found a nice deal on craigslist for some swampers, wondering if 33s on d30/35 will be ok for mostly mud/trail riding/Daily driver

 

try it and you'll find out.

completely depends on how it will be driven.

 

I say go for it but also start looking into a different rear axle.

 

^x2!

 

This may seem like a stupid question but how well does the D30 hold up? I mean I hear people always talking about rear axle swap but not the front? I know there is more stress in the back but even if you swapped the back would you eventually have to swap the front?

 

how hard is it to swap the rear axle? are you implying i just should or that it will break? and it will be driven like a sensible kid who cant afford to break stuff haha

 

D30 has better odds of surviving 33's than the d35 does

ive seen plenty of TJ's/XJ's running 35" tires for years on stock d30's

 

depends on what axle you swap into it...a d44 out of an XJ will bolt right up.

but any axle that didnt come off of another XJ will take some welding.

 

i think an axle swap is a little too far out of my league atm lol. so your saying the d35 will most likely break?

 

I am going to be swapping the ford 8.8 from a 96 explorer into mine within the next couple weeks. They are readily available at junkyards and only require minor modifications to work. You could prolly find one in your gear ratio and not even have to spend the money to re-gear it. aaand if you have a friend who is proficient at welding it would not be that hard. search 8.8 swap or look in the write-up section page 5 for an in depth swap..

 

not entirely. i ran 33's on a d35 on my last XJ for 2years without issue, and it saw ALOT of mud.

so it may last, just keep your shenanigans to the mud and you may be fine.

 

hmmm alright sounds good, now to find out how to run them on stock lift atm >

 

You could swap in a dana 44 out of a xj which would be a direct bolt in. The dana 44's were in the tow package in years 87-89. You could also swap in a chrysler 8.25 29 spline which is comparable to the dana 44. It is also a direct bolt on and were found in years 97-01.

 

^ and if you find a dana 44 for a reasonable price don't tell me about it!! I looked high and low and couldn't find one for less then 800 bucks plus shipping..... lol

 

I snapped a d30 shaft on 33s not even wheeling hard. I was just pulling my buddy out of a hole and snap! then my rear end slid sideways....