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SWAPING D35 TO CORP 8.25, WHAT TO DO

STATCOURIER

NAXJA Forum User
Location
florida
Hey guys Im not new to having a Xj , have a 96 4x2 5sp Sport runs like a top , I get about 24mpg on the highway at 65mph.I LOVE IT, BEST CAR I HAVE EVER HAD . Well Now I have bought a 90XJ Classic 4X4, runs good, needs a little work.Crappy headliner, fair paint few dings, running gear seems to work fine .Would like to know , what anyone knows or thinks about swapping out D35 to Chr 8.25 or for 9inch ford. Good or bad idea? Would like t o make it over due time a good weekend trail rig .My son is dying to help. Would like to to hear input .
 
what are your plans for lift/tires/gears/lockers etc? 8.25 isn't a bad start, but it will require a different driveshaft because the pinion is much longer than on the d35. FYI the d44 and 8.25 pinions are real close so if you wanted to do 8.25 for now and change to a d44 in the future that would work pretty well. for up to 31" tires the 35 should be fine left open i'd think.
 
Chrysler 8.25 is a good axle if you get the 97 and newer models because these have the 29 spline axle shafts compared to the older 27 spline it doesnt sound like much but when your out wheelin it can mean between breaking a shaft and not to give you an idea a Dana 44 is 30 spline and its one of the popular stronger axles. If you are lucky you can find one with the Trac-loc limited slip in it and that way you wont have to do a traction upgrade right away. And you can easily swap disc breaks from the rear of a wrangler onto it. The only real downside to the 8.25 is that it is still a C-clip axle and after market support isnt very good. But for the money on what you can pull one out of the jusnk yard for it is a pretty decent axle. I cant tell you much on the for 9 inch but it seems to be pretty popular but you would have to weld on all the spring perches and shock brackets on unless you can find one already built up for cheap. but it has alot of aftermarket support which is a huge plus so its what you really plan to do with it.
 
was thinking about a 3inch lift (Skyjacker) and 30 or 31's ,Lockers not sure dont know a whole lot .I hear good things about aussie and lockright. Would maybe start with a front locker.Is that a bad idea? Thanks for the input.
 
honestly for lift i would go Rubicon Express far better lift for the money as far as performance on road and off. most people go locker in the rear first but some have started with the front too. when i swap in the factory Dana 44 i found out of an 87 XJ i plan to put a locker in it and then when i build up a front dana 44 ill put a locker in the front at that time. definately go for the 31s if u go for a 3 inch lift
 
Honestly I think a Ford 9 inch is overkill for running 31 inch tires. I have a 29 spline 8.25, and have 33's on my Jeep, and they the particular ones I have are a heavy tire. I have yet to have any problems from the 8.25. I know a few people who have their XJ's on 33's and the 8.25 locked and have no problems. Not to mention its a direct bolt in to your cherokee.

Also, starting with a locker in the rear is more affective I believe. Thats how all the guys I know do it, lock the rear first, and then the front.
 
are you thinking of the ford 8.8? aussies and lockrights are a good start. I will probably end up going with aussies when i have the $. if you can get a 29 spline 8.25 cheap it may be worth the swap for now, if for no other reason than peace of mind.
 
Yeah , I think I will do the 8.25 can get one for $90 in good shape , Only reason I was thinking about ford , my buddy is a for freak and he would be glad to get in on that project.It would make him feel good lol .So what kinda locker is good , aussie ? lockright , trutrac?
 
Begster said:
Also, starting with a locker in the rear is more affective I believe. Thats how all the guys I know do it, lock the rear first, and then the front.

This really depends on what kind of wheeling you do. I locked my front first, and in most cases it out performed those with just a rear. The only cases where this really didn't hold true was on steep climbs. IMO If you like rocks and rough trails, do the front first, it's easier for the front to be able to climb an obstacle, than to be pushed up it. If you like mud, or really muddy trails with a lot of off camber, do the rear first.

STATCOURIER said:
Yeah , I think I will do the 8.25 can get one for $90 in good shape , Only reason I was thinking about ford , my buddy is a for freak and he would be glad to get in on that project.It would make him feel good lol .So what kinda locker is good , aussie ? lockright , trutrac?

$90 is a good price, don't forget to try to get the drive shaft from it. I swapped an 8.25 in mine without it, but I already had 4.5" of lift, and actually needed the longer shaft (hang onto your old one in case you need it when you lift).

I too believe your thinking about the 8.8, not the 9". A 9" isn't an easy swap, unless you buy custom. Unless it's from a 1st gen Bronco, it will be too wide. Also the lug pattern is different. It is an easy install, but installing the front axle to match is the PITA!

However an explorer 8.8 is one of the most commonly swapped axles because the width is about right, and the lug pattern is the same. Not to mention the strength, 31 spline (same shafts as 9"). You also get the added benefit of disc brakes. If you can find one for the right price, I'd go this route simply because there is a TON of aftermarket for them! Plus you can find upgrades like gears, shafts, lockers, etc... a good bit cheaper. The initial cost may be more, but it may save you money in the long run, that just depends on your plans.

