I have a dana 35 in my 88 cherokee 4.0. My question is i eventually plan on going up to 33's and instaling a locker. If the dana 35 wont handle that what would be the best upgrade, money is an issue? I am new to this so please bear with me.

 

8.8

 

C8.25 from a 97-01 XJ. They are comparable strength to a D44 in most ways except for the c-clips

 

isnt the 8.8 out af ford

 

will the gears out of my d35 work in the 8.25 or will i have to regear

 

Try to find one at the junkyard with the same gear ratio.

 

you can usually find a ford 8.8 with 4.10 gears

 

checkout east coast gear supply for a bolt in 8.8. the prices arent bad.

http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/

 

if you on a tight budget 97+ 8.25 is the way to go. bolt in swap and they are cheep. 8.8s are good axles but are a little narrower and are not a full bolt in swap

 

As previously stated the 8.25 is tghe best option. the 8.8 will require regearin or the the front axle will need it along with spacers to make it as wide as a cherokee stock axle. Or even a chromolly shaft upgrade. Runs around 200$

 

8.25 from a pick n pull will probably be the cheapest. Just find one with the same gear ratio and you should be able to do the swap in your driveway.