I'm finishing up my RE long arm install and are considering just beefing up the LP30 on my 01 XJ.

I plan fabbing up LCA skids, reinforce the pass side upper mount, boxing in the front the spring perch, and switching to OTK steering(already have Serious UTK crossover), which means moving swaybar mount and changing to a over axle track bar.


I don't really want to spend the extra money on a HP30, another set of 4.56 gears, a carrier to hold them, and an install kit. I just put in new ball joints too.


I'm not a crawler, more high speed sand and trails here in Michigan. I drive more like jeepspeed style.

 

The biggest downsides of the LP axles is that the driveshaft is at a steeper angle which depending on your lift, can cause additional vibrations. Also, since your driveshaft is closer to the ground, it is a little bit easier for it to get caught on various things. If you can get over these factors, the axle should be just as strong as a HP D30 and you should enjoy those Michigan trails. Maybe I'll see your jeep some day here in Michigan.

 

I plan to be done in a few weeks...hopefully. Then take it to silverlake and some trails to beat it up some.

 

I had a low pinion in my TJ lifted 6 inches and long arms and never had a problem. Just make sure that you dial in your pinion angle with the long arms and you should not get any vibrations.

 

Aside from the points already mentioned, one disadvantage of the LP axle is that the driveshaft is more vulnerable. A guy I bought some Jeep parts off of showed me the DS on his wife's TJ... It grabbed a rock and had a fantastic spiral score all along it. No more problems after going HP.

If you already threw money at it, can deal with the vibes, and aren't going to be playing rocks, I'd just run it.

 

"The biggest downsides of the LP axles is that the driveshaft is at a steeper angle which depending on your lift, can cause additional vibrations. Also, since your driveshaft is closer to the ground, it is a little bit easier for it to get caught on various things. If you can get over these factors, the axle should be just as strong as a HP D30 and you should enjoy those Michigan trails. Maybe I'll see your jeep some day here in Michigan."

 

Since you like to go fast I'm assuming you have a small lift so pinion angle shouldn't be too much of an issue, the real downside is that it is a standard rotation diff meaning the pinion gears will have even less contact on an already small ring gear, but since it's already geared I say keep it.

 

Not exactly. The biggest downside is the low pinion axle runs on the coast side of the ring and pinion teeth, much weaker than the high pinion 30.

 

Sounds like I'll move ahead with modding this one. Keeping the lift around 5" and not worried about hanging the drive shaft up on anything. I'll put some pics up after welding it up.

 

Hmm, whoops. Sorry, my day job is more filling in time sheets than being literate

This is subjective. I know many more people that have gotten their drive shafts caught on obstacles than I know with broken pinion ring gears...

It's a D30. You're going to break the U joints long before the gears explode.

 

Also remember that HP d30s dont have slotted lower control arm bolt holes which makes aftermarket arm installation easier.

 

If he were at 3" of lift I would just run it also, but at 5" a HPD30 would high on my list of upgrades. I would not have invested any money in the LP to begin with knowing of the issues with them and a lifted off road XJ.