Axle upgrade help
 

I got a 2001 jeep xj sport 4.0 5 speed. Has the weak Dana 30 low pinion front axle looking to find out if there's a Dana 44 front axle that I can get from a junk yard that will just about if not completely bolt in. Need year and model jeep.

I don't know much about the JK axles, but other than maybe those there are definitely no bolt in front D44 axles. It's quite an undertaking swapping "new" axles into a jeep. A beefed up HP D30 should handle anything you can throw at it

Google searching helps..... But basically the are no bolt in 44, except a rubi axle. And why do you feel like you need a 44? What's your final tire size

Did google search didn't find much but figured I'd ask here anyways invade I missed something. As far as why. Idk why not 44 good axle. Knowing that it's gonna be that much work and prolly more money then I have I'll just get a Dana 30 high pinion and beef it up.

No good axle comes easy. Which is why your searches probably turned up only a few results. A very polished D30 build is gonna be $1300 and a weekend of work where a D44 swap can take weeks and to do it proper and strong would cost maybe $2400. If it was easy everyone would do it!

A decent D30 will hold 35s and a simular 44 will hold 37s so there isn't all that much difference. On a side note I hate that I swapped in a 44 up front but at the time it was cheap and seemed like the thing to do. For the parts I've replaced I could have easily built a D60.

I agree with the HP Dana 30 upgrade and would add chromoly axle shafts. If you hunt around this can be a cheap upgrade too. Mine came with 4.10 gears and was $150. Good luck.

If you got money to burn http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-676...t-xjtj-zj.html

I believe that TJ Rubi Dana 44 fro East Coast Gear is low pinion, and the only part of the axle that is different from the dana 30 is the center section. Same tubing thickness and everything, so any strength gains are negligible. If your gonna buy an axle from a company, might as well go to Dynatrac. Then the axle will bolt in and you can safely run 37s or 39.5s on their dana44. Otherwise I would just build an HPD30 and keep tire size around 35s. I would run 37s on a fully built HPD30, but brakes become the limiting factor.

I still would not trust this axle (or any D44) to withstand 39.5" tires when you're rock crawling. and if you're not rock crawling with it, you've purchased the wrong front axle for the job

Yah I guess I forgot to ask about terrain. I don't do any rock crawling. Mostly wooded trails with lots of mud and beach runs down in the OBX. I ran 39.5 Swampers on a D44 under a Bronco for a long time without any carnage. I was way only running 4.56 gears tho, so being underpowered helped to keep my axles alive.

Why would Dynatrac axles only be good for rock crawling?

the pro rock housing right? the one that's designed to be real high clearance over the rocks. you can do whatever you want with it but it seems kind of a waste to get a high clearance housing for mud. D44's aren't intended to handle much passed a 37" tire in extreme terrain no matter how built up they are.

It'd be good for anything really, just hella over kill for trail riding.

I don't trust mine with my 38s mostly because after 2 lunchbox lockers, countless u joints, 3 stubs and one inner shaft, not to mention the cracked housing. If you actually wheel a D44 with 37s or larger plan on breakage. My shafts are chromolly too.

I am running a locked lp 30 on 36's. The trick is to not turn sharp and gas it. Other that that it is what it is.

Going to go with a hp30 and molys. And that will be that.