- Location
- West Sacramento, CA
So how bent is that housing after putting all that heat into it, with split tubing sleeves?
-
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Dana 30 Build: Sleeve, Truss etc.... for 35's
- Thread starter nosigma
- Start date
stewie
NAXJA Forum User
as a welder by trade- personally, i would finish welding the plug welds and grind them flush with the sleeve tube. it will give a finished, cleaner look. and it may make the truss easier to install by giving a smoother surface to weld to instead of trying to weld into craters.
i like what your doing to your 30. im contemplating sleeveing my 30 with the internal sleeves that are available for the JK axles so that i dont have to rework all the brackets etc, but i will steal your 4x2 box tube truss idea.
i like what your doing to your 30. im contemplating sleeveing my 30 with the internal sleeves that are available for the JK axles so that i dont have to rework all the brackets etc, but i will steal your 4x2 box tube truss idea.
The only way I know of to tell if the axle is warped would be to put a very straight pipe down through the axle tube and look for deflections at the the ends. Finding a piece of pipe that straight and that wont deflect is going to be the hard part.
Anyone else have an idea on how to check straightness of the axle?
John
- Location
- Hammertown, USA
I have already seen more carnage on my front 44 (with 6 months of wheeling) than I ever saw with my Dana 30, but I am on 37's now too. Mind you, that has been stupid things and not axle/gear problems. I've broken two hubs and had a spindle nut fail, leading to a caliper failure. None of those incidents were major but always a PITA. 
Two things I will state on that:
1) I would happily have run these 37's on my dana 30.
2) I only have the 44 because the new jeep came with it, I dont know how much of an upgrade it is.
NoSigma, it looks good. I probably would have stick welded the knuckles (and in fact, paid someone to do just that..) and I would do a truss over the third welded to it, also stick welded (nickle rod) to help cut down potential housing deformation (Not sure if i really buy into that or not, but you're already going this far....).
Make sure to stick to quality wear parts. I tried Crown balljoints and would kill them in one run. I got more than a year of stupid abuse out of Moog joints and never managed to kill the Spicers.
Stick to Timkin unit bearings. Whether you do a WJ conversion or not, get the 2000+ unit bearings and rotors; they are the same that TJ guys run so its easier to find spares if you have to.
Also do yourself a favor and buy a Ruff Stuff diff cover. Seriously, I think Dan could get a job armouring tanks for a living - his stuff is the best you will get for your 30.
Two things I will state on that:
1) I would happily have run these 37's on my dana 30.
2) I only have the 44 because the new jeep came with it, I dont know how much of an upgrade it is.
NoSigma, it looks good. I probably would have stick welded the knuckles (and in fact, paid someone to do just that..) and I would do a truss over the third welded to it, also stick welded (nickle rod) to help cut down potential housing deformation (Not sure if i really buy into that or not, but you're already going this far....).
Make sure to stick to quality wear parts. I tried Crown balljoints and would kill them in one run. I got more than a year of stupid abuse out of Moog joints and never managed to kill the Spicers.
Stick to Timkin unit bearings. Whether you do a WJ conversion or not, get the 2000+ unit bearings and rotors; they are the same that TJ guys run so its easier to find spares if you have to.
Also do yourself a favor and buy a Ruff Stuff diff cover. Seriously, I think Dan could get a job armouring tanks for a living - his stuff is the best you will get for your 30.
- Location
- Hammertown, USA
Had some good luck, some bad luck and some good luck.
Good luck: tubes are as close to straight as I can measure. Made two wooden plugs that center a laser pointer inside the axle. Shoots to the other side. Its off center at the other end by about 1/4 inch which is about 1/4 degree.
Bad luck: I started the project just after a minor surgery, started it a little too soon. Tore up some stuff internally, got a nasty little infection and spent a week in the hospital and two weeks at home doing nothing. This is why have havent made any progress in a while.
