whats the best axle for the the XJ?
8.8,9 inch or dana 60?

 

D44, 8.8 or 9 inch! the D60 is to big and you get less clearance.

 

You know hat it all depends upon what your goal is with the Jeep. I have a buddy with a set of D60s but his is strictly a rock crawler. Most general use Jeeps have a 8.8 or a D44. I prefer an 8.25" Chryco.

 

I had a 8.25 in my 91 XJ when I bought it. I had to source a D44 out of an 87 XJ. My D44 has 4.56 gears and Aussie Locker now. I haven't been able to kill it.

 

i like my 8.25 because its under my jeep allready if you have one no point to change it out if you have a 35 then a 8.25 is an easy cheep swap a 44 little harder to find but still easy then 8.8 little harder but a great axle the 9s and 60s are to big unless your running 37s

 

As stated it all depends on what size tires you plan on running. D44, 8.25 29 spline are great bolt in axles for cherokees. The 8.8 is also another choice as it has factory disc brakes, 31 spline shafts, 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern, and is a fairly simple build with some welding skills. All these axles are great for running up to the 35 / 36 tire range depending on how you drive. If you plan on going bigger than that then the 9" / 60 / or 14btt become good options. However if you plan on going 37's or bigger you need to consider the XJ is a unibody and will need plenty of strengthing to keep it held together.