Want Opinion on Axle Locker Combination

[cartbart]

Im looking for opinions on axle and locker combination ? right now i have a dana 35 open diff in the back and i want a selectable locker but from what i rear the dana 35 is a turd. so what im wondering is it worth it to do an axle swap while im at it. keeping in mind this is primary an over landing and dd so im not running anything bigger than 32s. if so what axle. ive seen a bolt in ford 8.8 with locker for 1500 plus ship....

 

[Tim_MN]

The D35 is a turd, don't spend a dime on it. Chrysler 8.25's were installed on XJ Cherokees, and is almost as strong as a Dana 44. Find one with and swap it in. There are many locker options for the Chry 8.25, and there is nothing wrong with an automatic locker in the rear axle.

 

[cartbart]

yea i was thinking about that or a ford 8.8 i dont have a welder or the facility to fabricate anything. so i would have to be bolt on or close to it. but my local jy wants 275 for a used axel which seems high

considering for 645 i can have a ford 8.8 and the abr air locker is 200 cheaper for the ford

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Search in your local chapter forum to see if anyone has something for sale. Maybe your local CL? XJ C8.25/D44 will be plug n pray. F8.8 requires cutting and welding.

 

[Tim_MN]

Find a Chry 8.25 or XJ D44 and it will bolt in.

Are you re-gearing with the locker install ? Wondering why you have chosen a selectable locker for the rear axle ?

 

[rockclimber]

get an 8.25
your tire size is small enough you don't need the strength benefit of the 8.8 or d44. the only reason to get an 8.8 in your case is if you wanted 4.10s and Limited Slip.(since they can be found with those already in them)

its only worth finding a D44 if you think you're going to go to bigger tires in the future and you can find one in the same price range as an 8.8.

stick with selectable lockers (ARB). they are far superior to anything else.

 

[Luke95]

I love my 8.25 with a lokka in it now And 35s I'm going ford 9 because I want 5.38 gears

 

[anderld47]

Years ago I talked with one of the Currie brothers because I thought my 35 was a POS. I was going to pick up one of their reverse cut D44s and feel confident everywhere. He asked me what size tires I was running, if I was going to be lead footing runs, and what I did in the way of wheeling. I told him 32 or 33 inch tires, no I'm not a lead foot, and my most difficult runs were Dusy-Ershim, Rubicon, Pinion Mountain, and Smugglers Cave stuff. I wouldn't be doing the Hammers. He told me my D35 rear and D30 front were plenty strong even though it meant not selling me an expensive piece of gear. I have a 98 with the Chrys 8.25 now, but in 10 years of wheeling with the D35 I never had any trouble.

About auto lockers in the rear. If you're on a wet muddy side slope your auto locker will kick in and the rear end will end up sliding to the low end of the slope. After it happened to me twice I dumped the Detroit and went to ARB front and rear. At least one tire has a chance of maintaining traction.

 

[crazymaci]

Im in the middle of swapping axles myself, found a d44 and a high pinion 30. I contacted rwkhauss(a vender on here) and got a combo deal he was running, went with front and rear airlockers, 4.56s and some other goodies, i think it 600$ a locker, everything i got was 2500$ though i think

 

[anderld47]

Correction on last post. Asked about reverse cut D44 for the front and a D44 for rear. Memory isn't getting any better as the years go by.

 

[cartbart]

im doing a rear locker becuase im going to be driving on snow and dont want a locked rear all the time in 4x4

 

[anderld47]

I agree. Detroit lockers are a bulletproof unit and there are other good auto-lockers, but they do have their limitations. It's better to have any locker instead of open diffs, but if you can do the extra change the versatility provided by a locker you control is nice to have.

 

[pjanda1]

Rear 8.25s are so cheap and easy to install, I'm not sure why one would leave a d35 in. Unless, of course, you have ABS and another won't allow you to kill it.

I don't think you need to pay $1500 for a ready-to-go 8.8. There is a Colorado guy who would ship you one for way less. I suppose it depends on what the locker is. If it is a full case or selectable, $1500 isn't too bad. If it is a lunchbox, you can save a few hundred.

 

[cartbart]

1500 for the ready to go 8.8 was with the abr air locker and disk brakes. i was leaning toward the 8.8 because it comes to about the same price with locker as a d44 in my area and that would not be bolt on.

the abr locker for the 8.8 is 200 cheaper than the dana 44 for some reason

 

[cartbart]

but if the dana 35 isnt that bad. im wondering about just saving a few bucks and just going with the locker in it. again im only running 31 possibly 33 at some point. but im pretty hard on the gas some times....

 

[rockclimber]

don't build a dana 35.

 

[md21722]

8.25 axles can be had all day long for $100

you could blow 3 for the price of a 44 and its not likely that you'll blow any.

you just can't e-locker an 8.25, for selectable its ARB. OX locker does exist but the cable mechanism has caused problems for some.

 

[cal]

but if the dana 35 isnt that bad. im wondering about just saving a few bucks and just going with the locker in it. again im only running 31 possibly 33 at some point. but im pretty hard on the gas some times....

Years ago (.. alot of them now) I had a D35.

I was doing a u-turn on a gravel road, 3.55 gears, 32" tires, open diff. Tire spun a little and then grabbed traction again. When it did, it broke both the shaft and the spider gear.

They are just that weak. If you want to overland, don't run something that may detonate at any time.

8.25 is easy and cheap. 44 is easy and slightly less cheap, although I still see them for $250-$300 every month or so. 8.8 is the same price and slightly less easy.

Dana 44 is the best choice by a LONG shot, and worth an extra couple hundred bucks in the grand scheme. Barring that, either the 8.25 or 8.8 are nice, although C-clip axles can be a pain in the butt sometimes.

 

[Mr. Glock]

I also believe that your easiest and cheapest option would be to go with the 8.25. In my opinion it isn't even worth sinking money into the turdy five. I have never run one myself, but have helped buddy's that have destroyed a few. These were fairly stock rigs, used in very modest conditions. The cheap man's solution in my area is an 8.25 from the local u pull it for $100. That said, a d44 or ford 8.8 would be a stronger option in case of future upgrades. My personal preference is the 8.8, however It is the more labor intensive route and should be ( just an opinion )paired with the c-clip eliminator/chromo kit right out of the gate. If a plug n pray XJ d44 is availible in your area for a reasonable price it would be worth the extra change over the 8.25, they are unobtainium in some areas though.

As far as lockers go, I am thoroughly impressed with the new OX with the air integrated cover. I run ARB's on the CJ and decided I wanted to try something different with the XJ. I was sold on the drive away manual lock backup, and the fact that a failure would not pressurize the diff ( never had it happen, but really like the idea of it not being able to happen). I would not touch one of the older systems with the cable, but I believe OX is heading in the right direction with these air lockers. So much so I'm about to put a set on the wife's new JK.

Good luck with whatever direction that you find best suits you.

 

[rockclimber]

8.25 is easy and cheap. 44 is easy and slightly less cheap, although I still see them for $250-$300 every month or so. 8.8 is the same price and slightly less easy.

this^

44's are getting harder and harder to find.

the only reason to get an 8.8 is if you want 4.10s and a limited slip (which is not a bad setup) because they can be had like that from a JY. all you need is to do new spring perches and shock mounts, then sort out some ebrake cables and run.

if you're going to bother doing gears, adding a locker, etc its worth finding a 44 because the price difference should be negligible, (within 100$ for a stock 8.8 vs a stock 44) but the aftermarket is better for the 44.