Dana 44 rear axle

[ComancheMadness]

I'm looking into getting a dana 44 rear axle install on my 88 jeep comanche pioneer 2wd, since I want to add a lift and some 33"s any recommendations on where I can buy a complete set or what jeeps and years can I possibly pull one out of. any feed back is good feedback thank yall ! Lastly, roughly how much would I be spending on the axle if I would have to regear it.

[benjy_26]

The easiest swap would come from a MJ or XJ that came equipped with one from the factory, though you'd have to mod a XJ unit. 

[Smokeyyank]

Waggy has a 44. I have that in my current rig. Honestly at 33s though a 8.25 is the best choice IMHO. You can source the rest of the 4wd swap (assuming that's what you were doing) from a 98 to 99 Cherokee. You get the front and rear axle setup along with transfer case. All you would have to do for the rear axle is move the rear perchs spring under. Pretty easy to do if you have a buddy that's a welder. As for the cost to regear it can vary. If you're lucky enough to find someone local Jeep group that knows how to do it they might only charge you a couple hundred bucks for labor shop will be about double. Beyond that you'd have to add in a new carrier/traction device, gears and an install kit that include bearings.

[ghetdjc320]

96-97 rodeo/passport works great too. Same bolt pattern issues as the wagoneer axle though

[Pete M]

which engine/trans do you have now?  you should put the truck's basic info in your signature.  

 

car-part.com should be able to find you a 03+ Liberty 8.25 with disks and 4.10 gears.  add to that an XJ front with 4.10s if you're looking to convert to 4wd.

 

regearing can be 400-600 per axle when all said and done, not counting lockers.

[OldSch88L]

Ford's 8.8 is a good option also. I swapped a D44 in my MJ because it came with the spare parts when I bought the truck, but having also a Ford Ranger that I swapped the 7.5 for a LSD 8.8, I like the Ford axle better in terms of conception. The bearing shims are outboard for the carrier, which makes setting backlash way easier than the D44 which has the shims between the carrier and bearings, and requires setup bearings. I also like the Ford's axle bearing better than the D44's. Major con is that the 8.8 is c-clipped, and he D44 isn't.

[ghetdjc320]

If all you want to do is run 33’s i’d just run the d35 if you have the right gearing. A liberty 8.25 as Pete suggests is an easy swap though and probably cheaper than a 44 in most places. An 8.8 in my books is about as worthless as the exploders they come from. I’ve had 4 of them over the years and they are all boat anchors. Think of it this way, a 31” tire on a Dana 35 has about as much clearance under the pumpkin as an 8.8 with 35’s. On 33’s it actually has more! The 8.8 is a chunky axle but does not hold up well to 37’s and low gearing without breaking things. The axle tubes are thinner than a d35/44 and have been known to spin. The c clip axle design is not really the flaw to me. If you break a non c-clip axle there is also carnage left behind and you won’t get far. Full floating axles are the obvious exception. 

[Ls2xjcomanche]

Really depends on how you are going to use it. How much street use vs off-road? Over-landing or rock crawling? IF you can find a MJ/XJ D44 that’d be ideal. The Ford 8.8 is another viable option that’s more common. I run a built 8.8 in my LS2 swapped XJ on 37’s with zero issues. I wouldn’t run 33’s with D35. It’s a decent axle in a stock application, but beyond that I’d avoid it. I ran 33s on my daily with an open diff and it grenaded just driving down the street. No more turdy5’s for me lol

 

2 hours ago, ghetdjc320 said:

An 8.8 in my books is about as worthless as the exploders they come from. I’ve had 4 of them over the years and they are all boat anchors.

Boat anchor? You’ll lose a 1/2” of ground clearance compared to a D44.

[ghetdjc320]

3 minutes ago, Ls2xjcomanche said:

Really depends on how you are going to use it. How much street use vs off-road? Over-landing or rock crawling? IF you can find a MJ/XJ D44 that’d be ideal. The Ford 8.8 is another viable option that’s more common. I run a built 8.8 in my LS2 swapped XJ on 37’s with zero issues. I wouldn’t run 33’s with D35. It’s a decent axle in a stock application, but beyond that I’d avoid it. I ran 33s on my daily with an open diff and it grenaded just driving down the street. No more turdy5’s for me lol

 

Boat anchor? You’ll lose a 1/2” of ground clearance compared to a D44.

Yes I’ll stand by that all day. Not saying the 8.8 doesn’t work at all but there are better options out there. The 8.8 Is also heavy and unsprung weight should play a factor in any build. The bottom of a 8.8 is flat and wide vs the single narrow lowest point of a d44. It will make a difference which d44 your are comparing since there are some variations. But xj/mj 44 is lighter and much better clearance than an 8.8. The 8.8 is just chunky. If you going to build a new axle, built a 44 or a 60 if need that. 8.25 is a good choice though for what the OP described and is a cheap junk yard swap. Tire width, rolling weight and driving style play a big role in how long an axle lasts.