I wouldn't worry about upgrading if you plan on staying on 33 inch tires... The axle is plenty capeable of mild to moderate crawling, if you plan on doing anything extreme, i'd plan on an upgrade to a Dana 44, or equivilant.

Lockers essentially lock the wheels on any given axle together so that they turn in unison.. An open differential (Differential without a locker.) turns the tire that's easiest to turn.. With a locker, they both turn together, making your vehicle much more capeable when it comes to crawling rocks.. As you probably know, there is a lot of suspension travel involved with crawling, and you won't get the kind of traction you need to make it up certain obstacles without a traction aid. (I.E. Lockers).

Hope this helps, and happy wheeling!
 
Back
Top