axle swap

A Rubicon has a Hybrid 44 front that would bolt right in. A waggy 44 would work too but you will need to weld all of the brackets on it. The 8.8 will require you to relocate the spring pads and add shock mounts. A waggy 44 also has a different bolt pattern. A set of wheel spacers in the rear will make them match but you will need new wheels.

Don't a lot of XJ guys use the high pinion Dana 30? Not as strong as a Dana 44 but it might be strong enough if you but better axles in it.

Quote from Slimer

Don't a lot of XJ guys use the high pinion Dana 30? Not as strong as a Dana 44 but it might be strong enough if you but better axles in it.

XJ's come with the HP30.

A Lot of TJ guys use them.

What size tires are you planning to run? the hp30 might be ok with a little bit added to it depending on what your looking to do with it. Im actually going to be building one for my tj soon wich should be good for my 35's.

Quote from keith_c

XJ's come with the HP30.

A Lot of TJ guys use them.

There is a lot of good info to suggest the ring and pinion are just as strong as a low pinion 44 but with the benefits of pinion clearance over the rocks.

I'd rock an HP30 over a low pinion hybrid 44 out of a Rubicon.

Quote from Tonka

What size tires are you planning to run? the hp30 might be ok with a little bit added to it depending on what your looking to do with it. Im actually going to be building one for my tj soon wich should be good for my 35's.

I ran a HP30 locked with Alloy shafts for a couple of years. It did very well with 35's and made it through a season with 37's. You'll be fine as long as you a smart with the skinny pedal.

Quote from KnoxRents

There is a lot of good info to suggest the ring and pinion are just as strong as a low pinion 44 but with the benefits of pinion clearance over the rocks.

I'd rock an HP30 over a low pinion hybrid 44 out of a Rubicon.

I ran a HP30 locked with Alloy shafts for a couple of years. It did very well with 35's and made it through a season with 37's. You'll be fine as long as you a smart with the skinny pedal.

Im getting my r&p cryo treated so that should help with strength also. If anybody is interested www.nitrofreeze.com/ . My buddy in VA uses them and has nothing but good things to say about them and the added strength. I think it was about $100 with shipping for a ring and pinion set when I got a qoute.

Quote from keith_c

XJ's come with the HP30.

A Lot of TJ guys use them.

Not all of them did. I'm not sure what the cutoff was but my 2001 XJ had a LP D30. I'd also steer away from the early HP D30 with the vacuum disconnect.

What size tire do you plan on running? Do you have a HP30 now? Aren't waggy D44 u joints the same size as the D30? If going waggy have you priced out what'll take to get one in there with brackets, steering, different bolt pattern etc?

If it were me and I was staying 35s or smaller then I'd run the HP30 and upgrade it as I could. Sure the waggy shafts might be a little bigger but if the u joints are the same size then you've got the same weak link. Not to mention you'll be putting your pinion lower.

While I've run rubi D44s I wouldn't consider them an upgrade over the HP30, well maybe the ring and pinion but they are pretty much a D30 in the weak areas.