Good Luck: Guy in the local club had a narrowed HP D44 set up for a TJ with Chromos, CTMs, high steer, trussed, ballistic fab brackets, spare shafts, slugs, hubs, etc for sale at a price that was a lot less that what I was planning on spending on shafts.
I bought it.
Once I get this axle installed I will return to the D30. Sorry if this disappoints anyone but this was just too good a deal to pass up. Yes I will be giving up some ground clearance but the savings in time and dollars are worth it to me.
I will be finishing up the D30 housing, truss, brackets, WJ knuckles, brakes and steering since I have all the material lying around and then sell the housing.
John
Good luck: tubes are as close to straight as I can measure. Made two wooden plugs that center a laser pointer inside the axle. Shoots to the other side. Its off center at the other end by about 1/4 inch which is about 1/4 degree.
Bad luck: I started the project just after a minor surgery, started it a little too soon. Tore up some stuff internally, got a nasty little infection and spent a week in the hospital and two weeks at home doing nothing. This is why have havent made any progress in a while.
Good Luck: Guy in the local club had a narrowed HP D44 set up for a TJ with Chromos, CTMs, high steer, trussed, ballistic fab brackets, spare shafts, slugs, hubs, etc for sale at a price that was a lot less that what I was planning on spending on shafts.
I bought it.
Once I get this axle installed I will return to the D30. Sorry if this disappoints anyone but this was just too good a deal to pass up. Yes I will be giving up some ground clearance but the savings in time and dollars are worth it to me.
I will be finishing up the D30 housing, truss, brackets, WJ knuckles, brakes and steering since I have all the material lying around and then sell the housing.
John
2000maroonxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- virginia
you said that you were going to do the 30 spline chromo shafts on this build and I had herd that when you do this you still have the weak link at the outer 27 spline shaft and it makes it harder to find a replacement on the trail if you do happen to break a inner shaft. Has anyone had this problem? I know that you want your weak link to be somewhere easily accessable such as the outter axle shaft but would it still be true that if you had 27 spline chromo inner and outers that it would still break at the outer shaft?
This has been an on again-off again thing. I sold the axle after I found a ready to drop in narrowed D44 set up for a TJ for $750 (no gears but CTM's, Chromo' Parts Mike arms, 1 ton steering with all linkages and track bar). Good deal. So I sold the sleeved D30 and the truss for $200.
Damn that Dana 44 is big and heavy. I also dont like the spring perches and shock mounts, way too high above the axle. Throwing away travel and forcing additional lift for a given shock or spring mount. Also as said earlier the D44 with 35's will have the same clearance as my D30 on 31's. So 35's on a D30 gives me some big benefits pm clearance.
Well last winter the sleeved axle came back up for sale. I bought it back for $100. So here we go again.
Here is the axle with the TNT truss welded on and the track bar mount in place waited to be welded. With the sleeve fattening up the tube the truss sits and inch higher. This let me move the LCA brackets directly behind the axle with NO change in geometry and an even cleaner design (no LCA brackets to hit the rocks).
With the truss being raised an inch the gap between the center section and the truss needs to be filled so they can be welded together. The arrows show where I want the center section welded. After I get the gussets for the inner C's on and the spring perches worked out (they will sit flat on top of the axle and a bit forward, stock position) I will work out some sort of bracing across the short side. I may end up copying Cal's old design and raise the spring an inch so can get some bracing on both the front and rear edges of the tube.
The lower control arm mounts were fairly easy to fabricate. I used some 3" square tube with 3/16ths wall which gave met me the 2-5/8ths ID which is exactly what fits the control arm bushings. Building the jig to get the angles right was fairly time consuming but well worth it.
Not sure how long this will take to complete but it is fun to work on and with the AW4, 4.56 gears and the Rubi box sitting on the floor it should work out really well on the trail as well as the highway.
