Day 8 of having anything to do with a Jeep Cherokee, forgive the rookie question...

Does a goal of installing a Dana 44 in both the front and rear make sense at all?

Currently have a 30 front and 35 rear.

 

If that's the goal what's the purpose?

 

The primary purpose is to keep my teenage son occupied and out of trouble. If somebody can shoot me a plan to keep him working on this thing for hundreds of hours over the next three years... i’ll be 100% on board. 👍😬🤣

This isn’t a daily driver, would like to put together a mud and snow conquering beast.

 

Lol... Good luck with that one. Boredom is a huge factor in this when hormone imbalances are in the mix. But maybe you could use them to your advantage? Girls like nice Jeeps!

 

D44 fronts makes good sense if you are going to run 35"+ tires, otherwise, the d30 can handle up to 35" with chromo axle shafts. It's only money!


Front:
https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-23...-assembly.html

Rear:
https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-19...30-spline.html

 

just have him drive it around off road, the maintenance alone should keep him plenty busy!


dana 44 rear is great but installing one in the front is pointless without a clear cut goal in mind. it's not a major advantage strength wise

 

Have him learn to set gears up. That takes plenty of patience and time. Learn how to weld and fabricate. All these things will make sure those hands never idle.

 

8.25s are a dime a dozen and are just about as stong as a D44 The front HP30 with some work is a better choice than a front D44, espeically if you're looking at TJ/JK 44s. But a build also depends on what you want to do with it. Plenty of things you can do to keep you and your son busy.

 

I would say just build it with what you have in it and if they repeatedly break then you know you need something stronger. And if they do break then it'll also give him something to do.

 

I'm in favor of anything you decide to do. The important thing that I am getting out of this is that you care enough for your son's future to invest your own time and money into his future. A rare trait today. I salute you.

The best way I can think of to really get him excited and into the jeep project is to google search some pictures, youtube some xj and jeep adventures, and last but not least, see if there are any jeep/xj groups in your area and attend an event. That would let him see what's out there and what he needs to look at to have a similar vehicle.

Again, I salute your involvement in forming his future.

Happy Jeepin'

 

Second Texas. I personally haven't seen a rig ran with same diffs front and rear so I am following this. Please make this a build page!

 

14 bolt front and rear

 

Probably a good option for over 37" tires, but the pumpkins would probably make sparks going down the street with tires less than 31". LOL

 

If you can get your son on this website and he has any interest in the jeep, he will be hooked for months. Also, go to the Quadratec website and get one of their catalogs. Might end up costing you some money, but once the first upgrade arrives he will be hooked.

 

Wow! Thank You all for the reply. Plenty of ideas here to help me keep my son’s mind occupied with fun stuff . THANK YOU