Caish

Well having a quandry.
Do I goto U-Pull-it and get a Ford 8.8 if i can find one with 3.55's or 3.54's depending on what Ford used with a Limited slip, if i can find one.
Or do i spend the money and rebuild a trac-lok.
i was pondering the trac-lok while working today.
The idea came to me what if i added an S spring to the Dana trak-lok like some others have, ie Ford, and some GM's.
Seems like it would be a good way to add pre-load and make it work better, and make it work better for longer since the S spring would keep the slack in clutches as it wears.

If i get an 8.8 then have to cut driveshaft I bet, (i can do that myself)
lose a little ground clearance,
but gain disc brakes,

So as you can see I'm debating the whole deal with myself...
I'm not a rock crawler, just use 4wd for weather, and forest trails, so the D35 has served me well.

bad_idea

8.8 assuming it's lifted.

I put an 8.8 into mine when I lifted it. It worked out great, solved many problems at once. I lifted it 5" , put in an SYE, and put 33s on it. Got an 8.8 w/ 4.10s (factory option) - gears work well with the 33s. Welded the perches with the right pinion angle for the lift and SYE. Welded on shorter shock mounts. With the SYE I used a front shaft and the flange adapter to the rear axle from a Ranger, it bolts to the axle flange and fits the u joint on the XJ shaft. For me, it solved a lot of issues at once and was cheap. Added benefit of being much stronger than the D35.

Stroked98Xj

I could not, and would not recommend the Trac-lok to anyone.

I had an 8.8 in my S10 build once upon a time, with a used Trac-lok. The clutch packs would hold up enough to providing traction in the rain and ice, but as soon as one rear tire wedged up against something to crawl up, I lost both tires and it became a one wheel wonder in the back. So, I did what any Jeeper/Chevy guy would do - rebuild it stronger, right? A full rebuild of new clutch packs, plus one additional "used" clutch pack to stiffen it up - just like the Mustang 8.8 guys recommend. The fresh rebuild lasted 1 wheeling trip, and went back to being an open diff. This was with 35" All-Terrains.

I'd recommend the 8.8" it's a great Jeep axle - but widen your search to also include open diff axles. Then, shove a Spartan lunch box locker in if you can handle the squirly characteristics, or an ARB/E-locker if you can afford a bit more.

Here's a good explanation of differential types:

00t444e

Try to find an open 8.8 and put a lunchbox locker in as said before. Or if you find one with a track lock pull it out and throw a Detroit or Grizzly locker in there.

Caish

that won't happen, I do not like lunchbox lockers.
They're good for one thing breaking axles.
Like monkey rigging and a half asked way of doing it.
Got many friends that have broke carriers, Axles, and even LBL themselves ....
Not a fan.

00t444e

If you broke an axle shaft with a lunchbox locker it would have also broken if you where using a full case auto locker, they work the same way. A Ford 8.8 and Dana 30 setup with lunchbox lockers would be good enough for 33s. You will break the u-joints on the Dana 30 before you will the locker. Most failures with lunchbox lockers are caused improper installation or by people putting one in an axle that isn't strong enough for what they are doing with it, like running a Dana 35 with 33s and a locker.

Caish

LBL are POS IMO,
case closed.
Just go read the drivability issues posts, clacks, pops, etc.
If I wanted a LBL I would have mentioned an LBL, I did not so case closed no further discussion on this subject is needed with me...

00t444e

I don't have any driveability problems with mine but if that's not what you want then you would be better with a Detroit or Grizzly locker, or if you want a good limited slip a Detroit Truetrac. Either way a trac lock isn't a very good option in my opinion the best thing to do with a track lock is to shim the clutches really tight with basicly turned it into a spool.

MoparNJeep

My front was locked on 35s with lbl. Never broke and didn't pop or make any noise after it was broke in. Don't believe everything you read on the internet

00t444e

That's the same way my Spartan lockers are, if I let someone else drive my Jeep they don't even notice them, very well behaved.