Ring gear is bigger but the D44 ring gear is plenty strong and tubes on a real D44 rear, not the ones in wranglers are 3" and thick walled. I run a ff D60 rear and it is now 35 spline but the stock shafts were the same size as a D44 rear. You'll break 10 times more shafts than ring and pinions and I was just pointing out that they have basically the same strength. Just and FYI your 35 spline semi float shafts are the same size as D44 35 spline shafts so your only strength increase is the ring gear size and the D44 has better ground clearance.

 

Right, but most people here are taking about factory 44 rears... Which use the same size tubes are D35s. The housing strength alone is a giant step up.

 

That's why in my post I said real 44s not Rubis.

 

How much wider is the wagoneer dana 44?

 

nope, stock xj44 has 3 inch tubes, a stock d35 has 2 5/8 inch tubes.
check u-bolt listings.

 

Dana 300

 

Transfer case?

 

No it doesn't.

 

D35 u bolts work on xj 44's

 

i would still take an 8.8. sorry dana lovers.

 

Well, it is stronger

 

In some areas yes, others not so much.

The carriers are weaker, tubes spin easily.

As a direct swap, the XJ Dana44 wins.

 

About an inch.

 

Factory xj dana 44 axle tubes are 2.75. The 8.8 starts out at 3.25 I believe and narrows to 2.75.

The 8.8 is the stronger axle, warns independent testing easily proved that, the 8.8 maxed out the machine a good bit after the 44 failed.