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ABS compatable axles or disable the ABS?...

S

savage1978

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ovalo, TEXAS
I have searched and searched but can't find exactly what I am looking for....

Just got my 97 XJ. It has ABS and a Dana 35 in the rear...How can I upgrade axles and keep the ABS, or how can I throw in a Ford 8.8 or D44 and somehow disable the ABS system without having to radically modify the ABS system?

Id really like to just pick up a Chrysler 8.25 for 150.00 and pull a fuse...is this possible?

Info about the rig:
It has a Rusty's 4.5" lift
31" AT's
LOCKRIGHT locker in the rear (see why im looking for a fix already...)
Daily driver with occasional light to moderate wheeling
Im not a mud guy
 
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savage1978 said:
Id really like to just pick up a Chrysler 8.25 for 150.00 and pull a fuse...is this possible?
Click to expand...
Thats what I just did for my '94 with a D35 and ABS, I picked up a '98 29 spline 8.25, and when I put it in I plan on pulling the fuse....hope it works out.
 
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sh!t, good catch.
relays are under the hood. there will be one for system and pump. I initially pulled the system one, it worked fine but i pulled the pump one as well.
 
skyjackedxj96 said:
sh!t, good catch.
relays are under the hood. there will be one for system and pump. I initially pulled the system one, it worked fine but i pulled the pump one as well.
Click to expand...

what does the pump one do if the system one disables the abs?
 
good question. to be honest, i coulndnt tell any difference btwn the 3:, ABS, no system relay, and both no system and no pump relay.
 
if you wanted to keep the abs i hear the 8.8 is a good swap, you just have to adapt the wiring, also then you could get disc brakes on it
 
red_01_xj said:
if you wanted to keep the abs i hear the 8.8 is a good swap, you just have to adapt the wiring, also then you could get disc brakes on it
Click to expand...

There ia a lot more to it than adapting wiring. I finally decided to remove my entire ABS system. Haven't missed it yet, and this is someone that really didn't want to get rid of it. Winter is coming, should snow soon, we'll see if I regret it.
 
When I bought my wifes 98 Cherokee Country (w/ABS) we got a screaming deal because it had a serious whine out of the rear D35 (98, 4.0, 242, 60K, immaculate for $4200). Swapped in a $100 D35 non ABS and pulled the relay and have had no problems at all....
 
You cannot adapt an 8.8's abs into a jeep. An 8.8 has a single tone ring on the carrier. Jeep uses a sensor at each wheel.
pulling the relay is the best your gonna do and be without abs or else it gets complicated. But... with some brains and some good fabing skills I think its posible to remove the abs and adapt it to even a D44. if I get a chance I will try looking into it more because I know some people would like to keep their abs.
 
Rawbrown said:
But... with some brains and some good fabing skills I think its posible to remove the abs and adapt it to even a D44. if I get a chance I will try looking into it more because I know some people would like to keep their abs.
Click to expand...

You are correct Ryan. Sometimes many people use the XJ including women and kids. Keeping the ABS is a good idea for a DD (offroad is another story).
I would like to know how a D44 can be modified to take ABS.
 
You'd have to machine the tone rings from the d35 to press onto the d44 shafts. Then fab up a mounting bracket for the sensors, and presto chango...you should be good to go.
 
JeffsJeep04 said:
You'd have to machine the tone rings from the d35 to press onto the d44 shafts. Then fab up a mounting bracket for the sensors, and presto chango...you should be good to go.
Click to expand...

That is how I imagined it. I would like to install both ABS and disc brakes.
By experimenting with XJ and ZJ rings and sensors, I figured it can be done.
In the mean time I'm hoping somebody else will do it and save me the trouble of working the fine details :)
 
i would like to know too i am really wanting to get a dana 44 but would like my abs...i like when it kicks in with the snow
 
I imagine that chysler dropped ABS with the d44 option on the TJ's because of tone ring fitment along with the bearing retainers, bearings, and seals.

Not to say that it can't be done, but you have your work ahead of you.

I don't know what system the 97 has, but when i went to 33" tires in my YJ I hated the factory ABS... it was near worthless offroad and on... I didn't pull the fuse though, I just pulled the whole system out and plumbed my brakes directly into the prop valve.

It would be easier to teach those that drive your rig proper braking habits without the assistance of ABS that would have been good to know anyway IMHO.
 
ABS on a Dana 44 is possible. JeffsJeep04 pretty much hit the nail on the head as to how it's done. I dug up an old thread that I posted on, just cause it was easier than re-typing everything: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36770

The bottom line is: If I were to do it again(and I would), I'd get ZJ disks, and see if ZJ tone rings/sensors fit and mounted easier. I suspect you could use the factory mounting spot on the ZJ brackets, as long as you could mount the tone rings in the right spot. Although I still haven't confirmed, I used ABS rings/sensors off of a drum brake ZJ, and they were identical to my XJ parts. I believe ZJ disk brake sensors are different, and may be easier to fit.

Oh, and I started to create a write-up... never really finished. But for what it's worth: http://www.rit.edu/~bjr7178/images/dana44/

It's been almost 2 years since I did that. Haven't had a lick of trouble.
 
zith said:
ABS on a Dana 44 is possible. JeffsJeep04 pretty much hit the nail on the head as to how it's done. I dug up an old thread that I posted on, just cause it was easier than re-typing everything: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36770

The bottom line is: If I were to do it again(and I would), I'd get ZJ disks, and see if ZJ tone rings/sensors fit and mounted easier. I suspect you could use the factory mounting spot on the ZJ brackets, as long as you could mount the tone rings in the right spot. Although I still haven't confirmed, I used ABS rings/sensors off of a drum brake ZJ, and they were identical to my XJ parts. I believe ZJ disk brake sensors are different, and may be easier to fit.

Oh, and I started to create a write-up... never really finished. But for what it's worth: http://www.rit.edu/~bjr7178/images/dana44/

It's been almost 2 years since I did that. Haven't had a lick of trouble.
Click to expand...
What rings did you use?
They look like front axle rings. They seem too wide to be XJ or ZJ rear axle.
 
They came off a pair of ZJ D35 axleshafts I had as spares. I'm pretty sure it was a drum brake axle... which is why I believe retrofitting a complete ZJ disk assembly, senders and the ZJ disk rings might be eaiser.
 
Here is something I was thinking about.
Cut the D44 flange to acomodate a ZJ sensor, use ZJ bracket and Rubicon backing plate. It seems that the backing plate would cover up part ofthe sensor hole and it would have to be trimed. I don't think that the plate strength would be a problem because the Rubicon plate has a reinforced center, it should be strong enough.
The rings would have to be ZJ to match the rest.
 
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