What To Do About My Axles

[bgcntry72]

my new spotter?

Oh and Beezil you can spot. I will follow.

I see visions of wishbones dancing in your head.
Fall into line, for your table is ready.
:laugh2:

 

[MuddinXJ]

hey if Beez wants to build them. Lol. nah i'm capable of building up my own axles.

 

[BigDawgz]

There's several guys that I know that wheel the Badlands (Attica) and they wheel Haspin (Laurel)....and they have d60/14bff combos under their jeeps. Yj and a Xj..the Yj has been upgraded to a v-8small block chevy w/sm465/205 combo...now he's goin' auto. I believe. Anyways...this is NOT a bullet proof combo...the extra weight...I believe....at times, can become a hindrance or lead to breakage. I know that theoretically this set up is far superior...but...I think that for me...I want the strongest LIGHTEST set up that I can/could afford. Weight generally equals strength...but to me weight can also = BREAKAGE. These Jeeps I've mentioned are JUST as proned to breakage....axle/u-joint/driveshaft breakage.....as the rest of us (I've SEEN it). Most of the time, people around here upgrade to a v-8(once again more weight) when they build these big axles for their rig. I don't know about you guys...but I've always enjoyed being able to take a 4 or 6 cylinder/lower budget 4x4 and take it all of the same places that these guys with a $20K rig go. I truly believe that 95% of it is in HOW you drive. If your on flatrock....smoking all 4...that's fine. BUT if you start BOUNCING on that same flatrock....get the hell off of the throttle fast. Same deal when you have a no-traction/traction variation from side to side or front to rear....you have to USE your head. It's nice to be able to say "I have this and that and I KNOW it's not gonna break" but...this is far from the truth. I don't care what combo you have.....IT CAN BE BROKE! I myself like the lightweight combos...because here in Indiana....it's alot of woods/mud/creekbottoms/ravines/etc....with a few rocks here and there and as long as you're sensible you don't need to spend $4-6K on axles to have a good/solid performing rig.
Just throwing my .02 cents in the bucket.
Aron

 

[slowrider]

I'm waiting for a set of 44's to be regeared by currie ent. The rear is from an XJ (and is ready to install) and the front is a Rubicon housing (any day now)with a mix of stock and Currie parts. The rubicon housing cost $600 but needed no modification and bolts right up. Unless your changing to a leafs it's probably the easiest way to go.

 

[hjeepxj]

I'm waiting for a set of 44's to be regeared by currie ent. The rear is from an XJ (and is ready to install) and the front is a Rubicon housing (any day now)with a mix of stock and Currie parts. The rubicon housing cost $600 but needed no modification and bolts right up. Unless your changing to a leafs it's probably the easiest way to go.

Another sucker for a Nubicon "Dana 44"

 

[Ludakris]

My opinion varies a bit. its not all about the terain your on, its how you drive your jeep on that terrain. case in point, checkout the socal chapter forum and read up on Johnson valley thread. 2 XJ's were buggied out, 1 was fullsize axles, and 2 were fairly stock. I have a D44 rear with superior shafts and a detroit locker, D30 front with no-slip, Yukon CrMo inners and stock TJ outers with 760's. I am on 33" BFG AT's. The black jeep has 33"s, 8.25 rear and D30LP front. he has no-slips front and rear.
not a broken shaft, or anything. those of you who know Jackhammer can apreciate what that means. Ron did a great job of getting his Jeep through. He was new to a trail of that high of difficulty and he had to watch two Buggy type XJ's ahead of him. he had no winch and didn't need a strap.
D30's and 8.25's are great with 33"s. why go D60's over D44's... weight. when you can build a D44 to be lighter and stronger than a 35 spline D60 and get better ground clearance too!
just my .02

What are the advantages of TJ outers?

 

[Citat3962]

Another sucker for a Nubicon "Dana 44"

Posts like this confuse me...

