Baby blue Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Okay, just got the Comanche 2 days ago so bear with me. It's has a d35 in the rear and I want to do a d44 swap from a Cherokee. Was wondering, will spring perches and shock mounts line up correctly. Also will my drive shaft match the yoke on the d44. And this swap should give me about four inches of lift Right. This is not 4x4 and I don't intend to make it a 4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 No the spring perches are different widths. They are close but not the same. The shock mounts are different. You would have to cut off the XJ ones and weld on new ones. Driveshaft: uses the same ujoint but they 44 has a longer pinion so the shaft may be too long now. An XJ 44 is kind of a rare rear to be doing this too. As the XJ/MJ 44 is weaker to start with and it is not bolt in why not start with and 8.25 or Ford 8.8? Just a thought. Unfortunately bolting in an XJ axle is not a cheap easy route to a SOA. BTW: going SOA will give you at least 5.5" of lift and probably more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby blue Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 What makes the ford rear ends so popular, besides being stronger. Is it any easy project, and how much difference is there in length from the d35. Do spring perches and shock mounts line up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 No there is not a rear that that stuff matches up on. Only an MJ axle bolts in. To do any swap right you will have to buy spring perches and shock mounts and do some welding. Besides strength the Ford has the same bolt pattern and gives you rear disc brakes. It is about 1/2" narrower per side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 An XJ 44 is kind of a rare rear to be doing this too. As the XJ/MJ 44 is weaker to start with and it is not bolt in why not start with and 8.25 or Ford 8.8? Just a thought. ??? Huh? The XJ Dana 44 has historically been THE easiest and most popular rear axle swap for MJs with the Dana 35. How do you figure it's "rare"? And weaker than what? It was, after all, the factory optional heavy duty rear axle for the MJ from 1987 through to the end in 1992. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 They are rare. Like the MJ version they have D35 sized axle tubes and are rumored to be thinner walled as well. Compared to the average D44 either of these things alone make them weaker. The D44 is no easier to adapt then an 8.25. A 29 spline 8.25 gives up nothing to the D44 in question in strength but costs a quarter of what some are willing to pay for that particular Dana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJam86 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby blue Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 Thanks for the input, I think I will be doing the d44, also, there's a guy on you tube who put wj knuckles and calipers on one of his axles, do you guys know which one and is this a disc brake conversion. The you tube video is the evolution of my jeep Comanche. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 What makes the ford rear ends so popular, besides being stronger. Is it any easy project, and how much difference is there in length from the d35. Do spring perches and shock mounts line up? What makes them so popular is that they are plentiful and CHEAP, the main driving force behind 99% of most MJ upgrades. It took me two years to find an MJ D44, but it was worth it to me. And adding rear disks from a Ford Explorer or ZJ is easy/peasy and shouldn't be a reason for settling for the Ford axle. The Ford axle is a great upgrade from the D35, but so is everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yxmj Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ Guy sounds a bit bias....they rate 14 & 15...the points he makes about the 44 axle size he missess in the 8.8 description...the 8.8 has a larger ring gear and is about 20% thicker in the pinion and axle shafts as well bigger tubes....But I must admit...I still have an ad out searching for a 44.. :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJam86 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ Guy sounds a bit bias....they rate 14 & 15...the points he makes about the 44 axle size he missess in the 8.8 description...the 8.8 has a larger ring gear and is about 20% thicker in the pinion and axle shafts as well bigger tubes....But I must admit...I still have an ad out searching for a 44.. :dunno:Probably is biased the 8.8 is proven 20% stronger than 44. I was mostly posting to point out that he was probably thinking of most TJ 44s that are weaker. There are numerous articles that explains the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ So the tubes aren't smaller? Yes/no/you don't know. Same with the goofs whose opinions are cited in that article: they may or may not know the XJ/MJ is different. I have for sure called Crappa out for lying on IFSJA. Notice he doesn't even cite the differences in the 8.25? He rates it low for "lack of gear ratios" and BS. Bottom line: the MJ/XJ D44 is like the TJ version not like the others. Read the "smallish tubes" part again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJam86 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ So the tubes aren't smaller? Yes/no/you don't know. Same with the goofs whose opinions are cited in that article: they may or may not know the XJ/MJ is differentThe XJ/MJ dana 44 tubes are larger by about 3/10 of an inch...does that answer your question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ So the tubes aren't smaller? Yes/no/you don't know. Same with the goofs whose opinions are cited in that article: they may or may not know the XJ/MJ is differentThe XJ/MJ dana 44 tubes are larger by about 3/10 of an inch...does that answer your question? Larger than what? Not a standard D44 rear that is for sure. So we have established that smaller tubes is bad M'kay and the XJ/MJ D44 has smaller than average D44 tubes M'kay and he doesn't know enough to separate it from the majority of D44 rears. BTW: that list has been discredited on Pirate and elsewhere. Again, it is just Crappa's opinion. And again again he doesn't even know enough to differentiate the two versions of the 8.25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Has anyone read about an MJ/XJ 44 failure due to the tubes flexing or breaking? :dunno: this could be a moot point if it's not a problem out in the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJam86 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 You're confused... http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/154-0708-weakest-to-strongest-axles/ So the tubes aren't smaller? Yes/no/you don't know. Same with the goofs whose opinions are cited in that article: they may or may not know the XJ/MJ is differentThe XJ/MJ dana 44 tubes are larger by about 3/10 of an inch...does that answer your question? Larger than what? Not a standard D44 rear that is for sure. that list has been discredited on Pirate and elsewhere. Again, it is just Crappa's opinion. And again again he doesn't even know enough to differentiate the two versions of the 8.25. Maybe you need to go back and reread your posts as well as mine... Larger than the 35, which has been your argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Yes or no: they are smaller than the vast majority of D44 rears. You obviously believe that smaller tubes = weaker as well. So the smaller tubes on this axle means it is weaker, as well. It is funny that to order spring perches for the MJ D44 that you have to order them for a D35 and not a D44...That is a head scratcher for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 End of train-wreck thread derailment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89eliminator Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Has anyone read about an MJ/XJ 44 failure due to the tubes flexing or breaking? :dunno: this could be a moot point if it's not a problem out in the field. my MJ D44's tubes have been fine.... ...and they see a lot of abuse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby blue Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 What makes the ford rear ends so popular, besides being stronger. Is it any easy project, and how much difference is there in length from the d35. Do spring perches and shock mounts line up? What makes them so popular is that they are plentiful and CHEAP, the main driving force behind 99% of most MJ upgrades. It took me two years to find an MJ D44, but it was worth it to me. And adding rear disks from a Ford Explorer or ZJ is easy/peasy and shouldn't be a reason for settling for the Ford axle. The Ford axle is a great upgrade from the D35, but so is everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yxmj Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 A midget walks into a bar with a hooker a duck and a priest.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby blue Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 Thanks for the insight, d44 it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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