slappymcnuggets

i apparently have 2 bend axles right now, and thinking about swaping out my chrysler 8.25 rear end. don't know what my options are or what would be the best replacement? any knowledge and help would be great!

thanks

kenjen11

I think you should visit the junkyards and look for a Dana 44 out of a 87-89 cherokee. I seen one at a junk yard here in Albuquerque a few months ago that I passed up and to this day I am regreting it.

slappymcnuggets

im guessing that it will bolt right in without any mods?

kenjen11

You might have to modify your drive shaft like shorten it I think. The gearing may be different depending on the gears in your rig and the gears of the junkyard cherokee. There are many websites that show pictures of the cherokee dana 44 and how to identify it you can google that if your interested in a dana 44. The upside is while your at the junk yard you might find a cheap replacement 8.25 which should be bolt in depending on the gears of course.

brewerxj

if you can find a 29 spline 8.25 you may have a better chance of the gears matching and the driveshaft would not need modified. Most argue the 29 spline to be as strong as the 44.

Gee oh Dee

Just rebuild your 8.25. The D44 isn't that much of an upgrade to make it worth your time.

Rock Toy

If the tubes aren't bent, new 29 spline shafts and bearings should be easy. If the tubes are bent replace it with another C/8.25, it is a bolt in and everything will fit. If you want stronger just buy 1541H alloy shafts.

Gee oh Dee

Oops, neglected the bent tubes part.

93gc40

If you want stronger, go to a ford rear end. Otherwise do either a 8.25 and good shafts or a D44. If the carrier and Ring and pinion of your old axle are good or the donor gears match, whether the donor is 27 or 29 won't matter. You have a 29 spline already. Between the 8.25 and D44 the 8.25 has the stronger housing and the D44, stronger shafts and gears. The D44 can also be geared lower.

Hoooper

What are you planning to run tire wise? If 35 or smaller, the 29 8.25 is more than strong enough

RENIXBEAST

The 8.25 may be as strong as a D44 but it still has 'C' clips. If you can find a D44 from an XJ then I would deff. grab it but if you cant then I would go with the 8.25 for a direct swap. I would go the Ford 8.8 route if you want the brake upgrade and dont mind some simple fab work and or possible re-gear.

slappymcnuggets

ok so my next question is how can i tell if its the housing thats bent or if its just the shafts? i can tell you when i go down the road and look at my rear tires they wobble, not terrible but enough to be able to see the wobble. and i only plan on running a 31 or maybe a 33.

SeriousOffroad

Not really correct.

The D44 is a great upgrade because it is stronger, is a non-clip axle, and the aftermarket support is second to none.

That being said...trying to find one for a decent price is getting tougher everyday.

The 8.25 can be beefed up with alloy shafts but the cost of gears and the limited amount of lockers make it #2 in line behind the D44.

mjs302

If the just the housing is bent you shouldn't have "wobbly" tires. Bent housings usually wear the edges of tires and wear out bearings. Wobbly tires would normally be bent axle flanges or bent wheels. Also improperly mounted wheels. First have someone spin up the wheels and tires on a wheel balancer to check for bent wheels. At the same time check to see that the tires' beads are seated right and that the tires are not out-of-round. Make sure the back of the wheel and face of the drum is clean and straight.
The most common causes of a bent axle shaft are sliding sideways into a curb at that wheel or being in a "broad-side" accident. Bent housings are usually from jumping the vehicle and the hard landing. Did any of these happen?

1996XJSport

The Chrysler 8.25 axle is pretty strong. I'd swap in another if I were you, but get one with Trac Loc which is the factory limited slip differential.

If you need something that's way overkill for an XJ, look into the Dana 60. You'll never break one of them lol