However...At $90, as long as the gears are the same, you can't go wrong putting the 8.25 in for now, and swapping later if need be (that's exactly what I did, now it's getting swapped for a D44 so I can gear it lower).

As far as lockers, your limited with the 8.25 to either a Powertrax No-Slip, a Detroit, or an ARB. There is supposed to be an Aussie made, but it's taking them forever to get it done. A trutrac isn't a locker, but it is a real nice limited slip. In front you have many more options, I ran an aussie in my 30 and loved it! I will be doing Aussies F&R with the new build. Selectables are nice, and can be worth it if you have the coin, but IMO I wouldn't spend that much on either of those axles unless I knew for sure I wouldn't be going bigger. On the other hand, the re-sale value of lockers is good, so you can make most of it back by selling it.
 
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I ran an 8.25 27 spline with 33 inch tires for a long time with no problems, and I had a Detroit in there. I actually still have the Detroit and it's for sale cheap. If you end up going that route, send me a PM.
 
Wow ! so much good information, I wish I had picked up one of each , this yard not far from me does a day they let you pull what you want and they charge you half of the regular price, I could have had 2 axle assemblies for $100 .
 
I've done the D-35 to 8.25 swap on a 90'. Its nat a bad deal, get a good solid 29 spline 8.25 drum to drum. You will need new "U" bolts to fit the 3" axle tube on the 8.25. I ended up re-using the D-35 drive shaft because the 8.25 shafts were to short, the D-35 shaft is almost to long so I'm doing a P.O.R.C. SYE and front XJ shaft to correct the issue. I disconnected the 90 E-brake cables from the D-35 and then hooked them up to the 8.25, they work fine. I used the flex brake line and block from the 8.25 and hooked it up to the hard line at the frame and it worked fine.

The 8.8 is a good axle but like the 8.25, ground clearance is reduced with smaller size tires. The 9" is going to be overkill for 31's, but if you plan on going over 33" someday go for it.
 
Look at TRAILREADY XJ's post. He has everything you need to make a decision.

The only thing I would add, is why dump the D35 right now, it will easily handle the tires you want to put on. If you want a lock then I would suggest the Ford 8.8 because you get 31 spline axles and disc brakes in the swap. I am doing an 8.8 on my 99 XJ now (I went with a Detriot locker) and I am impressed with the beef. Only thing if you start going bigger tires I would weld an axle truss on it, as the tubes have a habit of turning under stress of wheeling with bigger tires.
Good luck on the project!
 
I have an 8.25 with 27 splines, and 33x12.5's with a lockright and have never had any problems. I recently went to alloys for the extra security. I am pretty hard on it too.
 
LOL SORRY ABOUT THAT , CAT JUMPED ON THE KEYBOARD , 8.25 WAY TO GO , BUT I NEED TO USE TH D35 DRIVE SHAFT . IS THAT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THE LENGTH?
 
I just got through with this swap last week on my $20 ebay 8.25...

You will find that the pinion yoke sticks out about a 1/2" longer than the d-35 I was able to use my exsisting ds because I had it lengthened after my lift and it was actually a little on the short side,so I lucked out a little there.
You may or may not be able to reuse your old ds.
Just be sure you have some slip yoke travel after you install the 8.25....

You will have to use the ubolts that fit on the 8.25....I was even able to keep the d-35 spring plates because the 8.25 ubolts were 3/8 in diameter.If you try using the original d-35 spring plates with thicker ubolts such as 1/2" you will have to file the holes in the spring plates.

Thanks to swissarmyjeep for the ubolts!!
 
STATCOURIER said:
BUT I NEED TO USE TH D35 DRIVE SHAFT . IS THAT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THE LENGTH?

Well, you MAY need to use it, that just depends on the amount of lift you have. Try to grab the 8.25 shaft with the axle just in case. You will want to use the shaft that locates the slip yoke to have plenty of spline engagement, but enough slip to allow full suspension travel without any binding.

If you go too high, you will need a SYE and CV shaft. "Too high" varies from XJ to XJ. Newer models tend to get vibes easier, some at just 2-3", but your 90 should have no problems at 3".

My 90 is (was) at 5" with a 231,1"T-case drop, D35 shaft, 8.25, and had NO vibes. I also clearanced the yoke, (similar to YJ yoke, that can also be used) but this probably won't be necessary in your case. The YJ yoke is a little longer if you find you need a little more engagement. You also need to make sure your pinion angle is correct, and may need to add degree shims to correct it (this is really only the case once you lift it, it will just bolt in now)
 
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When I swapped my D35 out for a 29-spline 8.25 on my '96, I just reused the D35 drive shaft and it was perfect. When you get the axle, don't forget to get the spring plates that the U-bolts go through, the D35 plates are too small. I forgot and ended up having to go back and get them.

I disconnected the parking brake cables from the front where they connect to the lever. Unbolting the handle from the floor inside the XJ should give you enough slack to pull the cables free. Or just take the axle shafts out and take the brake assemblies off, then reuse your current brakes.
 
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