If I am running d35 rear with a locker and 32" tires in mild trail conditions, what are the chances of a broken shaft? Please no haters of the 35 just well educated opinions.

 

depends on how much you like the skinny pedal, i run 33s and im going to try 35s and as long as your smart about it youll be fine on 32s, the easiest way to break any driveline part is when you hammer it and the wheels hop off the ground and you do not let off youll break something when the wheels hit the ground again

 

If it is a full time locker, like a Lincoln lock or spool, I would worry. If it is disengaged on the street and you are easy on the skinny pedal off-road, you should be OK. It's history will play a part in it as well. It is not as sure-thing-breaking as people like to imply, but you should be easy on it

 

I dont care what people say about the D35, mine has put up with A LOT.
But Im sure if it was locked, it would have broke something.
I think it all seems to come down to what you do with your rig, for some applications the D35 is completely capable,
for others its gonna sound like Rice Krispies *Snap! Crackle! Pop!*
The only reason why Im upgrading my rear end is because I want peace of mind, offroad when having a locked rear end with 33's and regearing to a numerically higher ratio.

 

Im running 36s on a welded d35 with 4:88 in it... i dont drive it on the road much, but i sure do beat the heck out of it on trail... hasent let me down yet, only problem it has is a leaky seal lol

 

dude i have a welded diff on 33s and i drive it everywhere and hammer on it in the sand but not so much in the rocks, he'll be fine

 

I agree.
This seems to be where the D35 will fall short, because once a fast spinning tire catches....SNAP!

OP also clearly states MILD trails, so he'll be fine.

And besides...theres the Super35 kit and D35 Axle Truss for the ultimate in D35 peace of mind, lol.

 

thanks for input guys. Heres what I have now.
d30/35 2" cheap-o lift 235 bfg at. and about a 120 mile drive to my trail/camping spot. I take my wife and kids with me whenI hit the trail and really don't get gas-happy. I do hit a few steep hills but like I said "kids" so I never chance too much.
I would like to put a little better lift in it but am on a budget and don't really want to screw with drivetrain (sye, cv shaft) so I will probably only go to 3" lift and 31" tires. Most of all I don't want to have an axle snap out on the trail.
I know I am asking for info that only I can decide on but I guess I want to know if anyone has had problems with the d35s on mild trails with a mild foot.

And the big one....is a rear arb locker worth the money in the conditions I just described??????

 

On the first one.... Yes its fine.
Jesus, you make it sound as if the thing is made out of paper maché...


On the 2nd one.... Its not worth the money, for what you intend to do with your XJ. Spend the $1000 dollars elsewhere.

 

Well I have heard so many guys dissing the 35 that I can't help but worry.

 

That wasn't to say he is doomed with a full time - I just said I would worry. Reason being, all the on-road cornering during DD-ing is going to put extra load on the axle shafts on a regular basis. One of the above posts says he is beating the crap out of his on 36's on the trail, so it is clearly able to handle abuse.

In the end, many of us have seen enough D35's break in fairly moderate wheeling situations to not feel comfortable with them on a locked rig. If the trails are really mild, a locked rear end shouldn't really be necessary anyway. I would go with a nice-n-cheap lockright, myself. If you are thinking ARB coin, I'd upgrade instead. For the most part, it is peace of mind.