ive got a 3.73 disco axle in my JY i can get for $150... ive also got a non disco from a 97 in the yard with a messed up trac bar bracket... so i could easily convert and get rid of the disco... the non disco axle housings are stronger anyways... i also have limited slip 3.73 8.8's in the JY i could get for $150...

so thats one way to go..

the next is i have a 4.10 99 TJ Dana 30 in the junkyard too... i may can talk them into less since they have had it almost a year now but there trying to get $600 for it... there are also two 8.8's with 4.10's but not limited slip... i again could get them for $150...

next is i still have my 9in i was building for my last project... ive got the disc brake brackets... 5.13 gears and a full spool... rough stuff simple axle swap i already did and setup for an XJ... just needs install kit and installed and brakes... but of course id have to build a front to match... i just sold one fully built but i didnt want to get into that deep again... i think a dana 30 would be fine for what i want to do with it... i know the 9in is wider and different bolt pattern but the wheels i plan to use ill just drill both patterns in the spare and be good to go... and i dont care if the rear is wider or not...

so i dont know what rout i wanna take... i have 37s already... which would be nice to reuse but id rather get my best deal on the axle/gear setup and get tires to match... i can always get smaller tires with eas...

so which would yall do?

 

i have also found a 4.88/spooled 9in 3rd member i can get for $200...

 

go with the 2nd one,it seems the best route to me,just put a locker in the 8.8

 

if you can find another front axle i would do that. figure the $300+mounting hardware for the 8.8 you can get a good front axle with 5.13's(if you can do your own instal of gears). Set it up for the xj suspension and run it. with the 37's since you already have them. that will give a matching ratio between the gears and the tires. and you have a strong set up that when the time and money permits you can always improve upon

 

theres a set of axles from a XJ in TN i wish i could get... front and rear for $800... but i cant do it at the moment... radius arm setup and only need lower mounts on the frame... comes with all arms and steering to bolt right up... good deal... but dont see it happening... i know it better to find a larger stronger front axle... but the cost is high and i plan to only play around town and a some trail riding... nothing major... no cage in the plans or anything like that... lol...

 

what is the desired end result???? if you are doing 33s and mild wheeling the 3:73s with the lsd would be a nice setup...stay away from spools if you plann to drive it at all

 

Don't have a desired setup honestly... like I said... ill plan on tire size after axles... I know what axles hold up to what tire size... but I've said its just moderate wheeling and playing... I could do that on 30's or 40's... so that's why I'm more concerned with axles... I know everyone's against it but I think a Dana 30 with 37's still can be done fine... if not full blown rock crawling... I just know the Dana 35 ain't gonna happen with even stock tires...

 

There is a guy on here that runs amc 20 and 30 upfront locked on 38s pushin 500+hp for ten years

 

amc 20 is a beefy rear once you change out the axles......but that may have alot to do with his driving....i know a guy that lunched a 14 bolt with 33s and a dead cam 350sbc...stupid is far more destructive then power.

 

thats what i mean... competition crawling yes... the bigger the axle the better... but im not doing any competition... i see people street driving on 40's and IFS still... its all about what you want to do and how you drive... i see threads all day long of folks running 37's and up on Dana 30's with little problem... its just what you do with them... if i ran a 30 in the front and the 9in in the rear and gear them alittle off set where the 9in slightly pushes the 30 then id be even better... takes strain off the 30... like 4.10s in the front and 4.11's in the rear... something like that i mean... or visa versa... whatever it would be... makes sense to me...

 

Good thread, but what do you plan on doing with this Cherokee? If you plan on DDing it with some mild wheeling on the week ends don't get carried away with axle upgrades. If on the other hand you plan on running the 37s and trailering it to hard core trails you can and should go beefy. The 8.8 is an under rated axle, the 31 spline shafts with disc brakes is an excellent swap and sense Ford uses 1050 axle steel it is strong enough to run the 37s locked. The only thing on the 8.8 that is not good is the weak carrier so you may want to run a full locker.
Replace the stock axles in the Dana 30 with 30 spline Yukons with the 30 spline outers and unit bearings, install an axle truss, and you should be good for most anything with 37s.

 

Lol... why y'all keep asking what ill be doing with it? Answered twice...

 

With what you are planning on doing I wouldn't screw around with it assuming your drive train is in good shape otherwise. The around town driving with a few off road excursions are what the XJ was built for. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

Sorry, I missed the intended use part of your post. One thing you need to figure out is what size tires, you want to run. You build axles to allow you to run a type of trail with a size of tire. If you are going to run 235s and, not wheeling anything very hard, stock will work. If you are going to run 35s with lockers, on hard trails and rocks, and not be breaking them all the time you need to upgrade.

 

already said what tires... depends on axles I get listed above...