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Should I swap my Dana 44 for a ford 8.8?

NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
I'd rather have a Freshly setup Dana 44, New bearings, seals, Gears.. etc And NOT have C-clips... NOT have to deal with the E-brake swap, NOT have to change wheel spacers or whatever..

This is a pretty easy answer for me.. A fresh Dana 44 sounds better then a Junkyard axle
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right, if you already have a d44, why bother changing it for an 8.8 and then building it. the only way that would make sense is if the 8.8 could be had already built for less than what it would cost to build the d44. and it would have to be enough less to make it worthwhile to hassle with doing a swap.
 
it is worth mentioning that the 44 also has decently better ground clearance than an 8.8. another reason why going from a 44 to an 8.8 doesn't make a lot of sense
 
and the 44 is bolt in upgradeable to 33 or 35 spline, and easily upgradable to a much larger ring and pinion.
 
I purchased a Disc Brake Ford 8.8 w/ an LSD for $90. The disc brakes were a big selling point to me, and the 5/8" narrower per side won't even be noticeable. My inlaws own a napa store and I work in a fab shop so the total swap for a rebuilt 8.8 will be about 3-350$.

Considering how scarce a XJ 44 is and how much $$$$$$ people ask for the 8.25's I think an 8.8 is a great choice.
 
If i was swapping and only had a 35 or 8.25 then i my self would go with the 8.8 as im doing with my XJ now. Its stronger in many ways over a D44. But the 44 is a better fit then the 8.8. The 8.8 being a little narrow is really not a problem for most people and most cant even tell. Its not narrow by much.
The Ebrake on the 88 can be a little tricky to adapt but people have found great ways of getting the job done and not having it looked hacked. Some people say the carrier in the 8.8 is weak. Well it could be weaker then the 44 i dont really know. I do know that most everyone around here that i wheel with has a 88 in the rear and no one has had carrier problems. Even had a friend who had the cross pin slid out and kill the inside of the case and the carrier had little damage from it really. 88 is a little easier to setup gears in i think. Due to the shims going on the outside of the carrier bearings. The tubes on a 88 are a little bigger and thicker then most 44s. But not by big numbers. And the people i know running untrussed 44s never have a problem so think its close to mute other then its a difference in the 2 axles. I like the U-joint flange that's on the 88. Its saved that lower joint more times then i can count. But you could buy the same thing for the 44 so its not like you cant have it for the 44 as well. Factory disks on the 88 95 and up. Easy to swap disks onto a 44. Ring gear in the 88 is a tad stronger due to size. 44-8.5" 88-8.8". Again a mute point but still a difference to note. The 44 not having C-clips is nice. Makes it a little less work when working on stuff. The C-clip on the 88 is not a weak point if you ask me. I mean ya if you snap a shaft it will walk out. But the disks do a good job in keeping the shaft in. As long as your not in a crazy spot. 44 has way more aftermarket support then the 88 but the 88 is catching up. Can post some strength numbers if needed. Just didn't feel like digging out my book.

Its really like anything else the 2 axles are close enough in pros and cons and in strengths and weakness that it really doesn't matter. Run whats cheaper for you. If you have it stick with it unless you find the other built closer to what you want then maybe swap.

I my self run a 8.8 in my YJ. Welded 4.56 cromo shafts. Its never given me a problem in the 14yrs of hard service. And seeing as how 88s are easy to find around here and at most cost $250 the XJ will get one as well.

 
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Gary Briggs said:
Other than the C clip, of which they make a C clip eliminator kit, what's the problem with an 8.8?
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you mean other than the fact that the C-clip eliminator costs more thana ring and pinion set or disk brakes for a 44?

rockclimber said:
it is worth mentioning that the 44 also has decently better ground clearance than an 8.8. another reason why going from a 44 to an 8.8 doesn't make a lot of sense
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and his DS is already set up for the 44. no need for a flange adapter or after market pinion.





having the wheel bearings pressed onto the axle shaft isnt a huge issue. any semi float axle will likely be the same way. my spare 9" shafts are ready to go with a new bearing. remember that spitting a C-clip axle doesnt mean just popping in a new shaft. it is likely to destroy the wheel bearing and even the mating surface that the bearing rides in. dont ask me how i know. :smoker:

on 32s the OP will likely hurt neither. but i think in the end the OP will have more money (and time) invested in an 8.8 when the 44 could be built to similar specs.
 
these 44 / 8.8 threads always get so lively......
unless you're already pushing the limits of the 44 or plan to in the future, the 44 re-gear is the more reasonable choice strictly from a cost effective point of view. unless of course you just want to tackle an axle swap because you are bored.
everything can be adapted to work but when there is a reasonable unit already in place there isnt much need for the upgrade.
ive done a few 8.8 swaps and my opinion is they are alot of nickel and dime peripheral expenses that come with them. a no-brainer upgrade for a D35, but not worth the effort and expense to replace the 8.25 or D44 if you arent going biger than 35s and take your vehicle's equipment into account when you mash the throttle.
as far as the 8.8 c-clip eliminator.... i also "consider" it race-only because an axle breaking on the trail at 2 mph has near-zero effect on the safety of the vehicle and driver, compared to what happens when a shaft breaks and walks out of the housing taking the caliper and any hopes of stopping with the brake pedal with it at the 60' mark under full throttle..... not needed and a waste of money if you arent in danger of breaking a shaft at speed, at which point it becomes no-brainer.
 
cal said:
and the 44 is bolt in upgradeable to 33 or 35 spline, and easily upgradable to a much larger ring and pinion.
Click to expand...

