naturalbornmudder
02-03-2009, 10:18 PM
Most guys I wheel with aren't the type of folks who can drop 10 grand on custom front and rear axles with pre-loaded gears and selectable lockers, ready to bolt in.
So for those of us who plug away at our upgrades, looking to stretch a dollar, this thread is for you.:)
First, if you are looking to replace an axle with an upgrade, you must have already identified your current set-up is too weak of an application for your rig and wheeling style.
Speciman:
1995 Jeep ZJ
5.2L 220hp V-8
Axles: Dana 30/Dana 35 3.73 geared
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10470&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11018&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
moderate wheeling on the trails will probably end up resulting in rear axle failure.
Now if you don't already know, the Dana 35 is not known for surviving well in moderate to heavy wheeling situations. It's C-clip style axleshafts tend to break right at the final neckdown before the splined portion that slides into the differential carrier.
When the shaft does break, the C clip can no longer hold the axleshaft(and tire bolted to it) inside of the housing, thus having your tire and splintered axleshaft walk out of the housing and making it so you can't even effectively tow yourself off the trail.
So the fun begins. What axle to replace it? I had quite a few options for strength, like the Chevy 12 bolt, Dana 60, Chrysler 9.25, Ford 9",etc. However, bolt pattern was an issue, as was axle width. I needed to find something close to my stock axle width to avoid having to use spacers, which can tend to come loose. I also did not want to run a different bolt pattrn because I only carry 1 spare tire with me and did not want to worry about bolt pattern differentiation.
I ended up coming across a Dana 44 out of a 1987 Jeep Cherokee XJ which cooincidentally has the same bolt pattern and same axle width as my current Dana 35 axle. This particular one I came across in a Pick n' Pull in Roseville Ca on Memorial Day weekend when all axles were 50% off. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I ended up paying $68 dollars for my junkyard XJ 44! Directy beside my donor XJ was a 1996 Ford Explorer with the rear 8.8 axle, 31 spline shafts rear disc brakes. In retrospect, I should have bought both just because of the price.
NOTE OF ADVICE: when scalping a junkyard axle, make sure to get everything attached to it. Diff Breather line, brake lines, the brass brake line routing block with breather nipple(iff applicable), E brake cables, yokes, etc. The more you grab now, the more successfull you will be at making you donor functional.
Anyway, the next order of business is how are you going to bolt the donor axle under your existing rig? The XJ 44 was a leaf sprung axle, whereas my existing Dana 35 is a coil sprung control-arm-secured axle. You can either order custom-fabbed aftermarket bracket and spring buckets, fab them all yourself custom, or in my case, cut off the existing brackets you already have on your stock axle. In my case, I got a freebie housing and cut the brackets off of it.
Remember though, don't just start cutting. Measure first. then measure again, then document, and finally cut. You want to have exact locations where your stock bracketry belonged before you start cutting it off of the axle tubes.
Example:
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11012&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
Since I was not concerned with the placement of the leaf spring mounts on the XJ 44 axle, I cut them off with a plazma cutter and sawzall. Make sure to grind down everything flush once you cut it off. Also, with all surfaces that will need welded to, the cleaner your area, the better your welds
So for those of us who plug away at our upgrades, looking to stretch a dollar, this thread is for you.:)
First, if you are looking to replace an axle with an upgrade, you must have already identified your current set-up is too weak of an application for your rig and wheeling style.
Speciman:
1995 Jeep ZJ
5.2L 220hp V-8
Axles: Dana 30/Dana 35 3.73 geared
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10470&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11018&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
moderate wheeling on the trails will probably end up resulting in rear axle failure.
Now if you don't already know, the Dana 35 is not known for surviving well in moderate to heavy wheeling situations. It's C-clip style axleshafts tend to break right at the final neckdown before the splined portion that slides into the differential carrier.
When the shaft does break, the C clip can no longer hold the axleshaft(and tire bolted to it) inside of the housing, thus having your tire and splintered axleshaft walk out of the housing and making it so you can't even effectively tow yourself off the trail.
So the fun begins. What axle to replace it? I had quite a few options for strength, like the Chevy 12 bolt, Dana 60, Chrysler 9.25, Ford 9",etc. However, bolt pattern was an issue, as was axle width. I needed to find something close to my stock axle width to avoid having to use spacers, which can tend to come loose. I also did not want to run a different bolt pattrn because I only carry 1 spare tire with me and did not want to worry about bolt pattern differentiation.
I ended up coming across a Dana 44 out of a 1987 Jeep Cherokee XJ which cooincidentally has the same bolt pattern and same axle width as my current Dana 35 axle. This particular one I came across in a Pick n' Pull in Roseville Ca on Memorial Day weekend when all axles were 50% off. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I ended up paying $68 dollars for my junkyard XJ 44! Directy beside my donor XJ was a 1996 Ford Explorer with the rear 8.8 axle, 31 spline shafts rear disc brakes. In retrospect, I should have bought both just because of the price.
NOTE OF ADVICE: when scalping a junkyard axle, make sure to get everything attached to it. Diff Breather line, brake lines, the brass brake line routing block with breather nipple(iff applicable), E brake cables, yokes, etc. The more you grab now, the more successfull you will be at making you donor functional.
Anyway, the next order of business is how are you going to bolt the donor axle under your existing rig? The XJ 44 was a leaf sprung axle, whereas my existing Dana 35 is a coil sprung control-arm-secured axle. You can either order custom-fabbed aftermarket bracket and spring buckets, fab them all yourself custom, or in my case, cut off the existing brackets you already have on your stock axle. In my case, I got a freebie housing and cut the brackets off of it.
Remember though, don't just start cutting. Measure first. then measure again, then document, and finally cut. You want to have exact locations where your stock bracketry belonged before you start cutting it off of the axle tubes.
Example:
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/image-hosting/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11012&g2_serialNumber=2&g2_GALLERYSID=3f1ad7db34381d8f01fc0371b1d120b8
Since I was not concerned with the placement of the leaf spring mounts on the XJ 44 axle, I cut them off with a plazma cutter and sawzall. Make sure to grind down everything flush once you cut it off. Also, with all surfaces that will need welded to, the cleaner your area, the better your welds