Originally Posted by dogger15 (Post 2750425)

One thing that sucks about turn out hubs is when they get covered with ice and you cant turn them. You guys in warm climate year round don't have to worry about that.

Originally Posted by andrewmp6 (Post 2750470)

For 1300 you could swap in a wagoneer 44,Have a better axle and the locking hubs you want.Only down side is its a 6 lug but that can be changed tho.

Originally Posted by caged (Post 2750528)

what about the cj d30's. they have locking hubs. i have never heard of anyone using them yet... so that means, they probably won't work.

Originally Posted by RubberSideUp (Post 2750507)

The Milemarker kit is worth it if you never intend to go over 35s. Use the Warn hubs (IIRC, part number 37780) with the Milemarker kit and you can run 35s with no issues (the hubs from MM are not as strong as the Warn 37780). The Milemarker kit also has alloy outers. Confirmed by Milemarker engineering dept multiple times.

Originally Posted by kal1fornia (Post 2750597)

Is there a place you can buy all the brackets to weld on for that axle? Also, you got a link to change from 6 lug to 5 lug?

Originally Posted by andrewmp6 (Post 2750619)

For a truss with the all the brackets http://www.tntcustoms.com/jeep_wagon...xle_truss.aspx 5x5.5 swap http://www.horsepowersales-llc.com/servlet/Detail?no=24 or you can http://d44tech.com/5LUG_CONVERSION.html http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-...-spindles.html

Originally Posted by freegdr (Post 2750466)

Break a axle get out unlock hub saves on tow bill and out in the middle of nowhere repairs .

Originally Posted by XJmike0122 (Post 2750506)

Not bad. Any idea what gears?

Originally Posted by Atmos (Post 2750732)

yeah spend $1300 to save on the tow bill :icon_rolleyes:

I think I'll stick with my trusty 13mm socket and carry spare shafts

after fully polishing a D30 then losing my *** on it when I sold it, I can't condone anyone doing something as expensive as a hub conversion. gears, locker, steering, diff cover, snap rings, done. the entire axle build including gear labor and steering should be $1200 maximum

if you're willfully spending more than $1500 on a D30, it's time for a D44

Originally Posted by Demonoid369 (Post 2750968)

As much as a agree with you on most things, I will have to disagree here, I think what comes in to play is tire size. And what you want from the jeep. If say you were building a jeep for exploration and was at 33"-34" tires, keeping that 30 and polishing it would be better than finding a 44 and having to resize it and such. Now if he wanted much stronger and bigger tires, ill agree and say go 44. Like me, I'm only going to 33"-34" at most and mine will be a exploration rig, no heavy duty rock climbing and such. Do I need a 44? Not really. If a person can build up a 30 for cheap, he'll be better off. Because both axles will be about the same price(44 would be a little higher) by the time each is finished for the rigs purpose.

Originally Posted by Atmos (Post 2751034)

how much are you planning to spend on your D30? if you're fully polishing a D30 you'll probably be running 35's. a mostly polished D30 will cost around $1200. but if I had a do-over I would've gladly build a D44 just for 35" tires. hindsight is always 20-20. and the $1300 you would spend to add a warn kit to an already polished D30 would cover the difference between a D30 and D44 build.

so in conclusion, yes D30 will work awesome for most people. even on 35's. but once you get passed the $1500 mark (and 35's) you should really have been building a different axle right from the start

Originally Posted by emptypockets (Post 2751053)

Do the 44 swap for the same size joints? Or upgrade the 44 too? At what point is it a waste to go to a 44 and why not step up to a 60? I hear a lot of people ***** about taking the 44 step and throwing money at it. I bought a used Warn free spin kit without really knowing if I was going to use it, but it was too cheap to not buy and hoard away in the parts stash. If I use it great, if I don't no biggie. Sure as hell though, I wouldn't buy a new kit. Personally, the 44 isn't a step in any of my build plans, I just don't see the point. I have a KP D60, a FF 10.25 or a FF 14b waiting for the day I need to upgrade.

In short polish your 30 if you like or swap in a 44. In the end run, they're usually both not worth tossing money at. .|..:D..|.