when i said stock axles, i meant stock d30 and stock xj44 with a lok-rite. it wheeled great, took everything i could give it and it didn't mind it at all.

but, as soon as i put a lok-rite in the front d30, bam, broken u-joint after broken u-joint. i used up all my spare shafts cause every time a u-joint broke, it took out the ears off the stub shaft, every time.

took the locker out and ran open, never broke again. and i give it crap on everything, mud, rocks, roots, etc. lots of exposed canadian shield up here. makes for great wheeling, but it was nice before the axles broke, going up slippery rocks like a king.

all this was aired down to 2psi, i'm sure if i had more air in those old bias iroks, i probably wouldn't have broken so easily.

 

 

i dont think the transmission or motor will be happy turning those tires without proper gearing.. everything was made to turn 225s from the factory. Those measure like 27 inches. You are talking putting a tire almost 10 inches bigger then the components were set up for.... just my 2 cents

 

 

you have to regear the rear to match the front, no matter the axle. Unless you buy an axle that already has the gears you want and you just have to do the front.

 

So you think if i got a chrysler 8.25 and kept the dana 30 up front and re geared both to 4.56, then do you think i will be okay to run these tires? And where is a good place to buy like a kit with everything i need to re gear to 4.56 gears?

 

You can buy the complete kit with gears and install kit off of EBay or Amazon. Also you will need a different carrier for the front since it has a carrier break.

 

 

The Dana 30 has a carrier break at 3.73 so if you have 3.55 gears and go to 4.56 you will need a carrier for a 3.73 or up gear ratio.

 

http://www.differentials.com/technic...arrier-breaks/

With some axles, they make a "thick" gear set. It lets you use higher number gears on a carrier designed for lower number gears by making the ring gear much thicker to meet the pinion. I don't know if the Dana 30 has any "thick" gears. The Dana 44 does if I remember correctly.

I'm assuming you've never installed gears before. It's not rocket surgery but it's work you want to do very precisely if you want the gears to last. You'll need several specialty tools to do the job correctly and some coaching for your first couple of axles. In the end, if you're just doing gears for one Jeep you're better off finding a shop to do the install for you. Not only will they do it right, they'll guarantee their work so if there's a problem, they'll fix it. Pretty much every shop will want to install the parts that they buy on your behalf in order to warranty the work.

For most people, doing gears is a matter of dropping off the Jeep and handing the shop a chunk of money.


That being said, I wouldn't put the money into an XJ Dana 30 if you're going to run 36" tires. I'd save up and do the front axle swap (and rear axle if you have a Dana 35) and do it all in one shot.

Or I'd down size the tires I was going to run. 33's are a good size to run on an XJ and they won't destroy your front Dana 30. Well, unless you're heavy on the throttle all the time.

 

I have seen a Dana 30 with chromoly axles hold up fine with 36" tires, it also had a locker. An open Dana 30 should be OK with stock axles depending on what you are doing, and you can always upgrade to Cromolys later if you keep breaking stuff.

 

So what vehicles should i look for that have the chrylser 8.25 if i am going to the junk yard or something? and thanks for all the help i think im figuring out what im evetually going to do! SO end plan (tell me if this is good idea or not) d30 up top with 4.56 gears and maybe locker and chrysler 8.25 in the rear with matched gearing and maybe locker as well???

 

The 97-01 Cherokees will have the 29 spline Chrysler 8.25, 95 and older is the 27 spline which isn't as strong, the 96 model could have either one.

 

the only way to check the spline is to take it apart? either way will both 27 and 29 hold 36in tires?

 

Yep. That's the only way. Don't believe I'd trust a 27 spline w/36's.
My '96 was built in late August of 1996 and is 27 spline.