sounds like you don't want a D44. you just want a D44 housing with a D60 inside it :laugh:



both axles are great. who cares. my vote with this swap is always do what is cheapest and most accesible. at the end of the day, rear axle strength probably isn't going to be the biggest of your worries
I think VAhasnoWAVES had it right in the first post. keep the D44 and gear it, you're going to want deeper than 4.10's anyway.

fwiw the 1.25" difference in width on the 8.8 was never noticeable to me
 
VAhasnoWAVES said:
you mean other than the fact that the C-clip eliminator costs more thana ring and pinion set or disk brakes for a 44?


and his DS is already set up for the 44. no need for a flange adapter or after market pinion.





having the wheel bearings pressed onto the axle shaft isnt a huge issue. any semi float axle will likely be the same way. my spare 9" shafts are ready to go with a new bearing. remember that spitting a C-clip axle doesnt mean just popping in a new shaft. it is likely to destroy the wheel bearing and even the mating surface that the bearing rides in. dont ask me how i know. :smoker:

on 32s the OP will likely hurt neither. but i think in the end the OP will have more money (and time) invested in an 8.8 when the 44 could be built to similar specs.
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The C clip eliminator isn't that expensive, most people don't even do it. And it seems you're still not taking availability into the equation. Where are all these XJ 44's at? Cause I can't find one. Also can't find a C8.25 at a reasonable price either.

If the OP can find a good deal on an 8.8 like I did, he could do the swap relatively cheaply and probably recoup most of his investment with the sale of his D44. Or just do the gears and close this thread
 
If you have ever had a 8.8 apart beside a D44 you will have no doubt the 8.8 is much stronger. The shafts don't neck down and the pinion is D60 size and there is far more mass in the R&P assembly in general. The housing is far stronger than an XJ or TJ 44.

If you are after the most strength do the 8.8, especially if a doubler is in your future. If you counting pennies regear your 44.
If you don't actually wheel much this entire discussion is mute.
 
Gary Briggs said:
The C clip eliminator isn't that expensive, most people don't even do it. And it seems you're still not taking availability into the equation. Where are all these XJ 44's at? Cause I can't find one. Also can't find a C8.25 at a reasonable price either.
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ummm... under his jeep.

dont most Cclip eliminators require new/longer shafts to accommodate the added width of the new retainer bearing?

im not arguing Cclip vs non Cclip here. i just dont think an 8.8 is a worthwhile upgrade over a D44. aftermarket support (on average) is going to be much cheaper.
 
jonzer12 said:
If you have ever had a 8.8 apart beside a D44 you will have no doubt the 8.8 is much stronger. The shafts don't neck down and the pinion is D60 size and there is far more mass in the R&P assembly in general. The housing is far stronger than an XJ or TJ 44.
Click to expand...

meh, comparing the stock components is silly.
aftermarket shafts are a must no matter what axle you have, comparing stock 44 shafts to stock 8.8 shafts

and the housings are either going to be strong enough in stock form or will need to be beefed up. the 8.8 (or every one I have dealt with) has a thinner wall, but a larger OD than the XJ 44 so theoretically it is more resistant to bending, but will dent easier, but neither of them is really that much stronger than the other so if you are at risk of damaging one, the other will probably not suffice.

also, a C-clip eliminator is not going to make your life any easier if you break a shaft. they were not designed so you could drive on a broken shaft, the super88 was designed for 2 primary reasons, to give the 8.8 the larger 9" outer bearings and to combat axle-shaft bending. unless you are full-float, C-clip or nonC-clip if you drive on a broken shaft you are going to **** shit up. and the disk brake backing plates will fold like a taco if you even think of using them as a shaft retainer.
 
Gary Briggs said:
The C clip eliminator isn't that expensive, most people don't even do it. And it seems you're still not taking availability into the equation. Where are all these XJ 44's at? Cause I can't find one. Also can't find a C8.25 at a reasonable price either.

If the OP can find a good deal on an 8.8 like I did, he could do the swap relatively cheaply and probably recoup most of his investment with the sale of his D44. Or just do the gears and close this thread
Click to expand...

Availability is not an issue in this thread considering the topic is about swapping out an existing 44 for the 8.8. So the rarity of the 44 is irrelevant considering the OP already has one.

On the contrary, there are 44's out there for a good deal. I have one. Bought it for less than $200. Bolt in an 8.8 for less than that. Yes I did gear and lock mine but I doubt after the nickel and dime things that you could swap an 8.8 for cheaper than the cost of purchasing my 44. Hence it was a better option for me. Now if I never found a 44 or they cost 3x what an 8.8 would, then I'd have an 8.8. I still regularly see XJ 44's for sale for $3-400. To some, the extra purchase price is worth it for the mere fact that it bolts in.

Like has been said, just compare availability vs cost and make a decision. Neither will be the wrong one.
 
jonzer12 said:
If you have ever had a 8.8 apart beside a D44 you will have no doubt the 8.8 is much stronger. The shafts don't neck down and the pinion is D60 size and there is far more mass in the R&P assembly in general. The housing is far stronger than an XJ or TJ 44.

If you are after the most strength do the 8.8, especially if a doubler is in your future. If you counting pennies regear your 44.
If you don't actually wheel much this entire discussion is mute.
Click to expand...

This would be great if it were accurate info, but it is not. ;)

Built 44 > Built 8.8 as far as strength goes.

If you don't think so, bring you're 8.8 over. I'll bolt it up, break it, and then put my 44 back in its place where it will hold up fine. =)
 
Keep smoking that stuff, if you want to go balls out you can build a 35 spline 8.8. There is no getting around the small diameter pinion shaft and lighter gears of the 44.
Stock vs stock the 8.8 is a good bit stronger.
 
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