8.25 or Dana 44

[Johnnie Walker]

Chromos for the most part, run about the same price give or take a few dollars.
WHat I thought was kind of interesting when I was looking at parts for my 8.8. On summit the AlloyUSA chromos are around 110$ each and the Dorman replacement are 150-160$. I know prices vary, but I think 8.25 chromos, depending brand are probably around 200$/pr +/-

OP, considering the extra cost of gearing and such for the D44, I see you being into the axle for at least 1500$ or MORE.
If you continue to use your 8.25, and really want an OX plus gears I see it being less. But, you are not limited to an OX, unless you really are set on it.

 

[1989TwoDoor]

D44 is better than a 8.25 in my book

However, an 8.25, D44, & 8.8 can all handle 35's locked just fine.
So go with whatever you can get BUILT for the cheapest.

That happened to be a D44 for me.

Excellent Advise.

 

[blistovmhz]

The dana 44 ring gear is better.

The dana 44 doesnt have a crush sleeve on the pinion (common 8.25 failure point)

The dana 44 doesn't have c-clips.

The 8.25 has bigger axle tubes.
Smaller axles.
C-clips
crush sleeves
smaller gears
less ratios
more expensive lockers


The 8.25 is almost a dana 44 in every way, but its a little bit less, in every way.

^^ This. The 8.25 is a respectable axle, but the c-clips are terrifying, especially if you're still rockin' drum brakes (c-clips go while on the highway and no calipers to hold the axle in, and your axle shaft and wheel are leaving without you. This to me is reason enough to upgrade.

I run a d44 rear and can vouch for it. Parts are cheap (much cheaper than an 8.25), all the disc brakes that you can put on an 8.25 will also go on a 44 (with some drilling), no c-clips, chromoly's are practically free, bigger R&P. I've got a 5000lbs XJ with 6.5" lift on locked 35's, pushed by a bit over 350hp v8. I beat the living shit out of it. The guys who think they're hardcore, are almost always holding me up on the trails. I'm that guy who flies past you on the rock gardens and you're all "man, that guy's a ****in' tard. He's going to bust an axle/bj/u-joint/uni/whatever", but I never do.

My roomie recently blew up his 8.25 and we swapped in an 8.8. The 8.8 is a very nice axle, massive tubes, same size shafts as a 44, aftermarket prices are similar, etc. The only reason I don't like the 8.8 is the c-clips, but as it often comes with disc brakes, it's not as much a concern as it is with the stock 8.25. Also, the 8.8's carrier is weak as hell compared to the 44, and I'd almost pit an 8.25 carrier against it.

D44 would be my first choice, no question.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Some of you seem to forget that the D44 is not perfect and can fail and come apart too. This thread comes to mind. Yes, disc's can/will help a bit regardless of non-c or c-clip. But things happen.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1118870

I dislike working on drum brakes, so soon both of my heeps will have rear discs.

 

[blistovmhz]

Oh yea. And d44 seals suck.

 

[techno1154]

Oh yea. And d44 seals suck.

OK! I agree.

That is why I carry around a short piece of 2 by 4 :huh: It help to keep the oil in :gag: (by parking with one wheel on the 2 by 4).

 

[blistovmhz]

Eyup. My 44 came from a beat to hell XJ. Probably stock seals and shafts. Shafts had groove worn in them under the seals. Driver side was worse so I always parked driver side up
Only reason I upgraded to chromoly shafts was because of the oil ruining all of my brand new brake pads.

 

[md21722]

Some of you seem to forget that the D44 is not perfect and can fail and come apart too. This thread comes to mind. Yes, disc's can/will help a bit regardless of non-c or c-clip. But things happen.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1118870

I dislike working on drum brakes, so soon both of my heeps will have rear discs.

No telling what caused that, axle bone dry and has a problem shortly after servicing, no surprise there.

 

[blistovmhz]

No telling what caused that, axle bone dry and has a problem shortly after servicing, no surprise there.

Yea, I still say the odds of a single c-clip failing are WAY greater than wither the d44's retainer plate breaking free or the bearing retainer slipping off. C-clips are fine for street, but don't deal with side load well at all.

 

[md21722]

The nice thing about the D44 is that the axle shaft is retained by the retainer plate at the wheel end - there is no side to side movement, and in theory the axle shaft can never strike the cross pin.

 

[blistovmhz]

The nice thing about the D44 is that the axle shaft is retained by the retainer plate at the wheel end - there is no side to side movement, and in theory the axle shaft can never strike the cross pin.

How so? The axle is retained by the pressed on bearing retainer collar (on the inside) and the axle shaft retainer plate (on the outside). This does not prevent inward movement. The bearing and seal are sandwiched between the two retainers, but but there is nothing to prevent the axle from pushing in towards the cross pin.

 

[md21722]

I was referring to the retainer plate, compared to a c-clip axle in which inward/outward play is completely normal. The 8.25 axle bearing is a once piece roller bearing pressed into the axle. The D44 is a tapered bearing - side to side movement should not occur with a tapered bearing.

 

[Cottontail]

I'm an 8.8 fan. Most of the guys around here I think run them. I do. They are easy to find and easy to build up. They run about $125 at the junk yards around here and the conversion kits are about that also. Feasibly you could buy and build for around $300. That is assuming you want 4.11s that you can get in Explorers.

 

[GordoSmasho]

I'm an 8.8 fan. Most of the guys around here I think run them. I do. They are easy to find and easy to build up. They run about $125 at the junk yards around here and the conversion kits are about that also. Feasibly you could buy and build for around $300. That is assuming you want 4.11s that you can get in Explorers.

