83 waggy axle questions

[87xjco]

So I bought a 83 Waggy cheap from a tow company. It was left too long in a parking lot and impounded. It has brand new 35's on alloy wheels, new front springs that look like 5 or 6" of lift and 5" blocks in the rear. Engine looks like it has been out recently and re-painted and new gaskets but, I don't know if it was rebuilt or what. I got it to run and it sounds real good, but who knows. I haven't decided what to do with the vehicle.

So hoping you guy's can help identify some stuff and give some opinions.

Pretty sure this is a AMC 20 rear diff.

Pretty sure this is a D44 with vacuum disconnect. It has selectable warn hubs on it.

Opinions on if these are a good choice axle for going into a Cherokee (The Xota) with 35's and doing alot of moderate to hard wheeling?

Is the disco D44 less desirable/weaker than a non-disco?

Are the lockers more expensive for either axle than a non-disco D44?

I've heard the AMC 20 can be considered as strong as a D44. Opinions?

I guess one big question I need to answer is what gears are in these axles. If it has already been re-geared to 4.56 or lower, that saves alot of money. I'll pull a cover off and check it out later.

 

[andyr354]

the CAD is not desirable. Could disable it but you still have a two piece axleshaft on that side. Standard D44 gearset and parts.

Stock waggy gears are usually in the 3.31 or so area. I would not mess with a 20 rear. Even though the waggys have one pice axleshafts they still tend to spin the tubes and flex.

 

[JnJ]

Actually the 20 rear is probably better to have then the front vaco 44. The 20 is not the weak one in the CJs. I think I'd fix it up and run it as is, not really worth swapping those axles into your XJ.

 

[87xjco]

Well I pulled the rear diff. cover and counted the teeth. Ring gear 43, pinion 13.

Equals 3.31 gear ratio (3.3076923 to be exact)

If it had 4.56's already I may have went ahead and used these axles for the Xota. But since it has the stock gears and since the D44 is a disco version. I will keep them in this rig and re-sell it. I think I should be able to make enough profit to get better donor axles.

 

[ClassicXJ]

I was under the impression that if a front D44 has selectable hubs than it wasn't a vacuum disconnect model?

any truth to this?

 

[87xjco]

I was under the impression that if a front D44 has selectable hubs than it wasn't a vacuum disconnect model?

any truth to this?

The Warn hubs can install on either a disco or a non-disco axle.

 

[overkill48]

I just picked up 2 waggy d44's one non disconnect and one disconnect it appears that you could put a short side axle from a non disconnect into the disconnect axle and bypass it. Has anyone tried this? I took rough measurements and the axle appear to be the same total length but I have not disassembled them yet and tried it.