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Replace D35 with a 44A?

Anak

Stranger
NAXJA Member
The Varmint Mobile sounds like it needs new pinion bearings in the D35. It is a job I can do, but the time to do it is not really available. I am more inclined to swap in another rear end.

Spent yesterday afternoon looking through junkyards for another D35 with disc brakes. Not a single decent candidate to be found. Either someone else already took the entire rear end, or the axle shafts have been taken or the gears have way too much play. Or they are a drum rear end--there were a couple of those.

OTOH, there were several D44A rear ends available.

I am toying with the idea of swapping to the D44A.

One interpretation of the picture I found in the junkyards is that the D35 is absolutely a problem, but the D44A doesn't seem nearly so problematic.

I would appreciate the thoughts of others who have more experience with these two differentials.
 
Assuming you are looking at a ZJ 44 and not a WJ? Upper control arms are different so can only use a ZJ--> ZJ rear to bolt in. Not sure if gears are different in the ZJ for WJ's they are 44 had 3.73s and 35 had 3.55.
 
Now that I think more the WMS is different so has to be a ZJ. Would a 8.8 be another option?
 
If you can find a 44a with a driveshaft, it's an easy bolt in swap to a ZJ. V8 ZJ's after I think '95 all had the 44a with 3.73's. It's a good, common swap. You won't be able to use one from a WJ. WJ D44's are wider, different lug pattern, and use different control arm mounts.
 
The pinion bearing journal on them likes to wallow out and let it spin, but other than that they're an upgrade from the 35 for sure. Though that's more how awful the 35 is than any sort of praise for the 44a.

I would concur that you need a ZJ donor (different width, lug pattern, suspension design - WJ has a single upper Y link) and need the driveshaft, which means you need the same drivetrain options I believe for the length to be right. Remember that tcase rear yokes went from wet to dry with grease boot 95 to 96 and the length changed as a result. Also yes you'll need the front axle to be 3.73 geared unless you regear the 44a and I'm not sure anyone makes a 44a gearset, haven't looked in years. I don't believe standard aftermarket 44 covers fit either. They're kind of an orphan axle.
 
The pinion bearing journal on them likes to wallow out and let it spin, but other than that they're an upgrade from the 35 for sure. Though that's more how awful the 35 is than any sort of praise for the 44a.

I would concur that you need a ZJ donor (different width, lug pattern, suspension design - WJ has a single upper Y link) and need the driveshaft, which means you need the same drivetrain options I believe for the length to be right. Remember that tcase rear yokes went from wet to dry with grease boot 95 to 96 and the length changed as a result. Also yes you'll need the front axle to be 3.73 geared unless you regear the 44a and I'm not sure anyone makes a 44a gearset, haven't looked in years. I don't believe standard aftermarket 44 covers fit either. They're kind of an orphan axle.

There are gears available, and a couple locker options. There’s also a few aftermarket diff covers and pinion guards available now. There’s some aftermarket support, enough to make it a decent axle.
 
The pinion bearing journal on them likes to wallow out and let it spin, but other than that they're an upgrade from the 35 for sure. Though that's more how awful the 35 is than any sort of praise for the 44a.

I would concur that you need a ZJ donor (different width, lug pattern, suspension design - WJ has a single upper Y link) and need the driveshaft, which means you need the same drivetrain options I believe for the length to be right. Remember that tcase rear yokes went from wet to dry with grease boot 95 to 96 and the length changed as a result. Also yes you'll need the front axle to be 3.73 geared unless you regear the 44a and I'm not sure anyone makes a 44a gearset, haven't looked in years. I don't believe standard aftermarket 44 covers fit either. They're kind of an orphan axle.

This issue of the pinion journal wallowing out, is it the journal itself that goes bad or is it the machined seat in the cast housing?

I believe (need to confirm for certain) that my ZJ is already 3.73 geared. Having poked around under various vehicles in the junkyard I had already concluded the WJ options were out (primarily based on the control arm differences--lug pattern would just be an excuse to go with WJ brakes up front and run 5 on 5 all the way around). I am ruling out an 8.8 conversion on account of the cost and time to convert all the mounting points (and knowing me, I would want to find one with 4.10 gears, and then I would have to re-gear the front).

Picking up a D44A is looking like a reasonable option.

Particularly if it is indeed true that the driveshaft from a V8 will work in the 4.0L application. I will pay attention to T-case outputs (my ZJ is a '97) and try to find a V8 with the same setup.
 
The pinion bearing journal *is* the machined shoulder - the pinion bearing race is the part that presses into it, at least until it wallows out.
 
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