some people like to waste money.... Can't change them

 

Wouldn't I need to regear the 8.25 diff if I got one? Would it require a driveshaft change? Still gathering info, haven't spent a dime on it yet.

 

yes, but why regear a 35 then swap to a 8.25 and have to regear again.

 

I've tried twice now haha..

 

I'm learning here, and I'll continue to ask questions. I appreciate the input but I'm not one to take a single opinion as "the way it should be".

 

If the 8.25 needs to be regeared then the 8.25 swap wouldn't cost less than just the regear of the 35 as toasterknight claims.

Again, I'm appreciative of all the advice.

 

He's thinking long term (or short term in your case).

Why spend ANY money on a that axle, only to replace it within a year. That's wasted money. That's what I've been trying to say, that's what toaster and satirical said too. Spend $500 (or however much) now to lock and regear a shi**y axle, then within a year spend an even greater amount to do the same thing to another axle. What are you going to do with the 35 then? I'm not trying to come across as "the one", but there are dozens of threads on this topic if you search, all will say exactly what we're repeating here: don't waste money on the 35.

 

I will say though that my friend did some stupid stuff to his Aussie locked 35, stock gears ON 35's and never broke anything. But an Aussie is a far cry from regearing and whatever you plan to put in there.

 

No point in regearing a 35 then going and doing it to a 8.25. Get an 8.25 off craigslist, or from the junkyard. Disc brake swap and regear then throw in in under an hour.

 

No driveshaft change completely bolt on.

 

My thoughts were to regear to match the front and an LSD.

I'm likely to put it all off at this point, as a good friend in New England is a master mechanic, and I should have a lift available to me. Do it all as correctly as I can.

If I get stuck in the snow in any of you guys' states on my drive across at the end of the month, I'm going to expect you to come help dig me out!

 

for the time it would take you to regear your 35 and put in an lsd you could swap in an 8.25. Literally no reason to put it off or not do it. Took me a few hours to do a disc brake swap crawling around on the floor in the rain, took 30 minutes to put in my locker and takes like 10 to unbolt the leaf springs and shocks and bolt in the new axle. Maybe like an extra hour of work but then you don't have to worry.

 

This is truth. The most you would want to do is change the carrier out for a LS. The D35 wont handle a locker without failure. Its the worst axle ever made. The best think you could do is find a used LS and put that in.


I offered you mine. Its still available. I'm not trying to sell it to you. I can sell it here I'm sure no problem. What I am trying to do is save you a heart ache. $100 on a LS carrier that already has the gears you need to match is best unless you are ready to do a complete axle swap. Say a D44 out of another XJ Cherokee or a 8.25 out of an Explorer.


Changing the gears and adding a LS to that D35 is not economically smart unless you are using used parts on the cheap. 32" tires are as big as you can go with the D35 no matter what you do to it. Spending money on the gears will not keep it from failing and it "WILL" fail, even with smaller than 32" tires some times.


Now if you are wanting to do 31" or 32" than you can run the D35 with a LS as long as you know how to use the skinny pedal.


Its really just choosing the best path for you financially while getting the best bang for the buck.


Either way as long as your going forward your doing good.

 

Any 8.25 is a direct bolt-in for my '89? What about lug bolt spacing?

 

Nothing changed in the production run of the XJ other than strength. Width, bolt pattern, spring perch location are all exactly the same.