Stock or Full width? That is the question

[Twisted_Dakota]

Ok so I ditched my Rear XJ D44 plan and picked up a big bearing Ford 9 inch housing with 31 spline shafts for $100. I did this because I was given for free two 9 inch 3rd members from a fellow co-worker... So I have been thinking should I shorten the housing and shafts to fit the XJ or just buy a mid to late 70's HP D44 to run in the front...

Full with wont bother me at all. If you measure my jeeps stance as it sits now from outside tire to outside tire I already sit at 74''s.

So far this is what I have into the 9 inch

4.56 Gears: $115
3rd Members: Free
Housing and shafts: $100
Still needs brakes, new wheel bearings and seals and master install kit.

or instead of doing a HP d44 just save up and buy the XJ width 9inch with shafts from Currie....

Help me decide.

 

[Exxon Valdez Jeep]

I love full width. But the Currie 9" wouldnt be bad either.


BTW, I am 82" wide.

 

[Crusher16]

Whats the cost to get the housing and shafts shortened?

 

[Exxon Valdez Jeep]

I bet it would be cheaper to get the Currie setup than to make this 9" work and then add the cost of going full width up front also. Its a steep slippery slope...

 

[offroadman83]

full width.........you can always run a different backspacing to get the width of a cherokee..............then you lose your stability though

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

Whats the cost to get the housing and shafts shortened?

Too much

I bet it would be cheaper to get the Currie setup than to make this 9" work and then add the cost of going full width up front also. Its a steep slippery slope...

The Currie setup is less than "Too Much" with 11'' Explorer brakes and it also includes:

Features the 9-Plus notch back heavy duty housing and 31 spline performance axle package built to the stock overall width and pinion offset specs. of the vehicle. Heavy duty 2 1/4” wide leaf spring pads and XJ specific shock mounts are included with the unit and must be set to spec. by the customer and welded at time of installation. Housing includes all 3rd. member studs installed and the Torino style late model large bearing housing ends. Axles include the 5 on 4 ½” and 5 on 5 ½” wheel bolt patterns drilled in them, and wheel studs installed in the stock 5 on 4 ½” pattern, ¼” thick heavy duty bearing retainer plates, and tapered Timken style wheel bearings pressed on.


I can get a HP D44 for $250 and then get the gears/ carrier/ install kit for another $250

 

[DeftwillP]

just do full widths...over time

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

full width.........you can always run a different backspacing to get the width of a cherokee..............then you lose your stability though

I dont want stock XJ width... I want amazing stability... If i do go full width I will be pm'ing you with some questions since you just did this swap as well.

 

[offroadman83]

I dont want stock XJ width... I want amazing stability... If i do go full width I will be pm'ing you with some questions since you just did this swap as well.

I didn't just do the swap I traded it even that way actually from ksxj. You can pm him as he still frequents this board. However I have owned a full width wrangler (1tons etc.) and now this full width cherokee so I love my full width! Way better than my old cherokees with stock width stuff--------------Kyle

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

I didn't just do the swap I traded it even that way actually from ksxj. You can pm him as he still frequents this board. However I have owned a full width wrangler (1tons etc.) and now this full width cherokee so I love my full width! Way better than my old cherokees with stock width stuff--------------Kyle

Where are you located?

 

[offroadman83]

Where are you located?

I am located in deep south Texas.........Edinburg/McAllen. I have wheeled at original katemcy, Cline, Trees (gonna miss it). Haven't seen anywhere that stock width would be better. We aren't cali-------------Kyle

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

ok back on topic

 

[Crusher16]

Id just do full widths.

 

[BDR-TX]

One nice thing about leaving the 9" full width is that spare stock shafts are easy to come by. You can go to pick-a-part just about any day and find a fullsize ford with a 9" rear to pull parts from. If you're wanting to run alloy shafts anyway at least you have cheap trail spares to carry (unless you go 35 spline).

Right now I am "full width" on my XJ. I've got a 9" rear from a early 80's F150. On the front I still have the D30, but run spidertrax 1.5" wheel adapters to match my rear width and change the lug pattern to 5x5.5. The D30 works ok for now, but will be swapping in an HP44 at some point because there is a ton of tire scrub with the wheel spacers, which makes it hard to turn with the front diff locked (having an ARB in the front helps a ton).

I run stock explorer disks which are a bolt-on to the "late model" big bearing 9" housings. The only thing that is not bolt-on about them is you need to make a 1/8" spacer for the rotor to get the proper backspacing with the backing plate (that and redrill the bolt pattern on the rotors of course). I don't have the park brake hooked up yet but plan to when I pull the axle back apart to weld in a diff skid.

 

[x2elite]

If I was going to do my build all over again, I would go full width. You just cannot beat the stability of full widths.

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

Full widths IT IS!!!!!

 

[wheelinscott]

i would do stock width, i guess im alone on this. dont you dd you xj evan? the last time a checked you tires had to be covered so much to get it to pass inspection. they dont seem to strick on it.

i had a K5 blazer and my biggest complaint is that it was too wide(body and axles) . i was able to do more things in my xj with 31s than my K5 with 33s mainly because of the width.

imo

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

i would do stock width, i guess im alone on this. dont you dd you xj evan? the last time a checked you tires had to be covered so much to get it to pass inspection. they dont seem to strick on it.

i had a K5 blazer and my biggest complaint is that it was too wide(body and axles) . i was able to do more things in my xj with 31s than my K5 with 33s mainly because of the width.

imo

I am gonna have to change wheels because of bolt pattern so I will be able to gain back some of the distance they stick out. Yes I do dd my jeep. As far as I know the only thing that won't pass inspection as far as tires is the wear on them and if they are wider than 13.50

 

[Exxon Valdez Jeep]

As far as I know the only thing that won't pass inspection as far as tires is the wear on them and if they are wider than 13.50

Whats the deal about them being wider than 13.50?

 

[Twisted_Dakota]

Whats the deal about them being wider than 13.50?

I will find out either tonight or tomorrow and will post it up.