Everyone in the know goes "oh yeah...damn noob"

And all us newbies are like "What the hell is he talking about?"

Please elaborate.....

are the rubicon front 44s flawed in some way? not a true 44? help me out here.....

 

[hjeepxj]

Posts like this confuse me...

Everyone in the know goes "oh yeah...damn noob"

And all us newbies are like "What the hell is he talking about?"

Please elaborate.....

are the rubicon front 44s flawed in some way? not a true 44? help me out here.....

LMAO. Sorry, sometimes its hard for me to make all my posts so a third grader could understand them. :laugh3: Not saying I wasnt there once too, just bustin your chops. PLUS...if you search, I know there is LOTS of info around about this.




Rubicon 44s are LP 44 housings w/D30 outer stuff on them, the weak balljoints, hubs, and crappy brakes. Techincally, there isnt much difference between an HP 30 and a rubi front "44"

And 600$ for a housing? Come awn. 100$ for a 44 front housing, driverside drop, 350 for RE brackets, 100 for narrow, and 100$ for someone to weld the brackets on. 50$ more for the same thing, except MUCH better. And I was even liberal w/the RE kit and the welding of the bracketry.

Just my .02$ thought...anyone can spend a pretty penny getting a rubi "44" front end.

 

[Citat3962]

Thanks man that was just what I was looking for..

No problem with the chop bustin.... They need broken in anyway

After I posted that I went and searched and found the tidbit about the rubi 44 using the weaker D30 outers..... guess I should have done that in reverse order.

I wonder why jeep went and did that.. budgetary constraints?

When you say a 44 housing do you mean like a waggy 44 front or maybe from something else?

Also if I was buying wheels for the axle conversion could I theoretically get spacers for the rear D35 and avoid shortening the 44???

I guess I'm not understanding what all is involved with preparing the various D44's for install in the front of an XJ.

Or more importantly Why I need to make changes to get it to work..

More searching is required.... if you have any good topics to search on let me know...

Thx guys.

Hell I don't even have one yet....

 

[basalt51]

Originally Posted by Citat3962
Also if I was buying wheels for the axle conversion could I theoretically get spacers for the rear D35 and avoid shortening the 44???

I guess I'm not understanding what all is involved with preparing the various D44's for install in the front of an XJ.

Or more importantly Why I need to make changes to get it to work..

More searching is required.... if you have any good topics to search on let me know...

I think this is way beyond your capabilities, atleast at this point. Clearlylike you are just starting to consider this swap and here are my comments:

1) go look at you're suspension. There are alot of things connected to the axle. Figure out what every one of them is.

2) Search to find out what has a front d44 that will work in an XJ. Look at their suspension, figure out what is connected to those axles. You'll notice they are not the same. Things to consider: bolt pattern, pumpkin side, gearing, width, pinion, etc.

3) 44 front d35 rear? You're swapping the wrong axle, or you should be swapping both.

EDIT:

Hell I don't even have one yet....

Just saw this, that explains alot

 

[hjeepxj]

Thanks man that was just what I was looking for...

NP. :cheers:

No problem with the chop bustin.... They need broken in anyway

After I posted that I went and searched and found the tidbit about the rubi 44 using the weaker D30 outers..... guess I should have done that in reverse order.

HE SEES THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!11 :laugh3:

I wonder why jeep went and did that.. budgetary constraints?

I don't know for sure, but I would bet it was because they wanted an easy "heavy duty axle", one that had automatic hubs, and the fact that most people couldnt tell a d44 from a whole in the ground but its bigger than "30" so it must be good.

When you say a 44 housing do you mean like a waggy 44 front or maybe from something else?

Yeeup, waggy (doesnt need to be narrowed) or Ford (HP) do a search for Jes, or Billr, they both did nice 44 front conversions.

 

[Kittrell]

Stop Voting, I know it's you Daryl................ :laugh3:

 

[JeepFreak21]

The poles are closed.

Billy