I’m new to naxja and would appreciate any help you guys could lend me. I recently bought a 2000 XJ with a 6-7 inch lift that has ARBs, Dana 30 and the 8.25. I am running BFG ATs and don’t plan on running anything bigger. It has the 4:1 kit in the 231 and the guy put Alloy axles in the 30. This will be a daily driver with a good amount of highway driving. I like to go to Moab and play but wont be mashing metal with it, although I do enjoy occasional obstacles like Golden Crack. I got a quote to re-gear at the local diff. shop for $1500-$1800. I want to go with 4.88s. Is this money well spent for my needs? Should I sell the old axles and buy 44s? Is this a reasonable quote for the work? The XJ only has 40k on it so these axles should be in good shape. My appointment is for Monday. Any input will be greatly appreciated.:helpme:
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Regear or reaxle?
- Thread starter XJME
- Start date
Yucca-Man
NAXJA Member # 683
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
Did the previous owner swap a HP D30 in there before dropping all that coin on a low-pinion 30?
$700-900 to regear a low-pinion D30 is a lot to spend...
With 6-7 inch lift, what size tire are you running? 35? I'd definitely say 4.56 as a bare minimum and 4.88 might be better with that combo although the 4:1 will help you in lo range anyway. the C8.25 limits you to 4.56 as the deepest gear choice although it seems you already realize that.
$700-900 to regear a low-pinion D30 is a lot to spend...
With 6-7 inch lift, what size tire are you running? 35? I'd definitely say 4.56 as a bare minimum and 4.88 might be better with that combo although the 4:1 will help you in lo range anyway. the C8.25 limits you to 4.56 as the deepest gear choice although it seems you already realize that.
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
If you have the low pinion dana 30 that was put in front of the newer XJ than it is too weak IMHO for the tiny pinion that comes with the 4.88 gear set. If you dont want to change to a high pinion dana 30 stay with 4.56 gears but INSIST on using DANA made gear sets and don't get suckered into buying an install kit because they come with it. Last advise is the stance I take and that is "don't put a penny into stock axels." Upgrade.
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
If it has ARB,s and sombody went thru all that touble it probably has low gears in it allready. What gear ratio do you have? Spin the tires and count the drive shaft revolutions.
Yucca-Man
NAXJA Member # 683
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
Good news is that the C8.25 is a stronger 29-spline. With 33s, 4.56 should be fine for ya.
What gears do you have in it now? The D30 ARB will differ between the 3.54+down, 3.73+up carriers...if you have the stock 3.07 (stick) or 3.55 (auto) then you'll need a new ARB with the front regear. The rear ARB doesn't have a carrier break.
At a minimum, I'd recommend swapping in a hi-pinion D30 and building that up. The good news is that the axleshafts will swap over. If you've got 3.73 or deeper gears, the ARB will swap over as well.
What gears do you have in it now? The D30 ARB will differ between the 3.54+down, 3.73+up carriers...if you have the stock 3.07 (stick) or 3.55 (auto) then you'll need a new ARB with the front regear. The rear ARB doesn't have a carrier break.
At a minimum, I'd recommend swapping in a hi-pinion D30 and building that up. The good news is that the axleshafts will swap over. If you've got 3.73 or deeper gears, the ARB will swap over as well.
Stumpalump said:
Unfortunatly no, the guy I got it from built it from a virgin stocker and he never used it for a driver so he never regeared. He just put the 4:1 in the transfer. I seem to notice some negative camber in the front, what would cause this? The guy was 60+ not a Baja running kinda guy, just a crawler.
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
ARB's come in two flavors. One for street gears and one for low gears. You need to find out what you have. If it was me and I had the Cro-Mo axels and ARB's I'd stick to what you have. You won't be able to re use you ARB in a high pinion front end or if some fool spent all that money and did not regear at the same time leaving you with a street gear ARB then you can't go low on the gears without a new ARB.. All terains don't break as many parts because they slip befor they break stuff(hopfully). Are you bogging down on the free way?
Yucca-Man
NAXJA Member # 683
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
Not correct - there are two ARBs for the D30, with no differentiation between high- and low-pinion.Stumpalump said:
RD101 - 3.54/down
RD100 - 3.73/up
Both of those applications are for the stock 27-spline 1.16" axleshaft. The ARB (RD104) is also available for a larger 1.31" 30-spline axleshaft, but that is intended for a 3.73/up application only.
