Axles

[Anak]

The only thing I would do to the stock front Dana 30 is get a Posi-Lock cable operated CAD. The vacuum operated CAD that comes stock is prone to failure and causes your front axle to not engage. This becomes very common in cold conditions when condensation builds up inside the CAD and then freezes not allowing the axle shaft couplers to engage under vacuum pressure.

[/QUOTE]

No issues with CAD on the OP's Jeep. Chrysler dropped that system about 10 years before the OP's XJ was built.

Getting rid of the D35 also means getting rid of ABS. Do your homework on that project. It is a common thing to do.

Going to 15" wheels means you are giving up a WJ brake swap down the line. I would be slow to make this change until after you finish getting your rig to the weight you are likely to be traveling at. You may find you want those larger brakes. OTOH, you may be fine with Black Magic pads. There is more than one way to skin this particular cat. Just know what options you are excluding when you make your choice.

For the tire size you want to run you should be fine with the D30. If anything, when it comes time to re-gear, consider stepping up to 30 spline axles. That is probably your best bang for the buck up front.

For the rear, look for a '97+ Chrysler 8.25. That will get you the larger 29 spine axle shafts. '95 and down ran 27 spline shafts. '96 you have to check when it was made. I think April of '96 was the change.

Another, but harder to find, option for the rear would be a factory XJ D44. These are tough to come by. They were probably only available for one year (1987 I think) and everyone wants one.

Yet another option is a Ford 8.8 out of an Explorer. These are a popular option, but they require welding on spring perches. The nice thing about the Ford 8.8 is that if you hunt around you can find them with 4.10 gears, limited slip carriers and disc brakes. When you compare the cost to re-gear one axle and install a custom brake system to the cost to weld on some perches you may find the Ford 8.8 is the most cost effective option. OTOH, if you want to install a selectable locker then you might as well go with an axle housing that is already set up to bolt right in because either option is going to have the cost to set up gears.

 

[Downs]

Keep your Dana 30 front. Beef it with better axle shafts that eliminate the weird YJ axle splitter.

His year model won't have that nonsense. They stopped that on XJs in 91.

 

[Dustinfromohio]

Keep your Dana 30 front. Beef it with better axle shafts that eliminate the weird YJ axle splitter. Put a front locker in when you regear. I like the Yukon Grizzly the best.

Get rid of your rear Dana 35. It's worthless. Not even worth the cost of regearing. The fact that modern jeeps still include it, is a complete travesty. The Ford 8.8 is an extremely popular, and very cheap swap. Find a custom axle builder. My axle guy rebuilds axles for half of the retail prices you see for aftermarket axles. Most of the XJ guys here are running Truetracs or spools in the rear. Very few Grizzlys or Detroits in the rear of XJ's. Selectable is nice in the rear if you're rich, or it's a very nice XJ worth that kind of money. But spools are the most popular for the XJ guys here. (hey if the 35 is long gone, and you have some real beef now, why not ?)

My axle guy can cut down a Dana 60 for cheap. But generally Ford 9'' and Dana 60's cost extra. Used core availability, swings the price tag wildly. 8.8's are available everywhere in junkyard Mustangs.

Cooper STT's are still my pick for Ohio to Maine.

^^^this. HP 30 with chromo shafts are good for up to 35s, especially if you’re not doing anything crazy. 8.8 is a rock solid choice as well with tons of upgrade potential if things getting bigger down the road. I think you’re right on track with 15s and C rated tires unless you really load your xj down, anything stiffer and you’ll notice the rough ride.

 

[M Rose]

His year model won't have that nonsense. They stopped that on XJs in 91.

Really, my 2001 sport had the vacuum actuated hubs, and I was the second owner in 2001

 

[jeepnjeff]

If it was me, I'd keep the Dana 30. Depending on what year it is, you'll either have a high pinion or a low pinion and vacuum disconnect or not. The best combo is the high pinion no vacuum disconnect. Also depending on the year it will either have 260x U-joints for the 297x which were changed to 5-760x. The later U-joints were used from '94 up. You can probably find one cheap if you don't have the "good" one.

For the rear, I'd recommend either an XJ/MJ Dana 44 or a Ford Explorer 8.8". 1987-1990 certain models of XJ's came with the Dana 44 from the factory. This would be bolt in for you. They are somewhat hard to find as they had to have the Metric Tow Package and the larger motor, IIRC. Otherwise the Ford 8.8" is a real common swap. I have an XJ D44 in my YJ.

The Dana 35c isn't that bad but you can't be too hard on it. The real problem comes from when you add a locker. If it's open then there's little chance it will break as you'll more than likely be stuck instead. Add a locker and you risk breaking axle shafts.

I think BFG still makes a 33x10.50R15. As far as load rating, an E rated tire is overkill on an XJ, but it wont hurt anything. It will just stiffen your ride and make ideal tire pressures different.

BFG makes the 33x10.5R15 in C. The metric version with 16" is E. I would definitely stick with C.

 

[SkweekyXJ]

Really, my 2001 sport had the vacuum actuated hubs, and I was the second owner in 2001

Something must have been oddly swapped then. My 97 for example, the Dana 30 front hubs are always locked. It also has the beefier u joints. Swapping away from vacuum hubs is common to increase strength and reliability on earlier years.

 

[Downs]

Your 01 didn't have any vacuum actuated anything in the front axle unless someone put a pre 91 axle under there, Wragnlers used the vacuum disco axles up till the end of the YJ. The hubs on the Dana 30 are constantly engaged there is nothing to engage or disengage the stub shaft is solid though the hub like a front wheel drive car.

