1987 jeep Comanche

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

So I recently bought a 1987 jeep Comanche and I plan on doing an axle swap and a lot more what do y'all think is a good axle swap for this truck to keep it at the stock width

http://rs12.pbsrc.com/albums/a211/Lucas_Kutz/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_3763_zps80wnbtu6.jpg?w=480&h=480&fit=clip

[DirtyComanche]

The Ford 8.8 is quite common, along with the later Chrysler 8.25 out of the XJ, and the XJ/MJ D44 is also a good choice but they're harder to find.  Or if you're willing to pay you can have something built by any of the axle shops (Currie, Strange, Dynatrac).

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

The Ford 8.8 will keep the same width?

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

What truck/suvs would I want to look for as a donor of the axles

[DirtyComanche]

The 8.8 out of the Explorer is a bit narrower, 58.5" vs 60" sort of thing.  Depending what wheels you run you might want a set of spacers, the front axle is wider than the rear anyways (61") so you can run a set of 1.25" spacers and it winds up bang on with the front.  Later Explorer axles (94+ IIRC) are disk brake.

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

So find a 94 explorer and I can get a set of axles for the jeep

[DirtyComanche]

Only the rear.  They're IFS garbage in the front.

 

If you want to swap both axles it becomes much more involved and there winds up being many more options as you don't need to match the width or bolt pattern.

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

Yea it's not that I have to have same width it's I want the same width

[DirtyComanche]

Can you define what your goal is here?

 

The D30 front is okay and will hold up got most mild usage and 33-34" tires.  The JK variant seems to be able to handle 35" tires and a fair amount of abuse with a few upgrades, and lots of guys are running around with 37" tires on them.

 

Swapping to a totally different front axle involves a fair amount of fab work or an expensive (and not ideal) bracket kit (plus still a bunch of work to remove other brackets and weld it on).  For every 10 'built' Jeeps you see, only one has something other than the stock (or other basically bolt in Jeep variant) front axle.  It's just a lot of work and expense.

 

I've got a Ford D60 (out of a 94 F-350) in the front of my XJ, and I have a lot more money and time into that than I would ever care to admit.

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

I plan to drive to and from school and work also go trailing running 32in tires the reason I want different axles is kinda a just cause thing I'm just looking for the right axle I don't need them right away

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

Would a j10 work as a donor

[DRUNKMAR1NE]

Or a Dodge Durango 9.25 rear

[Wiggilez]

I'm going to be using a ram 9.25 on mine and i believe that i have one inch spacers per side to match the width on the stock front axle but if you can fab you could get a front from a 1500 ram 4x4 as well.

[DirtyComanche]

I'm going to be using a ram 9.25 on mine and i believe that i have one inch spacers per side to match the width on the stock front axle but if you can fab you could get a front from a 1500 ram 4x4 as well.

 

It depends on the generation.  Some are 62" wide, others are 64" wide, I believe.  The 9.25 is a good axle though.

 

The 1500 D44 front is a pile of garbage.

[Wiggilez]

True but it avoids the need for spacers and i believe that in 02 they did away with the cad and used a one peice shaft. BUt that's only one of its issues fixed I'd say it's probably better than a stock cad 30.