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
Sell both of your axels complete and upgrade. Research for weeks before you decide and go lower on the gears than the gear charts recomend. Look at the ford Explorer 8.8 rear with disk breaks and the sky is the limit on the front.XJME said:
Yucca-Man said:
Ok, so I'm good with the C8.25 and 3:56s in the rear and I have an auto which I'm assuming has 3.55s considering the C8.25 was a towing package was'nt it? So I'll need new Arbs. Where do I find a high-pinon 30 and what advantage is there to it over just going with a 44? I'm going out to check my ratio now to be sure. Thanks!
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
I almost stated that I was unsure and I was. sorry. Did you catch that thread on Advanced fabrication abought fliping and axel over to make it high pinion? Funny but it will make you head spin trying to visuallize it.Yucca-Man said:
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
Price. Plus you said you had cro-mo axels for a 30. Find out you inner spline count before you buy a locker for you 30 because ARB made a larger spline option to fit some larger spline axels. You can slide one axel out and count the splines.XJME said:
Yucca-Man
NAXJA Member # 683
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
The C8.25 came with non-ABS XJs in '91 and later. Gearing was dependent on the tranny used - 3.55 with automatics, and 3.07 with the stick.XJME said:
Hi-pinion D30s were available 84-99 in the XJ. However...(and I never bothered to put this on my site) :twak: you really want the D30 HP with the larger 297-x u-joints, so IIRC, that would be a 95.5-99 XJ, or an 87+ XJ with the NP242.
I need to relocate those notes and add into the site. I'll check back on this thread shortly with updated, correct info. Hopefully.
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Edited to add:
You shouldn't have the larger 30-spline axles if you still have the stock gearing; I'd be interedted to know what they did if you do though.
I'll address the D44 question when I come back, although $$ with the front D44 is the big setback in my book.
for me the question is usually how much money my wife is going to let me spend.
If money is not a big issue get new axels
sell your current set up for about 1800$
Put in another couple thousand and you are well on your way to dynatracs
, if it is an issue i would at the least consider getting a HP 30 like said above. Sell the lp to some tj kid over at jeepforum.com who just wants a locker and is not going to regear. Go to the junk yard and get some regular shafts and keep the good shafts for youself. Heck you should be able to pick up an HP 30 for not much coin at all if you have any access to a yard. Keep the 8.25 because its a fine axel if your not wheeling the piss out of your xj. And if your short on coin you could always consider selling the teralow and just putting in a reg 231
And yes, 1800 bucks is way to much for just a gear install. You should pay somewhere around 1000 for front and rear if the shop does them with any regularity.
If money is not a big issue get new axels
sell your current set up for about 1800$
Put in another couple thousand and you are well on your way to dynatracs
, if it is an issue i would at the least consider getting a HP 30 like said above. Sell the lp to some tj kid over at jeepforum.com who just wants a locker and is not going to regear. Go to the junk yard and get some regular shafts and keep the good shafts for youself. Heck you should be able to pick up an HP 30 for not much coin at all if you have any access to a yard. Keep the 8.25 because its a fine axel if your not wheeling the piss out of your xj. And if your short on coin you could always consider selling the teralow and just putting in a reg 231
And yes, 1800 bucks is way to much for just a gear install. You should pay somewhere around 1000 for front and rear if the shop does them with any regularity.
Ok, the driveshaft spun 1 3/4 times to one wheel rev. I assume I have a 3:73 then. New Arbs to go with 3:56s then right? So are you saying I can just turn over the 30 and it'll be the same as getting a H-P 30? Will I be happy with the 3:56s? I don't want to spend a fortune if I can help it, perhaps this would be a good happy medium for me. Ahhh... :eeks1: If I turn it over won't the pumpkin be on the Passanger side? Or do you have to cut the tubes and...?
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
NO NO It was a joke that sombody posted. You cant flip axels or they will spin backwards. High pinion 30 are a dime a dozen. I have one laying in the back yard. The are just stronger in the foward direction than a low pinion which is stronger in revers . When you use low gears the pinion diameter gets so small it becomes a weak link somtimes taking out addition parts.XJME said:
Stumpalump
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Franktown Co.
Learned this from an old timer and it works. Lets say you want a boat. Take your wife to the boat show and show her the new ski boats that cost 50-60 grand. Show her the sweet boats in hot boat magazine fo 80K. Then when you find a sweet deal on a 10 thousand dollar used boat she will be delighted! All you wanted was an 1800 fishing and beer houler and you wound up with a nice rig. Same with the jeep, show her the air locked low geared 07 Rubicon Unlimited and leave the sales brochure on the coffee table for a week and show her the great deals on new ones in the paper. Talk it up for a week and then acked like you have come up with this brilliant idea to build up what you have for a fractin of the cost of a new one. She will once again be delighted with your wisdom and marketing genious and give her blessing to your ultimate buid up.javik said:
Stump the wife trainer