Warn used to make an insanely priced manual hub conversion but itwas around 1400 dollars and I can only think of one or two posts of people actually running them.

 

[Downs]

Something must have been oddly swapped then. My 97 for example, the Dana 30 front hubs are always locked. It also has the beefier u joints. Swapping away from vacuum hubs is common to increase strength and reliability on earlier years.

There were no vacuum hubs. Even earlier models that had the Central Axle Disconnect used a fork and sliding collar on the passenger side axleshaft which was a two piece arrangement. The hubs were splined right to the axle shaft like a front wheel drive car.

 

[M Rose]

There were no vacuum hubs. Even earlier models that had the Central Axle Disconnect used a fork and sliding collar on the passenger side axleshaft which was a two piece arrangement. The hubs were splined right to the axle shaft like a front wheel drive car.

I was talking about the CAD, and is definitely had one with the original front axle, I was the second owner, the first owner was a little old lady who put 1000 miles on it before she realized she didn’t want it. Now that being said, she did special order it from the factory, so who knows... kind of rare Sport Model, 2 door 5 speed, with manual sunroof (meanining I had to turn a knob to open the roof) it was all original.

 

[M Rose]

Your 01 didn't have any vacuum actuated anything in the front axle unless someone put a pre 91 axle under there, Wragnlers used the vacuum disco axles up till the end of the YJ. The hubs on the Dana 30 are constantly engaged there is nothing to engage or disengage the stub shaft is solid though the hub like a front wheel drive car.

Warn used to make an insanely priced manual hub conversion but itwas around 1400 dollars and I can only think of one or two posts of people actually running them.

And I distinctly remember it having CAD because the first thing I did when I got it home was put the Posi-Loc cable actuator from my previous YJ in.

 

[SkweekyXJ]

There were no vacuum hubs. Even earlier models that had the Central Axle Disconnect used a fork and sliding collar on the passenger side axleshaft which was a two piece arrangement. The hubs were splined right to the axle shaft like a front wheel drive car.

My bad, it was the CAD, which was a vacuum actuated shift fork. https://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/154-0904-dana-30-vacume-disconnect/

 

[Anak]

And I distinctly remember it having CAD because the first thing I did when I got it home was put the Posi-Loc cable actuator from my previous YJ in.

Was it a high pinion or low pinion axle?

CAD axles, from '91 and earlier, were high pinion.

2000 and 2001 XJs were low pinion. They had to be in order to clear the pre-cats.

A low pinion CAD would be a unicorn. I would be curious as to the option package that would include that. It would be quite the unique setup.

 

[Anak]

For the rear, I'd recommend either an XJ/MJ Dana 44 or a Ford Explorer 8.8". 1987-1990 certain models of XJ's came with the Dana 44 from the factory. This would be bolt in for you.

Note that an MJ Dana 44 is not a bolt in. It is the right width, but the MJs had the spring perches on the opposite side from the XJs. Welding in new perches is not a huge deal, but it does keep it from being a bolt in. Unless perhaps you are going for a lowrider package.

 

[jeepnjeff]

Your 01 didn't have any vacuum actuated anything in the front axle unless someone put a pre 91 axle under there, Wragnlers used the vacuum disco axles up till the end of the YJ. The hubs on the Dana 30 are constantly engaged there is nothing to engage or disengage the stub shaft is solid though the hub like a front wheel drive car.

Warn used to make an insanely priced manual hub conversion but itwas around 1400 dollars and I can only think of one or two posts of people actually running them.

Yukon and Alloy USA make them still. They even have 5 x 5.5 conversions as well. Still, not worth it over a D44 swap.

 

[JDGreens]

I am in the process of building axles for my Xj, I am never going to put tires larger than my 33"×12"×15" Ko2's they are priced right and have been preforming very well for the way I am using my vehicle. I was going to put a Ford 8.8 with 3.73 gears (which would require re-gearing) in my rig (already purchased) When I came across what I thought was the perfect option from someone on CL. These axles were from a Yj that was running 35"s. He was having a shop install one ton axles. The rear was a Dana 44 from a International Scout that had a ARB locker with 4.55 gears. The front was a Dana 30 with an ARB locker and 4.55 gears that was the original axle in the Yj it was pre-'91 so I was not going to use the axle but just use the gears and carrier to swap into my axle in my rig. Unfortunately I should have checked the condition of the Dana 44 much closer as he really abused it bending the axle to the point of needing to start over with it. (Live and let learn) So I have sourced a new axle housing, axle shafts, new bearings, master rebuild kit so that I can build the axle. The ARB locker and gears seems to be un-scaved so not a total blunder.

After going through all this if I were to try again I would take the advice that others are giving in this thread. Source a axle from a Ford Explorer 8.8 with limited slip and 4.10 gears and get a high pinion axle and regear to match.

We put a 8.8 in my friends Xj it has 4.88 gears and a high pinion (open) geared to match. He is running 35's and it performs very well.

Here is the thing about running the high pinion Dana 30. You will have to be pushing it very hard to break something and if you don't spend the money to up-grade the axle shaft. You will have the perfect weak point (like a shear pin on a snowblower) that will keep you from damaging the more important carrier/gears. Swapping in spare axles is pretty easy to do out on the trail. I carry replacement axle shafts w/good u-joints and a spare bearing/hub under my rear seat. By not up-grading to a 30 spline axle shaft you will have a front end that the shafts remain interchangeable with other people's rigs. Which when it comes to helping someone out or being helped so much more possible.

Sorry for such a long winded answer to the OP question but I'm kind a trying to do the same thing as him.