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XJ and MJ axle width


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STOP!

 

You are working backwards. You are planning on going with a 8" lift and 35" tires. 4:10 gears will not be deep enough for 35s. You will need at least 4:56 to be some what happy. 4:88s are a lot better for 35s.

 

Get a 8.8 or 29 spline 8.25 in any axle ratio and regear it. Why pay twice for the same result?

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STOP!

 

You are working backwards. You are planning on going with a 8" lift and 35" tires. 4:10 gears will not be deep enough for 35s. You will need at least 4:56 to be some what happy. 4:88s are a lot better for 35s.

 

Get a 8.8 or 29 spline 8.25 in any axle ratio and regear it. Why pay twice for the same result?

well I have 33s now with 4.10 gearing, will the 35s make that much of a difference? I was thinking of upgrading gears but I need a new front Dana 30 as well because the previous owner had jumped it or something like that ad bent the axle tube I think it was 1.7 or 2.7 degrees negative... What are the possibilities of finding a Dana 30 with 4.88?
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They will make a huge difference. The jump from 33s to 35s causes a lot of new, fun issues.

 

No X/MJ ever came with 4:88s from the factory. 4:56 was a low as you could get. Those can be found in 2.5, automatic Jeeps.

Did they make any XJs that have the 29 spline 8.25 and 4.56 gears?
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They will make a huge difference. The jump from 33s to 35s causes a lot of new, fun issues.

 

No X/MJ ever came with 4:88s from the factory. 4:56 was a low as you could get. Those can be found in 2.5, automatic Jeeps.

Did they make any XJs that have the 29 spline 8.25 and 4.56 gears?

 

Nope, I grabbed a set of stock 4.56 axles years ago, I think they were from an 88 or 89 with a 2.5 auto.  Since then I have swapped to a 29 spline 8.25, I agree with the above.  4.56 and 33's is about perfect, 4.56 and 35's is a bit under geared.  Now that I have a manual it seems better, but I really wish I went with 4.88's.   I'm running the 8.25 with a stroker motor and heavy 35" tires and an ARB with no issue yet.  I have alloy shafts in it as well though.

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A Explorer is roughly 2" narrower. An inch per side. You will need wheel spacers $50-$100 and a flange adapter, another $50-$75 and still need more gear for 35s. A 8.8 is not all it is cracked up to be. A 29 SPL 8.25 is just as strong as a 8.8, does not need wheel spacers or a flange adapter. You are already ahead by $100-$175 by using a cheap, easy to find 8.25 XJ axle.

 

You need more gear if you want to run 35s. 4:10s are not going to keep the engine in it's torque band. You plan to use 35s. Do it once, do it right.

 

This is my last post in this thread.

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They will make a huge difference. The jump from 33s to 35s causes a lot of new, fun issues.

 

No X/MJ ever came with 4:88s from the factory. 4:56 was a low as you could get. Those can be found in 2.5, automatic Jeeps.

 

 

 

They will make a huge difference. The jump from 33s to 35s causes a lot of new, fun issues.

 

No X/MJ ever came with 4:88s from the factory. 4:56 was a low as you could get. Those can be found in 2.5, automatic Jeeps.

Did they make any XJs that have the 29 spline 8.25 and 4.56 gears?

 

 

The deepest factory geared 29 spline 8.25" you will find under a Cherokee is 4.10. These are pretty rare, but do exist. My daughter's Cherokee sports one that I lucked into.

 

As for 4.88 gears in a D30, Dana/Spicer never made a 4.88 gear set, They only went as low as 4.56. There is an aftermarket company that offers 4.88 gears but the pinion is freakishly small, which makes for little contact between the ring and pinion gears, which makes for a weak axle.

 

You can get away with 4.10. It will not be ideal, but it will be usable. 4.56 would be better. If you want deeper than 4.56 I suggest you look into a different axle to swap into the front which gets very expensive in a hurry.

 

I used to run 35s on 3.55 gears and now run 37s with 4.10 gears. I just don't use overdrive. With the transfer case in low it has plenty of torque to play in the rocks.

 

My daughter's Cherokee has 4.10 gears with 32s and a reprogrammed ECU. Saying it can be fun smoking a Mustang or Eclipse GT in a lifted Jeep is an understatement.

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What are the possibilities of finding a Dana 30 with 4.88?

Somewhere between zero and negative 10.

 

4.88 isn't even available from Dana-Spicer. It was never used by the factory; it is offered only by aftermarket gear makers. That means the only place you might find one is in a Jeep that has been heavily modified by an owner. Anything is possible, but it's rather unlikely.

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