Upgrades for Axles -Fr and RR

[chilidipper]

Been yrs since I have owned a Jeep, just bought a 98 XJ that has a long arm suspension . Everything else is stock! D35 rr D30 fr stock gears on 32s. Got the rig cheap knowing i would need to do some upgrades. Planning moderate rocky trails with steep step ups. Very little difficult rock crawling .

Upgrading Gears to 456
D35 rr- adding 456s, USA Alloy shaft upgrade 27 spline, Aussie lunchbox. Will I need to change carrier bearings and add shims to make this work ?

D30 fr adding 456s, 27 spline- Carrier bearing and shims needed? Plan to upgrade axle later

 

[RCP Phx]

I would not dump that kind of money into a D35!!!

 

[Anak]

If you are re-gearing then yes, you absolutely need new bearings and shims.

If this is something you plan on doing yourself you need to do some serious research. The learning curve is substantial. This is not a plug-and-play type R&R. Gear setup requires some tools you most likely do not have and it requires attention to detail and willingness to do it all over again, and again, and again, and again...

And as RCP said, a D35 is really not worth putting money into. You would be far better off building a Chrysler 8.25 or Ford 8.8. Given what you are planning to do, you only need a core. Find someone who swapped out their axle because it needed bearings. Rebuild that.

 

[Ol Blue]

A Dana 35 is best used as a boat anchor. The cheapest, easiest bolt in option is to find a C8.25 (29 spline preferably) on Craigslist, Marketplace, or the Junkyard. They are pretty common. If you want more strength check out the Ford 8.8. It won't bolt directly in but as far as axle swaps go its pretty straightforward.

 

[Ol Blue]

Are you planning on staying with 32s or are you going to a bigger tire eventually?

 

[RCP Phx]

A Dana 35 is best used as a boat anchor. The cheapest, easiest bolt in option is to find a C8.25 (29 spline preferably) on Craigslist, Marketplace, or the Junkyard. They are pretty common. If you want more strength check out the Ford 8.8. It won't bolt directly in but as far as axle swaps go its pretty straightforward.

The OP has ABS so the 8.25 really doesn't work. A 8.8 can be found with 4.10's, ABS, and a LSD and since the OP is running 32's that's perfect for him.

 

[Ol Blue]

Delete the ABS, not a big deal. I ran a 8.25 in an ABS XJ for a few years.

 

[chilidipper]

Are you planning on staying with 32s or are you going to a bigger tire eventually?

33s soon

 

[chilidipper]

Have been looking for 8.25s or 44s up here no AZ, no luck. We just have so much other things we need to do on this Jeep the extra cost to change out the axles took us way above our budget.

 

[Anak]

The OP has ABS so the 8.25 really doesn't work. A 8.8 can be found with 4.10's, ABS, and a LSD and since the OP is running 32's that's perfect for him.

One thing to note about running the 8.8 and trying to keep ABS, I have read (but have not tried) that you need to grind off every other tooth on the Ford reluctor ring to get the Ford ABS to play nicely with the Jeep ABS.

 

[XJEEPER]

About 20 yrs ago, on a previous X, I bent a D35 housing wheeling mild trails running 32's, and I drive with finesse, not the throttle. This bent housing also took out a recently installed Detroit True-trac and 4:56 gear set, which forced me to strip it down on the trail, pull the ring gear and reinstall the carrier and then drive 4hrs home from Moab in 4Hi (front wheel drive) at 55mph.

Spending money on a D35 is foolish. Take the advice from some experienced XJer's who have learned from their mistakes, or those of others. Broken carriers, shafts and bent housings are all common occurrences when wheeling with a D35. Both the 8.25 and Ford 8.8 axle housings in stock form are much stronger than the D35.

 

[Glasply]

8.25 with ABS Disc Brakes conversion from a KJ (Liberty) 2006 or 2007 with factory ABS, disc brake backing plate is 100% direct bolt on ABS tone ring from the D35 and axles from the KJ or have a machine shop turn the XJ axles down to fit the XJ/ZJ tone rings.

Explorer ABS uses a single pumpkin mounted tone ring won't work with Jeep system (tone ring count wrong).

 

[RCP Phx]

8.25 with ABS Disc Brakes conversion from a KJ (Liberty) 2006 or 2007 with factory ABS, disc brake backing plate is 100% direct bolt on ABS tone ring from the D35 and axles from the KJ or have a machine shop turn the XJ axles down to fit the XJ/ZJ tone rings.

Explorer ABS uses a single pumpkin mounted tone ring won't work with Jeep system (tone ring count wrong).

Several people have done this with a D44, I don't Know what the issues might be for a C8.25!

 

[Evan03]

Id grizzly or detroit the front and leave the rear 35 open. Run it. I actually ran my 35 welded solid for quute awhile. My current 8.25 is welded with 4.88 gears

Gear and set up kits are cheap enough a practice attemp or two isnt the end if the world. But know there's a fee tools and you need to want it. If you dont want it your waisting your time.

Id choose the 8.8 over the 8.25

Make set up beaings for the dana 30 makes it very easy to set up.

I fought the 8.25 side adjusters to me its more work than shims.

 

[Black1990jeep]

I am not happy with 4.11 and 33 tires, go with 4.56 gears instead. I run a Ford nine inch rear, with truetrac front is still a D30, but with arb locker, larger axles (disconect removed), and Warn manual hubs.

Long arms are a nice start for you, wish I had them.