97XJ said:
What would be a fair price for installation of a
Powertrax no slip in a d35?
Lots of help to read, but little addressed to your question?
Ring and pinion install labor is priced in the range of $200-$300. Many shops who have never installed a lunchbox locker will try to get this as a "safe" estimate for the work.
The r&p does not need to be removed for this style of locker install. The removal need is the cover, and c-clips (on your 97), the axle shafts need to be slid out (not removed), and the spyder and side gears replaced by the locker components, before sliding the axles & c-clips back in and bolting the cover up with a new gasket. An experienced technician can do this install in less than an hour (waiting for the silicone to skin-up on the cover), two hours tops, or ~$100.
The confusion and conflict you read about the D35c is partly due to two version of the Jeep D35c: the early AMC Jeep (84-90) non-clip clip D35c, and the later SD Jeep (91+) c-clip version of the D35c.
The early D35c is more forgiving and handles large tires a little better. The late D35c is less forgiving. The D35 is a lightweight axle that works well for 30" tires but can grenade if abused (it has never been advertised as a heavy duty axle).
The problem with both D35c axles is the axle tubes and differential housing will flex under abuse (high torque loads and cargo loads or obsticle impacts). This flex promotes misalignment of the axle shafts at the differential side gears, and can sieze the gears or place a point load where the axle splines enter the side gears. The result is failed differential gears or a snapped axle at the splines near the side gear entry.
The D35c is not alone with these problems as the AMC Model 20 suffers similar failures when fitted with one piece axle shaft (with higher loads on larger size components).
The c-clip axle compounds this failure problem by placing a point load at the end of the axle shaft, at the turned down c-clip notch, where there is the most leverage on the axle shaft due to the flex (and the least cross section area). A locker increases the stress on the c-clip notch because the locker action binds the c-clips tight to the c-clip notch under housing flex, with the shear load from the housing flex combined with the axial load of the locker clutch action. This housing flex is one reason we read about more c-clip D35c failures than with other heavier housing c-clip axles (c-clip 8.8's and Ford 9.75's)
The "Super-35" kits utilize stronger axle shafts and locker components, and Superior offers a truss to combat the flex (to better resist the housing and axle tube flex), although durability reports are mixed.
IMO, I would avoid a locker with a c-clip D35c. I would avoid all the lunchbox lockers and even the true Detroit No-Spin carrier locker (too many failures). The Super-35 kits, the only configuration I would consider for the c-clip D35c, do not seem to hold up much better unless the axle and housing is trussed.
IMO (and direct experience) is that the non-c-clip D35c with a truss can take considerable abuse. I ran one for nearly 200k miles with 31's and an EZ-Locker and it is still intact (although the XJ now has a D44 & 33's). I believe the axle truss I used to run (a clearance robbing beast Go-Rhino skid plate truss) provided considerable flex resistance to improve the life of the axle shafts.
If you have a choice, and want durability with 31's, finding an early D35c to swap into the 97 is a better solution with a locker (if you cannot find a D44, 8.8, or other axle). Invest in an axle truss or have someone weld a axle tube bridge to truss the axle tubes. Carry spare axle shafts.
Keeping the open diff (or Track-Loc) c-clip D35c and using your funds to install a locker in the front D30 is also a better option (better than chance a locked & snapped D35c c-clip axle shaft, my opinion).
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) but I the first to help some one out on the trail. I carrie alot of spare stuff and tools so that i am able to fix what ever may break on whoevers jeep.
