To upgrade or not to upgrade Axles

    I went the "turd polish" route at first.


    I threw a Super 35 kit in the rear. I ran 35's, 33.5" actual on a 10" rim, for a few years on the Super 35 with 4.88:1 gears.


    Stock trans(actualy Randallmans TJ's stock tranny) and t-case gears, stock engine with the only mods being header and exhaust. I beat the heck out of the rear every day on the street. Tried to baby it offroad, but didnt always back off when I should have.


    I never broke a shaft. I did munch a R&P set on the street, but that was because the ring gear bolts backed out... :doh: I


    I finaly bent the housing, actualy I pulled the drivers side weld off the tube and it allowed the tube to "sag".


    I got my $ worth out of the super 35, so I cant complain.


    If I had to do it again I would. At the time I wanted to wheel with 33-35's, and eventual run 40's... I knew I wasnt ready for 40's so no need for a Dana 60 or better killing ground clearance with small 33-35's.


    I am now sitting on a 14 bolt and a front 60, but back then I had no need for the axles.


    Going 1tons is going to cost a lot of $, and is only needed for 40"+ tires or 38+ inch tires with a bunch of HP and/or gear reduction. You may want 1 tons even with 37"ers if your heavy on the stupid pedal.


    For your average wheeler:
    mild gear reduction, say 60-80:1
    stockish HP figures
    easy on the stupid pedal
    for 33-37 inch tires can be done with some mods to the D30 front and D44 rear. Your going to want alloys front and rear and look into getting some 297's cryod :D May want to truss the D44.


    If you know that you are heavy on the gas, have or will have more gearing (90+:1), and/or a boatload of HP on tap... you might want to seriously consider a beefier axle set.

    WOW, never knew I would cause such an uproar. All I want is something that will handle 35's on Black trails. I run blacks now and just want to get somethings so I avoid trashing my stuff (as much as I can at least) I do try to go over the hardest lines I can. I do push my jeep to it's limits. After reading into it and all I do not feel it necessary for me to go to a 60. I was just asking for some opinions.


    Ian, Turtle, Rob, and Da Mutt, thanks a bunch for your insight. (and those who took ME serious)


    Randall, thanks for the insight, but please chill. Maybe try Ritalin.


    Way to hijack a thread...

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

    Edited once, last by ().

    ... and to be fair, there are a few here that have seen Super 35's blow out with very mild wheeling and 33's.


    The D35 is a gamble. Some last well, others dont.


    Go with a 44 at least... they are out there for cheap in stock form.

    I am def going to get a 44 for the rear built, and just upgrade the front. I only have 30 in the rear now so I really do not have much of a choice with that. I am either going to get it with a detroit or an ARB, along with Chromo axles and 4.56 gears. The front I think I am going to upgrade the shafts, get the gears, bearings, do the same as the rear for lockers, and seals all upgraded. Like I said, I plan to not wheel overly hard to break it all, but enough to need 35s and the lockers.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat


    Hey, how about you read my apology before slamming me again. Way to fire me back up, (insert nifty explitave right here).

    Quote from "clendaniel"


    Front's a driver drop HP60 from a '79 ford...Eaton elocker, 5:38's, AlloyUSA 35spline shafts, polyperformace drive flanges, WFO highsteer arms/tierod/draglink, Clayton's high-clearance bracket kit. They're fullwidth...front is 69" and the rear is 66" but I'm running h2 wheels at 5.5" of backspace to keep the width somewhat in check. As much as you want the front and rear to be the same width it's a bad idea...you'll have a better turning radius w/ and slightly narrower rear (they're that way stock!)


    --Ian


    I guess I'm doomed to have to go with the hp60 front... Since I already did tera I might as well do tera again. Know a guy that'll built it for me with arb and 5.13's for 6g's and he'll even put on the 30 spline outers ont eh unit bearing 5x4.5 to apease me until I go with my next set of rims and tires... Ill just carry around a spare chromoly outer or 2... It'll break, but not so much on these 36's. 38's OTOH :)


    Again, sorry for the fuss - I've had a real choice week with my family's health and now my jeep's busted again (see thread re: broken rear upper control arm bolts)...


    --Randall

    Quote from "TheMistaken"

    The front I think I am going to upgrade the shafts, get the gears, bearings, do the same as the rear for lockers, and seals all upgraded. Like I said, I plan to not wheel overly hard to break it all, but enough to need 35s and the lockers.


    If your going to spend the $ on the alloys you should look into a better ujoint. Even with alloys the stock ujoint is the weak link. When a ujoint goes it often takes out the shaft/s with it, yes sometimes even the alloys.


    At least get a chryo'd stock joint. There are a few options out there that are less spendy than the CTM's. Not as strong or proven, but CTM's are a bit of overkill on a 35" driver. CTM's, or other bushing'd ujoint, also require very frequent greasing if used in an axle without selectable hubs.


    Dont nix a good set of alloys because your $10 ujoint went south.

    Quote from "Randallman"

    I guess I'm doomed to have to go with the hp60 front... Since I already did tera I might as well do tera again. Know a guy that'll built it for me with arb and 5.13's for 6g's and he'll even put on the 30 spline outers ont eh unit bearing 5x4.5 to apease me until I go with my next set of rims and tires... Ill just carry around a spare chromoly outer or 2... It'll break, but not so much on these 36's. 38's OTOH :)


    Again, sorry for the fuss - I've had a real choice week with my family's health and now my jeep's busted again (see thread re: broken rear upper control arm bolts)...


    --Randall



    if you are going to spend that much money on having someone build you axles spend the extra 2 or 300 dollars adn buy new rims shit it aint much in teh scheme of things as far as money goes adn it will be much stronger

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