Can I just bolt it in??

I've had an XJ D44 sitting in my driveway for a while and decided to get on it. I trussed it raised the shock mounts and dropped it off to get gears put in it. I was wondering if I could bolt it into my heep when I get it back without doing anymore mods. As of right now I don't have a SYE and I am running the RE 4.5 kit with 33's. I'm gonna drop the front axle off in a little bit to get gears and for an extra 100 he's gonna put my SYE in. I figured it was worth my time cause he's giving me a good deal as long as its bench work. I'm running the chryco 8.25 now and want to feel the difference as soon as I get it back. I already know not to put it in 4wd unless I want to hear it go boom, and I'm taking the front DS out for good measure

It should be bolt in. Get an extended rear brake line if you havent already.

Get new U bolts too, torque them down to 100 ft lbs.

Otherwise, break in the gears properly, and you should be good to go.

yup..will bolt right in.

give the gears a good break in, and after a few hundred miles wheel it like you stole it

Will the driveshaft fit? I dunno if it will but I'm asking in case you haven't thought of it.

8.25 Mopar & D44 use the same driveshafts & U-bolts, still buy new u-bolts though. Get some 9 1/16" U-bolts made up, they work great.

cherokee chuck said:

8.25 Mopar & D44 use the same driveshafts & U-bolts, still buy new u-bolts though. Get some 9 1/16" U-bolts made up, they work great.

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The same length? Really? So I could go down to the junk yard and pull a ds from a Jeep with an AW4 like mine and an 8.25 rather than looking for one with a D44 and it'll fit? That'll save me so much trouble if it's true. Sorry for the hijack.

I haven't personally used used the 8.25 shaft yet, but I have repeatedly heard from various sources including this forum that the 8.25 & D44 shafts will interchange. We are doing a D44 swap on my kids' 95[5spd, D35] & the donor rig is an A/T and we should need a new shaft. I'm confident this is good info.

The shaft was the thing that was making me think as well. I'm getting the SYE put in after so I will have a new DS eventually but I want to drive with my new 4.56's now

i believe the d44 has a longer snout on it than the 8.25, which would mean at stock height you would need a slightly shorter shaft. lifted you should be fine, but im not positive on that. i end up selling every d44 ive pulled before i get a chance to put it in my XJ :laugh:

issues of drop-in-ability include brake lines (truss' usually gets in the way). and if you droped the lower shock mounts, you have to consider shock length/fitment.
i wouldnt worry about the front driveshaft... ive yet to 'accidently' put it in 4x. and im POSITIVE my short term memory is worse than mosts.