John
Damn that Dana 44 is big and heavy. I also dont like the spring perches and shock mounts, way too high above the axle. Throwing away travel and forcing additional lift for a given shock or spring mount. Also as said earlier the D44 with 35's will have the same clearance as my D30 on 31's. So 35's on a D30 gives me some big benefits pm clearance.
Well last winter the sleeved axle came back up for sale. I bought it back for $100. So here we go again.
Here is the axle with the TNT truss welded on and the track bar mount in place waited to be welded. With the sleeve fattening up the tube the truss sits and inch higher. This let me move the LCA brackets directly behind the axle with NO change in geometry and an even cleaner design (no LCA brackets to hit the rocks).
With the truss being raised an inch the gap between the center section and the truss needs to be filled so they can be welded together. The arrows show where I want the center section welded. After I get the gussets for the inner C's on and the spring perches worked out (they will sit flat on top of the axle and a bit forward, stock position) I will work out some sort of bracing across the short side. I may end up copying Cal's old design and raise the spring an inch so can get some bracing on both the front and rear edges of the tube.
The lower control arm mounts were fairly easy to fabricate. I used some 3" square tube with 3/16ths wall which gave met me the 2-5/8ths ID which is exactly what fits the control arm bushings. Building the jig to get the angles right was fairly time consuming but well worth it.
Not sure how long this will take to complete but it is fun to work on and with the AW4, 4.56 gears and the Rubi box sitting on the floor it should work out really well on the trail as well as the highway.
John
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A most timely post as I was just logging on to order a gusset kit and spacers for the WJ outer conversion. You sure weld better than I do, they look nice. I am running a 110V miller with flux core. Multiple passes and lots of grinding!!!
John
John
- Location
- Roanoke VA
I didn't sleeve my 30 but I trussed it, installed some cryoed Yukon 4.88's, full case Detroit, RCV's and that was 4 years ago. I beat this axle to h3ll and back. I have ripped all the teeth off the ring gear once(that is why they are cryoed now) and that was the only issue.
94xjsport94
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Carrollton, GA
That is the mother of all 30's!
- Location
- Patterson, Ca
I still argue it's way too much money and work to end up with an axle that's still weaker than a stock 60. I made the mistake of a polished 30 and the stripped ring and pinion were the last straw for me. Yes, a 60 has less clearance, but it's strong enough to drag it around.
- Location
- Hammertown, USA
I'm on board with building it.
If you require a dana 60 to not break, you shouldn't be wheeling.
If you require a dana 60 to not break, you shouldn't be wheeling.
ert01
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
I like how you used u bolt plates as LCA skids. Very simple solution!
- Location
- San Diego
I have a built 30.
I regret putting that much money into it.
my most recent break is the ARB... still working on getting that back together.
IMO its a waste of money. too many weak links to fix...
but it also depends on where and what you are wheeling.
I regret putting that much money into it.
my most recent break is the ARB... still working on getting that back together.
IMO its a waste of money. too many weak links to fix...
but it also depends on where and what you are wheeling.
- Location
- Roanoke VA
Thank you!
If I had a 60 under this Jeep I would spend way to much time having to spot around rocks that I just drive right over now. If you easy on the skinny the 30 will get the job done its just not as cool as a 60
I agree Cal
Thanks!
- Location
- San Diego
I suggest getting rid of those tube seals.
they don't do much other than trap dirt and cause wear on the axleshafts resulting in a stress-riser.
- Location
- Patterson, Ca
I don't require a 60 to not break, but it's cheaper and stronger than this type of ultra 30 build. If you have to be light on the skinny pedal after dumping this kind of money and time into your front axle, maybe you shouldn't be wheeling?
- Location
- Hammertown, USA
I would argue that its cheaper, but then I'd be lying.
The cost of building a 30 is probably 30% the cost of building a 60, a matching rear end, buying new wheels, etc, etc..
If you were starting 100% from scratch, a 60 may be more cost effective, but as an upgrade path its the right choice for a small handful of people.
