33 spline axles for 8.25

[klcs]

I am sure a lot of people said "why would anybody make a super 35 kit" but they do, and it sells, so why not a Super 8.25.

Thank you buddie . Its for people who would like to beef up there factory axles.

 

[EricsXJ]

Who really cares about needing 33 spline shafts for the 8.25 till its really necasary. kinda a moot point since 4.56's is the lowest you could go. I don't think to many people are breaking 29 spline shafts on 33"s and 4.56 gears...
Don't ya think. maybe when someone comes out with some 4.88 gears for the damn axle it'd be worth going to 33 spline shafts, but until then, your money is better spent somewhere else...

I agree, and I also brought that up back then and Mike mentioned doing 4.88s for it. Personally I would like to see 5.13 or 5.38 to make it really worth it.

And dont forget its still a C-clip axle!

And your point being? The c-clip is a non-issue if you don't break, and isn't that why someone would want to have a much stronger shaft? A lot of people give the 8.25 a bad rap, but what many of them don't know is that the main body of a stock 8.25 shaft is actually thicker than a Dana 44 shaft. What makes it a weaker shaft is the lesser diameter of the shaft at the splines and the neckdown. The stock 8.25 shafts neckdown a huge amount compared to the Dana shafts. But thats why this is promising. The beefier main section of shaft means that the amount of neckdown can be dramatically reduced (shaft thickened) in that area. So add a 33-splined shaft to a housing with larger tubes than the Dana 44, and a pinion much larger than the Dana 44, and I'll gladly accept the fact that it has c-clips.

I've been running 35's with my 8.25 with alloy 29-spline shafts. It suits my needs just fine. If they make 33-splines for it and lower gears, I'll seriously consider keeping it if I should decide to go bigger.

why would superior make a super 8.25 kit anyways? im a little confused. as ryan has already pointed out, 4.56 is the lowest you can gear, and what other vehicles did the 8.25 come with? not many (libbys and what else?....small market) it seems like they wouldnt make any money on the kit expecially working with another company who has to make a special carrier/locker for it

As someone else pointed out they make a Super 35 kit. But... the market for the 8.25 is probably a lot bigger than you think. The 8.25 is found in the following:

'91 - '01 XJs
Jeep Liberty (still in production)
Jeep Commander (in production)
in some Dodge Dakota pickups
in some Dodge Durangos

Just because the XJ isn't in production any more doesn't mean DC stopped using the 8.25 axle!

 

[DirtyMJ]

What size would these 33 spline shafts be? Anybody know/say?


I'm not a C8.25 fan. But maybe because I've never owned one.

 

[BrettM]

What size would these 33 spline shafts be? Anybody know/say?


I'm not a C8.25 fan. But maybe because I've never owned one.

they will probably be standard pitch, so somewhere between the 1.31 of 31 spline shafts and the 1.50 of 35 spline shafts. do a little searching and you can probably find the diameter for the 33 spline Super 44 shafts, and it's likely the same.

 

[EricsXJ]

What size would these 33 spline shafts be? Anybody know/say?

Are you talking about the shaft diameter at the splines? I would guess the same diameter of a Super 44 shaft with 33 splines. That would be something I could ask Mike when I talk to him. I called a few times today but didn't get him.

 

[XJPhoenix]

I think it's not a bad idea, I know I'd buy it if I were in the market to upgrade my rear axle. It's a nice step between the D44 and the D30 as it is, (the newer ones with the thicker shafts.)

If it has a shaft as strong as a D44, I'd jump on it. There's so many 8.25 housings out there compared to D44's, it'd be a good cost reduction in building up a mid-level rig. If you're only running 32's or 33's, a strong 8.25 with a locker would be perfect!

 

[KSXJ]

I just swapped in a d44 cause all the work done to it, but if it had more options like we are talking about, I would have stayed with it. But agree it needs more gearing and locker options.

 

[djblade311]

another benefit of upgrading the splines on the 8.25 is that you only need to carry a single spare since it works for both sides vs D44 has different lengths though if you bring the proper side (passenger I think), it can work for both as well. I would be very interested in the 33 spl IF it can fit gears larger than 4.56 as rawbrown mentioned.

 

[CartsXJ]

I believe the only reason that there isn't any deeper gears for the 8.25 is that the ring gear gets in the way of the carrier cross shaft, even with 4.56's you have to grind down a couple od teeth to get it in. Now if Superior did a c-clip eliminator like they did for their 8.8 kit, that would open the door for deeper gears. That would be one hella set-up, 33-splines, detroit or arb, 3" axle tubes, 4.88 thru 5.38 gear selection. You would really only need to step the front axle to a 44 and you could run 37's very easily.

 

[splitz]

So does this mean there is hope yet for the 8.25 or we just talking about a pipe dream?

 

[Cowmanche]

Been running my 29 spline 8.25 on 36" TSLs with 4.56 gear and detroit locker. Haven't had any issues with it. So a 33 spline kit I would love to see. I guess I will wait now. I was going to build the 8.8 I have sitting around by doing the super 8.8 kit and detroit locker. Only advantage I see now is the disc brakes.

 

[DirtyMJ]

If they're the same diameter as the 33 spline ones for the D44 - I don't really see the point.


The shafts will be quite a bit stronger than the R&P.

 

[EricsXJ]

If they're the same diameter as the 33 spline ones for the D44 - I don't really see the point.


The shafts will be quite a bit stronger than the R&P.

