I had never heard of those rock assault axles before...they look strong as hell but they are UGLY. I don't think I could ever get used to looking at that thing under my jeep haha...but thanks for all the advice everyone...I'm thinkin I'll end up wheelin my 30 the way it is for now and then when it goes do a 44 swap or save up for a currie 9inch

 

Now to build a d30.. I would upgrade to a super 30 kit. Inner and out shafts. BUild a Good truss, and call it good.


What broke my shafts was my gear ratio. figure 2.72x2.72x4.10x3.75=113.75 LOW LOW ratio.. then add some wheel bind

 

My dana 30 already has gears and an aussie...I don't really want to do a super 30 cuz that moves the breaking point to the small and weak ring and pinion. I'd rather blow ujoints and shafts than a ring and pinion...hence the reason I'm really looking into a dana 44 or similar to the front. but I'll probably wheel it as is, maybe add an inexpensive truss, and hold out for a deal on a nice front axle.

 

Speaking from experience... the d30's Ring and pinion is stronger then ppl think. I have pesonally broken 3 inner shafts, and snapped a d30 stub shaft. I never broke a 760 u-joint, or a ring or pinion.

 

I'm not denying that they are surprisingly strong. I've been wheeling on locked 35s for a few years now with no issues...however, do you really think it will hold up very long on 37s locked. I've read of a few people taking the risk but my worry is that I won't even be able to drive over rocks without breaking something. I'm not really a hard wheeler and I tend to crawl everything...but I also want to be realistic about what the axle can really handle.

 

After Bigdogs.. where I destroyed my D30 on 33's I decided to go to 36's.. and I went with a d44, and ford 9". I wish I would have built a Rock Assault, or a Diamond housing instead. It would have been cheaper.


I bought a lot of things I didnt really need, but I am over 4k into the axle build.

 

So with those rock assault housings, what do you use them for? Just curious because somebody from a local shop told me about them and I'm curious. So they are just the axel housing, no gears or anything? So how does that make them stronger than a d30? Or 35? I wanted to run a d44 and a d60, but if these rock assaults will be better I want to do them. And what all would you need additionally? Thanks!

Sent using XJ Forum with all of the brake fluid left on my fingers

 

waggy D44 and a super 88 kit for the rear get the flanges that match the waggy axle and prosper!

 

In my opinion the best way to go would be to narrow a HP Ford Dana 44 to Waggy width so you have a high pinion axle that uses stock stafts and is not too wide. Click here to see excellent write up on how to do just that and what year axles are the best to use.

 

Hey Guys, reading this thread a lot of you are saying good things about the d30s. I'm in New Zealand and have just bought a 96xj, it has a 8.25 rear and HP d30 and my concern was the diffs. I want to run 36" TSLs. I have a mate who runs a TJ Wrangler with 35" Claws and was braking "U"joints and R&Ps so he changed to a d44. Is the d30 in the TJs different to the XJ and are the HP 30s stronger than a LP. I'm not a Jeep guy and don't know whats the best. I have allways run the Big Nissan Patrols and they are indistructable and if my Jeep axlse's don't hack the pace I will chuck them and sling some Nissan or Toyota Diffs in it.

 

THey have an off set housing which raises the centerline.. also the design of the shafts make it stronger. Yes you would have to run toyota Outers.. but with Dirty 30's or Bobby Longs I have seen Yota housings stand up to 40"Stickies

 

Yeah that is a good way to do it.. but it is a lot of work.. I have more money then time.. and I dont have a lot of either. Like I said I spent a crap load of money building a HPd44 yes it has an arb, gears alloy shaft, reif knuckles, and high steer arms.... but I could have built a diamond or a rock assault for less.

 

So I would need new outer knuckles, and new axel shafts? No gears? Still really new in the upgrading aspect of our Cherokee.

Sent using XJ Forum with all of the brake fluid left on my fingers

 

UNless you have yota parts laying around yes you would.

 

Well after even more research I have begun to seriously start saving for this project as my job is finally getting steady. I'm pretty set on the ford 8.8 rear from east coast gear supply as it is 2000 shipped to my doorstep with gears, suspension mounts, arb, disk brakes, drive shaft flange, etc all installed. They have recently added a dana 44 to their website that is xj ready as well. I can get both axles geared locked and ready to go shipped for roughly 5300. What do you guys think about that. I am at a point in my life where I work so much that time is extremely rare, so I'm liking the idea of having them ready to bolt in and be an easy weekend swap. Or should I really consider waiting and building the axles from a junked 1 ton or something similar? I don't plan on running anything bigger than my 36" iroks (measure around a 37x13.5) and I'm pretty easy on it.