Goldmember338

Ive recently been told by my local tire dealer that my front right side axle U-Joint is about toast. I am kind of **** retentive about improving anything I pull out by replacing it with better parts. With that said, I have been doing quite a bit of researching and have found that I have a Dana 30 front Axle. I don't really want to spend any real money repairing parts of an axle that is generally conceived as a poor performer in a high impact environment so I have began considering just swapping it out for a more heavy duty unit.

Looking on my local Craigslist, I have found a guy selling a Dana 44 front that he says came from a 97 XJ. He says the axle has 3:73 gears.

I'm really considering buying it and re-building it.

My questions are;
1. How difficult would it be to install it? I mean, would there be any modifications that need to be made or since it supposedly comes from an XJ, should it bolt right in for the most part?

2. Would this Dana 44 be a better, more durable front axle then what I currently have?

3. I'm not even sure what my current gear ratio is. Can anyone help me find out?

For reference, the vehicle in question is a 99 XJ Classic what drive line wise, is relatively bone stock. To get a good idea of what I have and what has been done with it, please see the link below to my build.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/broject-bov-175616/

One more thing... Did any stock XJ's come with a Chrysler 8.25 rear end? I didn't think so but looking at it, it looks like my rear end may be.

If anyone has any input, I would love to hear it. And if I need to elaborate on anything, please let me know.

HudsonN

Welcome to the madness. You'll be a jeep expert in no time.

If that was my jeep i wouldn't even bother putting the D44 in the front. The D44 is a glorified axle. Sure, it's better than the D30, but is it really worth going through with the swap? I personally don't think so. The D30 is a pretty good axle. They hold up to 35s and lockers (throw in some alloy shafts and put a truss on it and it's a damn good axle.)

As for the U-joint, i could swap that thing out in about an hour. Costs about $25 tops and $20 for a 36mm socket that you probably don't have. Oh, and a 12 point 13mm socket (like $10.)

It will be a 100% bolt in replacement though assuming he had it bolted to his XJ. NO XJs came with a D44 front though - only rear. (unless you count some of the D44 fronts that went to south america but they were basically D44 housings with D30 tubes and what not.)

It's really easy to figure out your gear ratio and all you need is a couple of jackstands and a piece of chalk. Jack up the rear axle and secure it on Jackstands. Put your transfer case in N. put a chalk mark on one of the U-joint caps on your rear u-joint on the rear driveshaft. Then draw a chalk line on the inside of one of your rear tires from the rim out to the tread. Now, just turn your driveshaft by hand until the tire makes one full turn. You gear ratio is determined by the number of turns of the driveshaft it takes for 1 turn of the tire. 3 and a half turns to 1 = 3.55 gears. 4 turns to 1 = 4.10 gears, etc

Yes, a lot of stock XJs came with the 8.25. If you have ABS you have the D35. Post a picture of your axle and we can help you identify it.

XJ's all have a Dana 30 axle in the front.

Front Axles
Dana 30 high pinion - reverse cut - 27 spline, 1.16" diameter shafts, 7.13" ring gear - used 84-99 (some axles through 91 are vacuum disconnect, 92+ are non-disconnect, 89-95 with ABS have 5-297x u-joints, all 95+ have 5-297x u-joints, all others have 5-260x u-joints except 84 thru 86 they were CV type rather than open u-joints)

Dana 30 low pinion - standard cut - 27 spline, 1.16" diameter shafts, 7.13" ring gear, 5-297x u-joints - used 00-01

All 2000 and 2001s Cherokees have the LP D30s in the front.

The high pinion version is stronger because the reverse cut pushes the ring and pinion together instead of pushing the pinion away from the ring gear.

In the rear, the following are options:
Dana 35C without C-clips (1984-1989/1990)
Dana 35C with C-clips (1990/1991-2001)
Chrysler 8.25 (27 spline - 1991-1996, or 29 spline - 1997-2001)
Dana 44 (most common on '87s, also found in some '88's and '89's)

Gears;

3.07 - used with 4.0L engine / manual transmission
3.31 - only available on older (pre87?) 2 door XJs with "Fuel Economy" package
3.55 - used with 4.0L engine / automatic transmission
3.73 - found in some older XJs with the towing package
4.10 - used with 2.5L engine usually, and older XJs with the "Off-Highway Vehicle" package. (normally found in 4 banger manuals.)
4.56 - rare but can be found on some older (~ 89 ~) models with 2.5L engine and auto transmission (normally found in 4banger autos.)

Rear Axles
(Note on Dana 35 axles sometimes referred to as Dana 35C - The "C" does not stand for c-clip. It stands for "custom" meaning it came from Dana unfinished.)
(Note on 8.25 axles - none of these axles were used on XJs with ABS brakes. If you have ABS, you have the Dana 35. Without ABS you could have either axle. 8.25 axles are c-clip)

Dana 35 non c-clip - 27 spline, 1.18" diameter shafts, 7.58" ring gear, 2.62" axle tube - used 84-89
Dana 35 c-clip - 27 spline, 1.18" diameter shafts, 7.58" ring gear, 2.62" axle tube - used 90-01
Chrysler 8.25 - 27 spline, 1.17" diameter shafts, 8.25" ring gear, 3" axle tube - used 91-96
Chrysler 8.25 - 29 spline, 1.21" diameter shafts, 8.25" ring gear, 3" axle tube - used 97-01
Dana 44 non c-clip - 30 spline, 1.31" diameter shafts, 8.5" ring gear, 2.75" axle tube - used 87-89 on XJs equipped with towing package.

882door

Did 44's ever come in a XJ? That doesn't sound right... Unless the seller swapped.

Cheaper to build a stronger 30 then swap a 44 that's only slightly stronger. And how many people actually need something that strong?

