waist of time in my opinion also doing a 44 just graduate to a 60 even those break . Wanna sell the hub kit ? Ill keep my 30 until 60 upgrade money finds its way into my pocket. Ive invested maybe 600.00 on it in 15 years so no loss in my mind....

I dont think you get to weigh in here. you're one of those anomallys running 38's on a toothpick axle lol

I did mine as cheaply as possible using parts off craigslist and discounts at ruffstuff and the bill on my D30 still ran up to maybe $1300. and I by the time I was done it was so beat up that I only got $550 for it, including steering. I wish I had built a proper D44 right from the start. I'd still be running it today. I dont think it's a waste of time I think you just need to have your priorites straight. if 38" tires is the goal yeah you need 1 tons

anyway sorry for derailing the thread here lol

yeah sure. put lockouts on your 30

that made me lol.

My whole point was that most of the people who step up to a 44 end up stepping up to a 60. The 44 is just sort of this in between axle, that at the point you build it up, you could of had a 60. Everyone boo hoos the money they spent on their 30, than they boo hoo the money they have in their 44, and than they buy a 60 and talk about how they should of skipped the 44 all along.

The sad fact is, most things you build up you won't get your investment back. I know sure as ****, no one is going to pay me what I have in my XJ. So polish whatever you want and expect the loss if you sell it.

I still think it's too much money to buy a new free spin kit, but that's just me.

lol. I still would've built a 44. I read all that stuff on the internet, but all those guys aimed high and built low. and one of the main D44 complainers had a welded diff! of course it's gonna break
the flawed logic with hating a D44 is building a mild one to handle 37's. it needs to be fully polished. I'd happily run a mild D44 on 35's daily driven.

This I can agree lol I think it does matter what the cost and size you're going for that'll matter. Do I want a free spin kit? Hell ya, am I going to pay that price? **** no! Lol mine will go the 44hub conversion that I've seen on naxja, seems to be way way cheaper and you get the ability to have locking hubs.
My plan for my axle is going to be 4.56 gears, stock shafts with full circle clip(760x) truss and inner sleeve(home fab for both) gusset the C's, maybe WJ knuckles, under the knuckle 1ton steering(no need for high steer) possible 44 hub conversion. That's the main basics of my axle. Not planning on spending to much, with most being scrap metal bought at a metal recycler, I'm thinking mine will be around $600-$700.

Now I know some will complain why not alloy shafts, I got to leave one thing as a weak link and the R&P are not going to be it lol

Or that spindly 1310 yoke at the pinion will die first , I did a very comparable axle biuld as u ^^^ with alloys on my old jeep and the only thing I went thru was 1310 yokes . But an easy external fix !

holy cow. if you can do all that for $700 I'll be freakin amazed
weak point for me was the cross pin. what are you planning for a carrier?

Im at the Y in the road I need to regear my front , do I A)just build this low pinion turd or do I ?
B) send the gear set back and go give the shmo at the JY 60 bucks for a non disco HP30.?
And then there is the exhaust issue because I have a 2001 I am saddled with fricken B.S. tree huggen 2 cat. converters.
Part of me wants to pull out my box of misc. tubing and fix" the pipe to play nice with the front shaft.
P.S. sorry to hi jack.

rumor has it you can swap cj d30 axle "c"s and knuckles to the xj tubes.

I was always told I was specil ...lol...I do agree don't spend a lot on a dana 30 axle . Better off spending the money on the factory 44 that bolt into the xj cant remember which one it is of hand .Even that aint that much stronger..

dana 44s are a get me by axle they are good for 35-37s the 60s with 35s is kinda pointless you loose to much where as a a dana 44 might break on 37s but you have the gains from it.
all axles will break depending on what you do with them.

Op locking hubs on my 44 got me about 2mpgs just fyi

2mpg on a dd makes a difference also less wear and tear.

See I've thought about doing the bolt in 44 from the.....rubicon? But they all go for about 1k here and that's with an open diff, no factory locker. That's why for me, doing my own fab and polishing a 30 will get me for beef, and locker for the same price as a stock 44 which when a beefed up 30 is compared to a stock 44, they are about the same strength wise, only perk is my 30 will have a locker also lol

Atmos: I've thought about that but as ill be going full case locker, I shouldn't have to big of problem, especially as I know my jeep won't be seeing the same terrain as like yours which given, the 44, and such would be a good ideal axle for that tire size(35"-37")

damn and a full case locker! are you sure you can do all that for $700?




I wouldn't mess with any other D44 other than the non cast 70's ford D44. I think that's the only 44 worth building. unless you're into 8 lug and 69" wide