X2 ill be swapping my 8.8 to my wifes rig to replace a dana44. A 14bolt will take its place in mine. 8.8 is a solid runner.

 

[Miller88]

I'm an 8.8 fan. Most of the guys around here I think run them. I do. They are easy to find and easy to build up. They run about $125 at the junk yards around here and the conversion kits are about that also. Feasibly you could buy and build for around $300. That is assuming you want 4.11s that you can get in Explorers.

I'm big into the junkyard parts deal. I would rather keep my 8.25 or go with an 8.8 ... I have never seen an XJ or TJ dana 44 in the junkyard ... which means, when something snaps, I can't just run to the local pick and pull yard and get parts for it. I'd have to order something online (expensive) and wait for shipping.

8.8s are everywhere in junkyard. So are 8.25s.

... and hp30s.

 

[blistovmhz]

Yea, 8.8's sure are nice for parts availability and price. I'm interested to see how my roomies holds up (c-clips still scare me), and may swap over to one at some point.

Also remember that the 8.8 stock carrier is made of paper mache and blows up when someone walks by and spits on the ground. Upgraded aftermarket carriers are cheap though, so not a big deal. Roomie's going to run it and see what happens.

 

[jdsilvaca]

I picked up a Dana 44 out of an 89 XJ. The guy I bought it from had already put disc brakes on it. I still have my Chrysler rear axle, and might build it for another XJ. Besides being a c-clip axle, the only other real downside is that nobody is making a big spline axle kit for it. I could only find 29 spline axles and the steepest gears were 4.56, so I went with the Dana 44. I now have 33 spline gears, detroit locker with 4.88 gears with 35 inch tires. It's plenty of axle for me. I will put a truss on it, then I should not have to worry about the rear when I am wheeling. I also put the RuffStuff Dana 44 diff cover on. That thing is stout! Now I just need to figure out what route to go for my front axle.

I guess it depends on how hard you wheel, and what size tires you want to run. The Ford 8.8 is a good axle, but it's a c-clip as well. You can get the c-clip eliminators for it.

 

[rockclimber]

^^ This. The 8.25 is a respectable axle, but the c-clips are terrifying, especially if you're still rockin' drum brakes (c-clips go while on the highway and no calipers to hold the axle in, and your axle shaft and wheel are leaving without you. This to me is reason enough to upgrade.

I run a d44 rear and can vouch for it. Parts are cheap (much cheaper than an 8.25), all the disc brakes that you can put on an 8.25 will also go on a 44 (with some drilling), no c-clips, chromoly's are practically free, bigger R&P. I've got a 5000lbs XJ with 6.5" lift on locked 35's, pushed by a bit over 350hp v8. I beat the living shit out of it. The guys who think they're hardcore, are almost always holding me up on the trails. I'm that guy who flies past you on the rock gardens and you're all "man, that guy's a ****in' tard. He's going to bust an axle/bj/u-joint/uni/whatever", but I never do.

My roomie recently blew up his 8.25 and we swapped in an 8.8. The 8.8 is a very nice axle, massive tubes, same size shafts as a 44, aftermarket prices are similar, etc. The only reason I don't like the 8.8 is the c-clips, but as it often comes with disc brakes, it's not as much a concern as it is with the stock 8.25. Also, the 8.8's carrier is weak as hell compared to the 44, and I'd almost pit an 8.25 carrier against it.

D44 would be my first choice, no question.

when was the last time you heard of a "c-clip" failing? C-clips don't fail. Shafts fail. and if you fail a shaft and run on it you will **** things up regardless.

also, if you try to rely on the backing plate to hold the axle in you're asking for bad things to happen. the backing plate will bend and then you'll really be screwed.

a D44 or 8.8 aren't bad upgrades, but I wouldn't let C-clips determine the choice or be a deterrent for running an 8.25

(I am running a C-clip Eliminated 8.8 FWIW)

 

[blistovmhz]

when was the last time you heard of a "c-clip" failing? C-clips don't fail. Shafts fail. and if you fail a shaft and run on it you will **** things up regardless.

also, if you try to rely on the backing plate to hold the axle in you're asking for bad things to happen. the backing plate will bend and then you'll really be screwed.

a D44 or 8.8 aren't bad upgrades, but I wouldn't let C-clips determine the choice or be a deterrent for running an 8.25

(I am running a C-clip Eliminated 8.8 FWIW)

I was actually thinking about this, and you're bang on. I've heard lots of guys talk shit about c-clips failing, but never once actually seen evidence of it. Shaft failure would suck for sure, but that's relatively rare in an 8.8 anyway, and disc brakes will at least retain the axle for a minute in the event of a shaft failure, so as long as you're not an idiot and don't keep driving after the shaft has clearly exploded, you should have lots of time to stop and pull over before it pulls apart your calipers.

My roomie actually blew out a set of wheel bearings in his d44 (front) hub in his 8" SAS'd k1500, on the highway. He probably actually blew the bearings hours earlier on the trail, but his calipers held the wheel on for the whole trip and didn't let go till whipping around a corner. He doesn't do post-wheeling inspections .

I think at this point, my only issue with the 8.8 is the larger pumpkin... though I'm not actually sure if it sits lower than the 44. I prefer everything else about the 8.8 over the 44 though, so perhaps I've just converted.

 

[adhd_xj]

I'm actually pretty content with my 8.25 though I don't get to do much wheeling on it because life. But one thing I haven't seen mentioned is something I really like about it, the fact that the axles are the same length. Carry 2-3 spares and go. Snap one, replace. You don't have to worry about if it's a left or right. 2-3 spares is easier to carry than 2-3 sets of spares. Just my .02 though.