XJ with D60 rear

[ynnhojTJ]

after my 94 XJ is inspected this week i have some major modding to do. currently completely stock Country HO-6, aw4, D30/8.25 open/3.54s.

planning on 4"-5" lift, 33" MTs, chopping fenders.
will lock and regear in the later fall.


for those running with a D60 in the rear of an XJ...

problems or issues with running this large axle in the rear??

hitting tank, too heavy, diff diameter, etc.
whats your opinions?? im sure everyone has their own.

 

[ynnhojTJ]

forgot to mention-- the 33's will be from my TJ, so they are free.
will add BB, 35s after regearing/etc in the fall.

 

[Grant]

a D60 is overkill for 33's, even for 35's unless you are running a SBC.

You will be giving up almost 3" of ground clearance going from the 8.25 to the 60. Even with 38's the D60 is a mobile plow. Not as bad as a 14 bolt though

If you never plan on going larger than 35's then a D60 is more than you need, a 44 will be fine, and the 8.25 may even suffice if you are not a lover of the skinny pedal.

But if you love "getting it" and can deal with reduced ground clearance, and are getting a deal on the 60 - go for it.

 

[offroadman83]

got a picture of your jeep Grant-------sounds delicious

 

[Nay]

Find a 44 for 4" of lift and 33's. Slap in some alloy shafts. If you manage to bust it, think about changing your driving style .

Nay

 

[Grant]

offroadman, no pics I can find easily, but the BOTW2 pics should be appearing soon, look for the yellow and black XJ.

 

[David B]

Dana 44 and the upgraded 33 spline axle shafts/ ARB combo seem a better way to go, especially if you will be regearing anyway. I'm waiting for my Dana 44 to blow up so I can do this upgrade, but I can't seem to manage it.

 

[mattk]

I'm running a 60 in the rear with 33's and few complaints. The weight is not noticable. It does hang down a bit, but it is it's own skid plate. There is little question that it will be the last rear-end I will ever buy. Screw changing my driving style. I want equipment that will take anything I need to do to it.
mattk

 

[FatXJ]

You could always shave the 60 to regain some ground clearance and gear it to overcome the extra weight. Just think about the length of the driveshaft that you will have to run with 5" of lift and a very long D60 pinion.

 

[ynnhojTJ]

You could always shave the 60 to regain some ground clearance and gear it to overcome the extra weight. Just think about the length of the driveshaft that you will have to run with 5" of lift and a very long D60 pinion.

give me some insite to this driveshaft length???

what size lifts are those with a D60 running??
thanks
johnny

 

[woody]

Howsabout the brakes and lug pattern to match the front axle?

 

[JeepFreak21]

I'm running a 60 in the rear with 33's and few complaints. The weight is not noticable. It does hang down a bit, but it is it's own skid plate. There is little question that it will be the last rear-end I will ever buy. Screw changing my driving style. I want equipment that will take anything I need to do to it.
mattk

Please tell me this isn't a 35 spline D60 going to waste on 33s!!

 

[Crunch]

ExtremeMopar, I'm preparing to waste a 35 spline 60 on 33s . If he is going from stock to 33s, no telling where he will end up. Might as well plan ahead.

Hey Matt, Sean (OneTonXJ) shaved my 60 and the ring gear and it came out real sweet. He also beefed my stock cover with a rock ring. If you are running the big rear with small tires its a great idea, and the bottom is much smoother now so will slide over the rocks much nicer. Are you going to Tellico?

Hey Grant, Yes I've decided to put the 60 in. I don't think he would lose 3" from the 8.25. Unlike the D35 the 8.25 has a low hanging lip that catches lots of rocks and even pulls the cover away from the housing causing diff fluid on the driveway ,ask me how I know. The 60 should be in sometime in August and I'd love to get at least a run or two in with you and Carroll(sp?) before Moab.
Catch ya soon,
Crunch

 

[ynnhojTJ]

stats on my 60:
1.5" shafts
35 spline
trak loc
3.54 gears
61.5 wms to wms
5x4.5 pattern

perfect match for the XJ stock D30. can throw it in when i do the inital lift without regearing/etc. the XJ on 33's is just temporary, and will move right to 35-37's in a few months. the 60 will go in now to cover the plans for down the road. once its in, i wont have to remove it for any reason.
im gonna have to look into shaving the 60. anyone from the MD/DC/VA/PA area done this who may be able to help/direct. i dont want to ruin the 60. i would love to see some pics of the shaved 60s if anyone has any.
thanks

 

[Crunch]

e-mail Sean at [email protected]. He is in Ohio but is at Paragon for the weekend I believe. I don't have pics of mine yet but I know he will have pics of his as he has just fabbed up a disc brake conversion on it.
Crunch

 

[Crunch]

Could be boredom. I just went and measured because I was curious. My shaved D60 from axle centerline to diff bottom is 5 3/8". My 8.25 is 6" giving my D60 5/8" more clearance.
arty:
Crunch

 

[ynnhojTJ]

AHHH SWEET!!!!
any issues with the rear leaking after shaving Crunch??


and i was wondering if you wouldnt mind another measurement???--- what is your ground measured clearance (please advise of your lift/tire combo)??? from the ground to the lowest point of the pumpkin

just looking to compare to what i currently have, and even to what the other XJ'ers have who have in an XJ 44 or even a 8.8.

others volenteer to put in their stats with some measurements????? lets see whos dragging....

thanks
johnny

 

[mattk]

Yes I'm wasted on 33's! But not for long. As soon as I can figure out the geometry for rear coils, it'll be going quickly up to 36s. If I knew someone in FL who could do it and I had even more money to pay them, I'd get a shave. But it's not a big priority now.
And it's not that much of a waste. I'm experiencing a peace of mind few jeepers know.
mattk

 

[FatXJ]

give me some insite to this driveshaft length???

what size lifts are those with a D60 running??
thanks
johnny

Well I'm not sure if it means anything to you but obviously with a smallish 5" of lift and a D60 the driveshaft is gonna be kind of short. Which for the TJ guys I know can be a hassle do to the DS being the limiting factor in their travel. This is what i have been told but ihave never seen it. As for will it be ok in an XJ? I don't know but it is something to keep in mind. The only D60 I have seen in an XJ was on the front but I have seen a couple F/R D60 TJ's now and they have some stubby driveshafts. I have never seen these two TJ's wheel so they probably aren't concerned with suspension travel.

 

[Goatman]

Driveline length isn't an issue, it only changes an inch or so. The XJ driveline is still much longer than what it would be in any TJ, YJ, CJ, or many other rigs, regardless of what rear end they're running.

60's are sweet, I love my Tera60, but I wouldn't run one for the rocky trails that I run unless the bottom was shaved, similar to the flat Tera60. A regular D60 really hangs down there, so you need much bigger tires to have the same ground clearance, which means everything else needs to be beefed up to handle the tires.

I ran a D44 for a long time before the Tera60, and I thought the 33 spline axle upgrade would be a good thing......until I broke teeth on the ring gear running 33" tires. I blame breaking the ring gear on the 4 to 1 t-case gears, if you run higher gears I think the D44 will live longer, and if you don't run in the rocks.