Yeah lets not make anything stronger. In fact if we want the shafts to be the weak link, we should all downgrade to 27-spline shafts.

How many people with 33 spline Dana 44's are breaking their ring gears because they upgraded their shafts?

Dana 44 ring gear = 8.5"
8.25 ring gear = 8.25"
Dana 44 pinion = same size as Dana 35 pinion
8.25 pinion = comparable to Dana 60 pinion (so they say)

I doubt the 8.25 ring gear is THAT much weaker than a Dana 44 ring gear. And it wouldn't matter if you had 35-splined shafts or 40-splined shafts, it doesn't make the ring gear any weaker. It just needs to be strong enough to handle the torque from the drivetrain before it. You would think that in many cases the driveshaft u-joint will be the weaker link.

 

[Mike L]

they will probably be standard pitch, so somewhere between the 1.31 of 31 spline shafts and the 1.50 of 35 spline shafts. do a little searching and you can probably find the diameter for the 33 spline Super 44 shafts, and it's likely the same.

1.42 for 33-spline D44 shafts.

 

[Mike L]

Are you talking about the shaft diameter at the splines? I would guess the same diameter of a Super 44 shaft with 33 splines. That would be something I could ask Mike when I talk to him. I called a few times today but didn't get him.

Any news?

 

[DirtyMJ]

You would think that in many cases the driveshaft u-joint will be the weaker link.

Do 8.25s run straps or flanges for the u-joints?


If they're strapped - well I can imagine breaking u-joints. And if so, that would be a reason I'd stay away from them.


So, anybody broke a 8.25 R&P? I mean, I don't trust people on how strong anything is by word of mouth after I blew my HPD30 R&P - when I was told I'd break everything else first.


Although, I guess those factory 29spliners are really weak?


The reality is I just figure there's better axles out there that can be had cheap. Welding a couple spring perches on ain't a bad thing - you can fix that damn pinion angle.

 

[Big Red]

I am sure a lot of people said "why would anybody make a super 35 kit" but they do, and it sells, so why not a Super 8.25.

That's a waste of $ for the Polisher kit for the 35, but the dana 35 had a long run in a # of Jeeps, the 8.25 in comparison was much less used. From 91'+ in XJs and KJ. Not in ZJs or TJs, or YJs like the dana 35 was in as well as the XJ and KJ.

Since the 97'+ 8.25 already comes stock with 29 spline shafts, they are c-clip and the lowest gear you can get currently are 4.56s, I don't see the need, but what the heck...people will buy them so they don't feel they need to swap out their stock axles to dana 44s, 60s or 9"s.

The 8.25 isn't a bad axle, but if you are going to big tires and have the $ to put into them, why not go with a dana 44, 60, or 9"...they have such great aftermarket support. The stock 29 spline shafts with 4.56 gears is good for 33's, maybe 35's if you are easy on it, why go further than that with this axle?

 

[EricsXJ]

Any news?

Haven't been able to contact him by phone. Secretary said he was at some show somewhere... I'll try email.

 

[English XJ]

I'm really interested to find out more about this - despite just purchasing a 29 spline Detroit and Yukon shafts to upgrade mine.

Deeper gears are what I'm specifically looking for but 33 spline option would be awesome.

Also, just to add to the previous comments - swapping axles isn't for everyone, especially those who pay shops to do their work or like to keep stock Jeep parts. For me it's the issue of not having suitable axles around, we just don't have them here (no big trucks really).

And I think there would be interest from the Dodge car owners looking for upgrades, when shopping for parts there are a lot of car applications of the 8.25 as well as the Dodge and Jeep trucks.

 

[Archdukeferdinand]

The reality is I just figure there's better axles out there that can be had cheap. Welding a couple spring perches on ain't a bad thing - you can fix that damn pinion angle.

The 27-spliners are the weak ones.

With the ease of the ZJ disc swap onto the 8.25, and it's relative strengths, I think your comment is completely off-base.

I spend WAY too much time in snow/ice to lock either diff, which means that my rear will hold 35s without flinching. Cowmanche is on locked 36"s

Why in the world would I want to switch axles (other than gear depth)?

D44= Weaker housing, more difficulty/expense switching to disc brakes, marginal strength upgrade in shafts, upgrade in ring gear, downgrade in pinion strength.

8.8 Gotta weld housing at the pumpkin to avoid spinning tubes, one of my buddies broke his 8.8 ring in the rear of a stock v6 RANGER on a freakin' fire road. To be fair, 2 other friends are running 8.8s with no ill effects, but one of them is a stock tire 4-banger.... I've NEVER seen anyone break an 8.25" ring, not at all to say it doesn't happen, I've just firsthand seen the death of an 8.8 in a medium-speed, unloaded situation...

Anything else (D60, 9", etc) would be overkill for me.

I'm not sure how you'd define "better axles for cheap," but mine came from the factory with 29 spline shafts. Can't get much cheaper than included in the price of your vehicle. $300 and 1 night of my labor later, it had disc brakes.

Considering that in certain areas it is as strong or STRONGER than the vaunted D44, switching to disc brakes is a breeze and cheap- for the 35" and under crowd whose weelers have to double as DDs, I think switching axles would be foolish.

And if companies were to offer up gear depth solutions and beefier shafts, you could build up an axle of comparable/superior strength to a D44 without having to have the axle out of your vehicle, do any welding/ housing trimming for width, no worrying about bolt patterns, etc...