Dana 35 replacement options

[sfitzgi1]

Hey guys looking for some advice here. The spider gears in my 88 Comanche rearend are chewed up and there's lots of metal in the housing. (Told to me by my mechanic). What are my options here? Rebuild it? Possible swap for another axel? Also what costs should I expect going each route. It's the Dana 35. 5 speed tranny. With 3.07 gears I believe. Thanks 

[Eagle]

Obviously, if the damage is limited to the spider gears, another set of spider gears is going to be the least expensive route. Beyond that, the Dana 35 probably isn't worth rebuilding when you could likely buy a late-model Cherokee Chrysler 8.25" axle and have it installed for less than the cost of rebuilding the dana 35.

[boxyjeep]

Another popular option is a Ford 8.8 w/ disc brakes.  Same bolt pattern (but will need spring perches welded on).  About 1.5" less wide, but significantly stronger than D35/C8.25.

[Smokeyyank]

I'd go with a 8.25. 8.8 is a great swap (ran it on my XJ) and will get you 31 spline shafts and a factory LSD downside is they are bigger. 8.25 is a great axle. Dana 35 is as useful as a boat anchor. 8.25 can be had for cheap. I picked up my builder 8.25 with a KJ disc swap for $100. Depending where you are will dictate a lot of the cost. In CO everything is gold plated so it pulls a premium unless you are hunting for good deals. I'd probably say about $100-$300 for a used axle and parts to get it under a MJ. 

[Pete M]

the 03-07 Libertys came with the stronger 29 spline 8.25 (disk brakes and 3.55/3.73.4.10 gears) but is actually a bit wider than the stock MJ axle rather than narrower like the 8.8.    the extra width helps match the MJ's wide butt (the rear of an MJ is wider than an XJ, that's why the rear tires look tucked-in).

 

car-part.com can help with your junkyard searches.  be sure to search for various years because part numbers can change even though the swap-ability didn't and the website searches only by part number.