Axle swap question...

Hey all, got a few questions. I have a D30/D35 combo in my 95 XJ right now with 3.07 gears and limited slip in the rear. I have come across a decent deal on a set of axles out of a late 80's XJ with 4.11's in it. I don't know if the rear is a 35 or a 44, and it will be a week or two before I can go look. Will it be a direct swap? I would look at just buying the gears if the rear is a 35, but I have NO idea how to change them. Also, I believe the front axles on the late 80's were vacume... How would this affect me? I guess I would just have to hook up the vacume lines, huh? If so then I could also do the posi lock option, right? Thanks in advance for all your help!!!

Yes they will be a direct bolt in, if you are lucky enough to have found the ever-so-rare XJ D44 I doubt it has 4.11's.........not sure though.

Don't bother trying to swap the R&P set from one to another, not worth the time money or effort, just swap the entire axles.

As for the vac disconnect, yes the late 80's front axle will have it. I would pull the front shafts from your 95 D30 and swap them into the older D30, then just remove the vac motor assembly and cover the hole. Your '95 will have beefier front u-joints as well which is a bonus.

buying both axles whole seems like it would be the easiest thing to do. It should be direct bolt on. As far as the vacume goes, you could just use the shafts and knuckles from youre current D30, between the 2 axles you should have all the parts you need. I believe warn makes a kit that omits the vacume connects.

if the axles are comming out of an XJ then it should be a 35 w/ 4.11s, if its any lenght of a drive I wouldnt bother.
Yes they will all bolt up w/ the possible exception of the e-brake, and the front w/ will be a vacuum disco, so youd have to run lines (personally id never swap a non-disco for a vacuum diso axle.

But if it is the vacuum disco, won't the posi-lock upgrade be a good thing?

Yes, We swapped a disco into to my sons' 95 so he can run a locker in the front without spending around a grand on a locking hub conversion. The Posi-Loc works good. It's not a slick as locking hubs but it does the job. Remember all YJs came with disco axles & so do most modern 4wds. Chrysler quit using them in XJs because of cost, not because they don't work. Just don't run bigger than a 33" tire. If you find a 90/91 they have the late style knuckles too.

99xj4x4 said:

(personally id never swap a non-disco for a vacuum diso axle.

Click to expand...

I've heard the cast UCA mount on the disco version is stronger than the mount on the non-disco.
:dunno: