Recommended 8.25 Axle

May be having issues with my current axle (or may not) but want to preorder a replacement that may become a spare. What do people recommend in an 8.25 rear axle? 1998 and I'm the original owner, so almost certainly a 29 spline. 3.07 gear ratio if that matters.

I have an extra 01 3.55 open if you happen to be driving through kansas in the near future.

Yukon hands down!

Depends on what your rig status is, ie tire size. Also, what type of driving. IE Highway around town, wheeling???
I'd be temped with a manual to get a 97+ with the 3.55 gears. Then plan 31" tires.

Put me down as another for using this as an opportunity to get better gears.

I am running the AX-15 with 4.10 gears and 30" tires. I DD it as well as do trips that are 1,000 miles of freeway, a few days off-road and then another 1,000 miles of freeway back home. The gear/tire combination works well for me.

Nothing special. AX-15 with stock sized tires. I don't do any crawling, just offroading on 4x4 roads in Big Bend. I went with the Yukons. Not too expensive and shipped fast.

I still might look at getting a stock axle with 3.55 gears. I remember some hills in Austin. Also, should be good for 31" tires.
I have a '88 Comanche with a manual trans. Drove great. I've been trying to 'upgrade' it for a long time. I was on stock tires 225 ratio. I remember getting 23 mpg. A neighbor's kid bough a Comanche. He broke his axle. So, I gave him mine. He said it performed much better. I wonder if someone swapped in a 3.55 from an auto at some point.

75SV1 said:

I still might look at getting a stock axle with 3.55 gears. I remember some hills in Austin. Also, should be good for 31" tires.
I have a '88 Comanche with a manual trans. Drove great. I've been trying to 'upgrade' it for a long time. I was on stock tires 225 ratio. I remember getting 23 mpg. A neighbor's kid bough a Comanche. He broke his axle. So, I gave him mine. He said it performed much better. I wonder if someone swapped in a 3.55 from an auto at some point.

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My 89 MJ originally got 23 mpg with with 3.07 axles, stick and stock tires. 5th gear was unusable on hills and the passes. Then I lifted, swapped in 4.10/.411 axles and 32" tires. Eventually swapped in an AW4. Still gets 17-18 now.

lawsoncl said:

My 89 MJ originally got 23 mpg with with 3.07 axles, stick and stock tires. 5th gear was unusable on hills and the passes. Then I lifted, swapped in 4.10/.411 axles and 32" tires. Eventually swapped in an AW4. Still gets 17-18 now.

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Sort of had similar results. Just different vehicles. One of my 98 XJ, I lifted to 4.5". I had the 3.55 gears. A bit sluggish. Then on to 4.10 gears. Drove good. I might have had issues with hills in WV. I did bore out the TB to 60mm. Really helped. Then I went to 32's. Still OK, a bit of other problems. This is with an Auto trans. I am getting about 16-17 mpg on it.

I think the OP, could get a 3.55 axle fairly cheap out of an auto XJ. 31's might fit OK on a stock, or even do a Budget Boost. Then maybe add a Lunch Box locker. So, nothing big $$.

I'll have to see what my mpg is on my newest 'Rig'. 2" lift, 3.73 gear and narrow 31's. Auto trans. I did get 20-21 on my stock 98 once in a while.