EagleXJ

Some came with them in the rear. I assume the seller modified a d44 from a different vehicle for his XJ.

Goldmember338

HudsonN,

Thank you so much for all the info. This will help a lot!

---

All,

How much, respectively, would it cost to built up my stock D30 to be in par with the D44? This guy wants $250 for it.

I'm really worried that he has them mixed up and he is selling a D44 REAR because he also has listed a "D30 front". Either way, I would like to keep thinks as OEM as possible with all upgrades. I'm really considering getting entirely new axle shafts with new U-Joints already installed. Additionally, my hubs are rusty so I thought I might just replace them as well. See this is my problem! If I have to pull something off or get into it, I figure I might as well replace it with a better part! I figure I might as well buy a new axle and build it up and just slap the new built up axle in there and part out the old one.

882door

Isn't building the fun part?

Then you can paint it and every time you see it you can think, I did that, not I bought that.

That to me is worth $250 bucks... So i usually take that into account. I built a catch can that cost $60 bucks because I wanted to build it. That and the $30 dollar ones off Ebay are way too much lol

PocketsEmpty

Listen to Hudson, he knows his stuff! LOL

I'd verify with the seller that it's in fact a front axle and not a rear, and ask him where it originally came from, if it's full width, or a Wagoneer 44.

If your 99 is stock auto, you'll have 3.55 gears.

HudsonN

Welcome!

There is no definitive answer to your question. What you define as "built up" varies from person to person.

I'd get a nice rear axle first (29 spline 8.25, D44, or 8.8) and then worry about the front.

If i had your opportunity in front of me i would look at it like this;

- What gear ratio do i have?
- Will I have to re-gear this axle to run it on my rig?
- Is it a direct bolt on?
- How much is it going to cost me?
- What exactly do i want to do with this axle? (Gears, locker, truss, shafts, etc.)

Once you figure that out, you can run some numbers and see what is more cost efficient.

Installing U-Joints is super simple. You only need a hammer and a deep socket that you don't care about. (don't let anyone tell you that you need a shop press.)

That's not a problem; you've just caught the jeep bug.

Atmos

dana 44 isnt just about strength. usually you're adding deeper gears, bigger brakes, lockout hubs, and width, for less weight than a D60. not everything is about strength. name me 1 friend of yours that has broken a chromoly D30 shaft or broke a full circle clip upgraded ujoint. I dont know anyone personally. if you're not breaking D30 parts on 35's I think you'll be fine running a 44 on 37's. the only D44 complainers I've known are web wheelers and one guy who ran it welded front with stock shafts duh then it's gonna break

that being said I've seen well built 44 front swaps cost thousands. so you can see why a D60 makes total sense

but seriously, swap in a 44 front to avoid changing a $30 ujoint? come on man lets be reasonable here

Goldmember338

It sure seems that way!

I may just replace the U-Joints with some higher quality ones. I have had good luck in the passed with Spicer's. Any thoughts?

If I were to just get new axle shaft assembly's, does anyone have any good bang for the buck options? I'm not looking for EXTREME here. Just economically more durable.

If I were to get new hub assemblies, I was considering the Crown ones or Timkins. Any thoughts?

Anything else I should replace while in there?

Goldmember338

Actually I really agree with you. My initial goal was not to do a swap to avoid changing a hub. My goal was to do it right and end up with a subjectively better setup than I had before. Basically, I don't have a lot of spare time and if I am going to do it, I would rather re-build the whole thing than get in there, replace a $30.00 part, get out, and then have to get in there again in 6 months when I decide to put a locker in the front diff, or need to replace one of the wheel bearings. To put it simply. The thirty dollar part doesn't bother me. But if Im going to spend two hours working on it, Id rather invest the extra time and money to come out with a better product than I started with.

HudsonN

Well here's the dilemma;

Your U-joint is toast. (according to the shop) You HAVE TO replace it. So if that's what you want to do, fix your U-joint so you can continue driving, then go buy the 44 and build it up.

Goldmember338

HudsonN,

I really appreciate your input as well as all the other comments. I feel now that simply replacing the existing parts that I pull is a much more economical and time prudent option than a full swap.

To precede my next question I will explain my usage of this Jeep. This is somewhat an expedition vehicle for me. Where I live in the Northern Sawtooth Mountains on Idaho, I can take off and cover 1000 miles of old overgrown logging roads and trails without seeing anyone if I had the time. I can be a long way from any human at any time. Because of this, I take a lot of fuel, water spare tires and parts with me. Additionally, I tow occasionally. Both my 4-wheeler and/or a trailer full of wood. The Jeep isn't a rock crawler or a mudder. It just needs to carry a lot of weight over marginally rough terrain and not break two ridge lines from the nearest human. So when considering improvements to the vehicle, I think of those needs.

So based on the very productive conversation I have had so far with you guys and that we have kind of determined that my axle is up to the task;

If you were to pull the necessary parts to get the axle shaft out and replace the U-Joint, what additional parts or seals would you replace and what would you replace them with?

Atmos

I'd seriously just replace the ujoints if everything else is in decent shape. it takes 20min to dissassemble one side of a D30 by hand. I can tell you're a do it once do it right kind of guy. you could go as far as replacing unit bearings, ball joints, axle bushings, and even getting alloy shafts so your ujoints can accept full circle clips (they wont be going anywhere. ever). it's all a matter of what parts actually need replacing and what you're willing to spend to replace all the parts you want

for me, I replaced every single component of my D30. everything. and it's served me very well. but I take it through the nastiest rock crawling trails I can find. if I'm just driving around through some open areas or its a trail rig, I'll be replacing parts on an "as needed" basis

93XJLI

holy **** dude, just get a ujoint. 4 new ball joints, 2 hubs, and 2 spicer 760s will cost less than tossing a 44 under the front of your jeep.