Pete M Posted January 15, 2021 Posted January 15, 2021 anything that's not an MJ axle will require welding. how much of a project it is depends on what you want in the end. An MJ 35 goes right in. An XJ dana 35 will be the next easiest swap. anything better (44, 8.25, 8.8) will have a snout 1" longer than the 35, might have disk brakes to integrate in, etc.
thecodemonk Posted January 19, 2021 Posted January 19, 2021 That said, leaf spring perch welding is probably the easiest welding project there is, if you've done any welding before.
Rusty Jeep Posted January 29, 2021 Author Posted January 29, 2021 I was thinking of pulling a set out of a wrangler in a scrapyard. I don't know what gears are in them. I'm just looking for the cheapest option that are still strong enough to take 300hp. If you have a better suggestion on which axles to use please share.
Pete M Posted January 29, 2021 Posted January 29, 2021 you've found said wrangler? is it a TJ or the newer JK/JL? how big of a Jeep are you looking to build? what type of trails do you hit? in theory the Dana 30 with a 8.8/8.25/44 can take 300 horses if built right. but not so much if you're rock bouncing.
Pete M Posted January 30, 2021 Posted January 30, 2021 I mean, the 5.9L/4.7L Grand Cherokees came with a dana 30 front. low pinion too.
Rusty Jeep Posted January 30, 2021 Author Posted January 30, 2021 I'm not looking to build a major rock crawler but I'm looking at a severly rust pitted axle and I'm not sure if I want to spend the money on building an axle in that condition. Gearing axles is not an area that I know a terrible lot about. I'm just looking for the cheapest option that will handle the engine and still have the front and rear wheels spin at the same speed when in 4 wheel.
Pete M Posted January 31, 2021 Posted January 31, 2021 I would never rebuild a nasty axle. even if all I needed was a dana 30 I'd just go get a cleaner one to build. how big of a tire are you looking to run?
Rusty Jeep Posted February 1, 2021 Author Posted February 1, 2021 I have a set of 30s that I like, bigger ones aren't really in the budget. I looked at the price to build a dana 35 then looked at my wallet and I'm almost sure I heard it start screaming at me. I'm kind of leaning towards getting a set out of a junk yard but don't really know what the best choice is. The back axle doesn't scare me as much, but getting the front to work especially if I have to weld my own brackets on seem quit difficult. Is there any axles that will bolt right in that can already handle the power, or am I Chasing my tail in a circle.
Pete M Posted February 1, 2021 Posted February 1, 2021 since you're building around a sensible sized tire I'd wager you'll be fine with a dana 30 with the later model upgrade ujoints/shafts. the rear axle takes the majority of the abuse. I'd go with either an Explorer 8.8 or a Liberty 8.25. both diffs can handle v8s.
Rusty Jeep Posted February 2, 2021 Author Posted February 2, 2021 Are those axles any wider than the stock axle?
Pete M Posted February 2, 2021 Posted February 2, 2021 the 8.8 is slightly more narrow, the Liberty 8.25 is a bit wider (3"?).
Rusty Jeep Posted February 2, 2021 Author Posted February 2, 2021 Will the liberty 8.25 handle a v8 stock or will it need some doctoring?
BeatCJ Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 I'm pretty sure it was the v8 axle in Grand Cherokees.
Pete M Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 it's in the same strength class as the Dana 44 Dodge Dakota 1987 - 2004 Rear Dodge Durango 1998 - 2004 Rear Dodge Ram 1500 1994 - 2004 Rear Dodge Ram 2500 1997 - 2001 Rear Jeep Grand Cherokee 2005 - 2010 Rear Jeep XJ Cherokee 1991 - 2001 Rear
Rusty Jeep Posted February 3, 2021 Author Posted February 3, 2021 A little bit off topic but a lot of people say an nv3500 will not handle a v8. Likewise a lot of people say they will. Does anyone know what 5 speed trans gm put behind the 350?
derf Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 10 minutes ago, Rusty Jeep said: A little bit off topic but a lot of people say an nv3500 will not handle a v8. Likewise a lot of people say they will. Does anyone know what 5 speed trans gm put behind the 350? GM used the NV4500 in the 1/2 ton trucks. They used the NV3500 in the S10 behind the V6. Many people put the 3500 behind mild V8s and they hold up fine.
Rusty Jeep Posted February 3, 2021 Author Posted February 3, 2021 will the nv4500 bolt right to a 350 without any issues? And my second question is will the nv4500 fit in a comanche?
Pete M Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 isn't the 3500 found behind the 4.7 in Dakotas?
derf Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Pete M said: isn't the 3500 found behind the 4.7 in Dakotas? Probably. But that "V8" doesn't make much more power than a V6...
89 MJ Posted February 3, 2021 Posted February 3, 2021 3 minutes ago, derf said: Probably. But that "V8" doesn't make much more power than a V6... But depending on what 350 he uses, he might make similar power to a 4.0.
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