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Vari-Lok Progressive Differentals????

Hillbilly XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Missouri Ozarks
I have these in my 04 Grand Cherokee Overland in both the front D30 and rear D44. Is this just another name for a Limited Slip or different?
 
It's an advanced limited slip. I believe it can actually lock completely if necessary. The Quadradrive system claims to be able to send 0-100% torque to any single wheel, and uses a limited slip setup in the tranfercase to determine front-rear torque bias, and Vari-lok in the axles to determine side-to side bias.

See here for more information: http://wjjeeps.com/tcases.htm
 
Thank you very much for your reply and explanation of how it works, it took me a few days to get back here.

I'm old and have CRS syndrome or I would have used Google too look it up also :doh:
 
WJ's used LP d30s. I believe the carrier is the same. in the quick google I did it appears the axle shafts are a different length.

so a solid maybe. You'll have to sort out the details.
If the clutch in the gerotor carrier is rebuildable, it may be a pretty awesome DD/full time upgrade.
 
WJ's used LP d30s. I believe the carrier is the same. in the quick google I did it appears the axle shafts are a different length.

so a solid maybe. You'll have to sort out the details.
If the clutch in the gerotor carrier is rebuildable, it may be a pretty awesome DD/full time upgrade.

That's what I was curious about because I can only think that the carrier would be the same, it just holds a different cut style ring and such. But then again, I don't know lol
 
it may be worth investigating a WJ at the pick n pull.

or just grabbing the whole D30 and swapping all the stuff to a HP housing.
I think the big problem would be the shafts. I assume that you can use the WJ shafts wit han XJ unit bearing to retain 5x4.5, but I don't know.
The plus side would be that you gain the WJ knuckles and brakes.
 
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it may be worth investigating a WJ at the pick n pull.

or just grabbing the whole D30 and swapping all the stuff to a HP housing.
I think the big problem would be the shafts. I assume that you can use the WJ shafts wit han XJ unit bearing to retain 5x4.5, but I don't know.
The plus side would be that you gain the WJ knuckles and brakes.

the WJ shafts are longer, so is the actual housing. as long as the pump or whatever isnt specific to the WJ D30 housing its worth the upgrade if you can do it cheap and toss the guts into a HP30. IIRC all the LSD WJs were geared 3.73.
 
the WJ shafts are longer, so is the actual housing. as long as the pump or whatever isnt specific to the WJ D30 housing its worth the upgrade if you can do it cheap and toss the guts into a HP30. IIRC all the LSD WJs were geared 3.73.

they list different length shafts for the varilok equipped axles. So there's a difference in the carrier significant enough to affect the side gears I suppose. I'd bet that the shaft on the side with the pump is longer so it goes through the pump housing.

That's all conjecture though, as I've not been in a WJ axle with the super fancy diff.
 
Now I'm tempted to rip into a few at the junkyard simply because I can...
 
these things with a 242 diff would be pretty fawesome in a DD winter driver.

Agreed. For sheer availability I think I'll stick to my Durango/Dakota 8.25 rear LSD, but a WJ varilok d30 would be pretty nice.
 
Alright so I poked around the parts catalogs a bit.

It's only available as a 3.73 and numerically higher carrier. Sorry, guys with 3.55s and 3.07s... not gonna work out. That includes me, for now :( *

The WJ LP D30 3.73+ open carrier is the same part number as the same year XJ HP D30 3.73+ open carrier, 0525 2590. So my conclusion is that a WJ Varilok LP D30 3.73+ carrier SHOULD work with an HP D30 as long as you're installing 3.73 or deeper gears.

If you want to order one direct from the dealer, the D30 varilok is 0501 2519AA. They're expensive. The RPO/build sheet code is DSB.

The D44 (not sure which D44 this fits? Could be D44a, regular D44, or super-D44 like the JKs use maybe? I'm not researching it, I don't have any D44s, someone else figure this out) varilok is 0501 2869AA and it also requires installation of a fluid plenum, part number 0501 2870AA and a different cross shaft, part number 0501 5223AA. It appears that installing it also requires different axleshafts from the open diff or trac-lok... open and trac-lok use the same shafts as each other.

* Note: 3.55 and numerically down d30 carriers have a deck height of 1.800... 3.73 and numerically up d30 carriers have a deck height of 2.410. That's a difference of 0.61" and the 3.73 carriers are taller, meaning a 0.61" spacer and ring gear bolts 0.61" longer SHOULD get the job done. Now... I wonder if I can get a friend of mine to make me such a spacer? :eyes:

Ring gear bolts for the d30 are 3/8-24 RH thread, 11/16" hex head, unknown underhead length since I can't find a reliable source. Aftermarket ones are grade 8, so I bet if I can find grade 8 3/8-24 (UNF) bolts 0.61" longer than the factory d30 ring gear bolts, it should work out nicely with a spacer.

EDIT: Randy's Ring and Pinion lists a "super" (JK and WJ...) d30 as having 7/16-20 ring gear bolts instead of 3/8-24. So this idea may be bunk, though I tend to trust the factory parts catalog over aftermarket sources, and it says the open carriers are the same between the 3.73+ XJ and WJ. It also says the ring gear bolts are the same (0525 2503) for both.

Basically... YMMV. Give it a bit of junkyard researching if you are interested, see what you come up with. Barring axleshaft differences, I think it may work in a deep geared d30, not so sure about a 44.
 
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yeah, all the grands got the aluminum 44 to my knowledge.

not sure I'd rock a spacer, for the different in gearing I'd just do 3.73.

I had them in my MJ.
3.73's and 31's with a 5 speed is just about perfect. Just a tad better than factory. 4.10s and 31's in an auto would probably be just about right too.

If they fit one could score a pretty fancy auto locking/LS diff for junkyard parts money that was super street friendly for the front axle.
 
I know for a fact some WJs got a d35... a really weird one, semifloat non c clip with a very strange brake backing plate and bearing retention plate bolt pattern. Learned that the wrong way while trying to pull donor parts for a rear disc swap before I knew the difference between a ZJ and a WJ :dunce:

I'm going to be running 235s and 3.55s with an AX15. First gear is already going to be damn near useless on the road, if I wanted to spend money on it I might put 3.73s in it but I'm already wasting way too much on this turd as it is.
 
I have an 04 Overland WJ with quadradrive. Works amazing offroad, just a little slip then boom, you are moving.

I wouldn't recommend it for a swap though. If you have a wj without it, a whole axle swap with vari-lock would be cool, but the differential carrier assemblies with clutch packs are not serviceable, and the dealership cost is over 700 dollars.

Not sure if you guys were specifically thinking of that carrier for a xj swap, but I'd rather have a full locker.
 
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