A pain in my rear end (D35)

O.K. so I got this '88 XJwith a D35, it is making a very slight rubbing/grinding noise. You almost have to be aware of it to hear it. The service mechanic says let it go until it gets worse, fine.

So I figure I should be prepared. Maybe start keeping an eye out for a 44 at the junk yards...but then figure the newly aquired 44 would need some work.

So, I send an e-mail to a very reputable and off road connected local shop. The guy calls me back within an hour. I explain my situation. So Cal, weekender, want to explore the trails, more of a crawler/line picker not a gas pedal masher, but I don't want to ruin the day by having to turn around. running 33"x10.5's.

He tells to rebuild the D35 and add a posi-traction. He makes it sound so simple (and affordable). Part of me is relieved, but part of me wonders about all the negitive stuff I have read about the D35.

I think back 10+ years ago and I ran all the trails I wanted to in a YJ with an open D35 and never had a problem.(looking at my new maps and books, we ran some pretty difficult trails) And I am thinking, what this guy is telling me makes total sense. But everything I read (damn internet) makes it sound like my D35 is going to explode just pulling out of the driveway.

I know it is popular to post about your D35 swap, but I am wondering how many of you have done just fine with your D35. Because if I prepare for this guys advice, I can move forward with some other needed mods.

well my 2 cents....if he as in the "shop" he may be trying to sell you something. I think there are plenty of 8.25's, 8.8, or 44's, out there to make the easy swap. I say look around before you spend money in the 35.. just to have it break pulling out of the driveway..and there startes the never ending cycle.

My buddies got a 351cid in his yj with a d35, don't know how it stays in one peice, I just puchased a posi for my d35. been two years for my xj no problems as of yet with the d35

if i were you, i would rebuild your D35 with posi. i have a D35 in my 89 Cherokee (with thousands of miles on it) and i have never had any problems with it. if the guy at the offroad shop is telling you to go forth with the D35 rebuild, he probably hasn't seen alot of problems with it. sometimes it seems like the hype about the D35 being so terrible is over exaggerated. good luck.

I killed my D35 open on 31s!

Your much better off swapping it. You could get a 29 spline 8.25 for the same, or less cost than fixing the 35. Do a 44 if you can find one.

I got my 8.25 for about $150 and it hasn't let me down yet (welded, running 33s, mostly rocks). I will swap it again eventually because I want to go lower than 4.56s (that's why it's welded and not locked), but for 33s this axle is cheap and works well.

35s can hold up ok.... if your real easy on them, but why not swap it if you can?

In many cases you can get an open 44 or 8.25 dropin with factory LS for less then you can do a full rebuild on a 35. Just don't get a def off of a XJ that looks like it's been wheeled.
You just have to keep looking for the right deal. If you have the time spend it and get something stronger AND cheaper then a rebuilt.

For me it's just about simple peace of mind. It's a known fact that the D35 will fail if subjected to forces that exceed it's design limitations. Sometimes just "taking it easy" is not enough to avoid breakage. If you only wheel close to home and with others who don't mind helping you out if you break down then you might be O.K. with a D35. But if you wheel far from home, by yourself, or with people who get bent out of shape when they are delayed by a broken rig on the trail, you can have more peace of mind with a rear that is proven to hold up better, such as the 8.25, D44, or 8.8. In the long run I would go with a stronger axle. $.02.

Simple fact. The D35 was not, is not, and never will be a rock solid axle for the rear end of a 4x4. Dont waste your cash trying to make it so. Go for a replacement with at the VERY least a Corporate 8.25. Youll thank us later.

Friends don't let friends spend money on a Dana 35.

If the Dana 35 you have is failing, swap in another D35 for maybe $100. Pull the spare shafts out of your old axle - it's a non-C-Clip axle which is usually a fast trail repair. Better yet, swap in a 8.25 or D44 -with no fabrication required. Just don't dump a bunch of money into the D35 !

Open or with only a Posi-traction, you may get along fine for a long time but, don't let anyone fool you - D35's break all the time - it's common enough that a bunch of us can identify a D35 shaft snapping by sound alone. . .

now this is funny, i pulled a heep out sunday with a blown 44 with 456 front an rear.. He said he had it about 3 years, running 33s on them.. I still have stock with 33s on it, so i think it you beat it, they are going to break no matter what size you got:dunno:

what part of so-cal are you from?
If you're willing to come to vegas, I've got a 29 spline 8.25 w/ 4.10's for $100.

let's just put it this way.
I have an 8.8, and still carry D35 shafts for the people around me

Thumpersdriver said:

Simple fact. The D35 was not, is not, and never will be a rock solid axle for the rear end of a 4x4.

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A lot of people, especially the TJ/SJ/Bronco/K5 crowd, say that the unibody Jeeps were not, are not, and never will be serious off road vehicles.

But we as XJ/MJ owners know that to be false, and have proven the unibody's worth.

I know the Dana 35 was not meant for big tires and lockers, but I do believe it was meant for off roading with stock or slightly larger than stock tires (31s and under).

The Dana 35 IS better than what modern lightweight suv's come with.

I'm willing to bet that a Dana 35/30 XJ with 31s would hold up longer than the IFS/IRS suv's like the RAV4, CRV, and the Santa Fe with 31s.

I know I'm comparing apples to oranges, but solid axle 4x4s are almost nonexistent.

jk333 said:

sometimes it seems like the hype about the D35 being so terrible is over exaggerated. good luck.

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i blew up my D35 on 225's, a friend broke a shaft in his 4cyl yj, another broke a shaft in his dirt driveway, yeah i guess all this hype is over exaggerated

O.K. so I am thinking of checking out the local PUP for a D44.

How rare of a find would that be?

How heavy is a D44? Will I be able to get it home by myself?

bl87xj said:

O.K. so I am thinking of checking out the local PUP for a D44.

How rare of a find would that be?

How heavy is a D44? Will I be able to get it home by myself?

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They are out there, just gotta be lucky I guess. The D44 is pretty heavy, two guys can lift one with some effort. You'll probably want a trailer to carry it home or lots of blankets to protect the interior from dirt and grease.

I know a guy who is hell on his d35, and yeah, he busts stuff, but the way he drives always jumping shit and bouncing all over the trails, its seems every time we go to Moab he breaks it. But i have seen him run 33x12.5 on it for the better part of a year and he has yet to bust anything with those tires and a locker in. I dunno, maybe its just a luck of the draw thing. In my first XJ i had a d35 and it worked really well.

bl87xj said:

O.K. so I am thinking of checking out the local PUP for a D44.

How rare of a find would that be?

How heavy is a D44? Will I be able to get it home by myself?

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D44's are uncommon, but often priced like they are rare. . . . 8.25's are underrated - it's a respectable axle. If you are looking to stay with the stock gearing and 33's, either can be a direct bolt-in and will hold up fine.

I've moved a D44 around myself (one end at a time) - put it under a Jeep and did a swap alone but, lifting it up into the back of a truck is a 2-man job.