Survivability of Dana 35 with 35" Tires and Minimum Wei

[jpfrogger]

I've got a question regarding the survivability of the Dana 35 axle if it is used on an MJ that has been trimmed down on weight with 35" tires. Is the tire diameter the bigger factor or the weight on the axle with how long the Dana 35 will survive? The stock weight per literature for my MJ is approx. 3100 lbs. Now I have removed most of the weight that I can tolerate such as Doors, rear window, rear bumper, most of the interior, short exhaust, no tailgate, etc. to try to get the weight down to less than 2800 lbs with the 35" tires and wheels. Does anyone have a good sense of whether the Dana 35 will survive in a medium duty off road application, not alot of rock crawling. Thanks

[JeepcoMJ]

tire size is death if you abuse it.

 

rotational force is what causes issues. i.e. you increase the rotational force by stepping on the gas, and the tires are supposed to accomodate...well, the week link is the dana 35 axle. what happens is the input (pinion/d.s.) is too high, the output (output shafts) isn't gonna catch up in time and the weak part (carrier, gears, housing) will break.

 

if you are very soft-footed, you may get a few thousand miles out of it, maybe more if you drive like a grandpa. but if you plan to abuse it at all, you are no longer asking the question IF it will break, but WHEN.

 

example...I destroyed the dana 35 rear on my 86 comanche not once but twice. first time was getting into traffic and having to stomp on it. second time was showing off and stepping on it around a corner. I have 31" tires.

 

another comanche I had was stock and I blew the dana 35. it was also a 4 cylinder.

 

so, plan on an upgrade in the near future.

[jpfrogger]

Ok, so I also have a 8.8" rear out of a Lincoln Mark VII LSC that is the same width as the stock axle with the same 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern. It has rear discs, 4.10 gears and a mini spool and c-clip eliminators. However, it only has the 28 spline shafts. Will it hold up to the 35" tires in the MJ without alot of rock-crawling, just general off-roading in mud, sand, etc.? Thanks

[JeepcoMJ]

it's a hell of alot better than a dana 35, and for the cost of perches and time of burning them on, why wouldn't you do that upgrade?

[jpfrogger]

I was thinking of custom shafts with 31, 33, or 35 spline shafts and the full spool to match, but no funds right now for the upgrades and they would have to be done later. I prefer to do all the axle work with it out and thought if I could get by with the Dana 35 for awhile it might be worth waiting on the 8.8" till it's complete. I just hate the thought of busting on the trail and limping it back to the trailer.

[JeepcoMJ]

as I said, if you intend to use it for anything even mildly hardcore, you're gonna regret it when it brakes.

 

better to take precautions.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

I wheel my MJ with 35's on a D35. Now given I don't wheel as hard as I do with my XJ on 35's and the stroker (d44 rear), but I don't by any means wheel "lightly" with it either.

 

It's held up thus far. I've even played on the rocks at the Badlands quite a bit and not had a problem with it either. It's all how you wheel and what line you pick in my opinion. Will I blow it up? Yeah probably as I don't wheel "lightly" and I've had to remind myself several times on the trail that I'm not in my XJ and to "tone it down". But I plan on wheeling with it until I break it...

 

I've also wheeled my XJ with a D35 on 35's and a stroker motor while I'm building up my D44 and not had a problem with the axle itself.

 

And just for proof. :brows:

 

 

 

For reference here is a pic of Rebecca's XJ on the same face. This pic shows the steepness of it much better.

 

 

I also have a video me smoking my tires on this rock face with 35's when I had my D35 in the rear for a wheeling trip, I'll see if I can find it.

 

EDIT: Here it is. Ignore the fact I don't have reverse, thus have to keep backing all the way down. Tire smokeage is at around 2:30 into it. And yes I did get up it... :brows:

 

[JeepcoMJ]

:D

 

I'm not saying it won't be OK in the short run but an upgrade is necessary in the long run.

[DirtyComanche]

I hate D35s.

[JOMJ87]

I also wheeled for 2 years with a stock D35 and it had a locker the last 9 months with my BFG 35s.I have recently upgraded do to the fact i knew it would break at some point but it never had at all. It even lasted threw tellico but I don't use like the skinny pedal as much as some. Upgrade if you can but if not just buy extra shafts.

 

Cole

[StevenH]

I agree on taking it easy with the d35 and you will be ok.

 

On the show Trucks, when their d35 gave up on them the center section spun on the axle tubes. They were giving it hell on 37's to do this, climbimg some pretty big rocks.

[DirtyComanche]

Giving it hell? That was a sunday cruise if you ask me.

[JOMJ87]

OH yeah I forgot i did break one but not on 35s it was 31s and I spun the housing on the tubes also. I was being way to ruff on it. I was in high school and i was grabbing eveyr gear i could and then it broke. :D

 

Cole

[Pete M]

I killed my D35 with 30s on the street. It started spitting ring gear teeth.

[FxRacing282]

going down RT. 4 into northwood in my buddies XJ and then after about 20 hours of cling cling ling it went vroom vroom vroom and we had ourselves a front wheel drive XJ with a 4.0 :chillin:

[Tracker]

I can't help but think that an axle's condition might have something to do with what it will or will not take. We seem to have quite a variety of experiences out there. I wonder how a fresh D35, set up right and driven intelligently would do? :hmm:

Don't get me wrong. We'll snag a 44, and gear it and lock it as soon as we can afford it. But in the meantime, this low wear, tight feeling 35 is hanging in there without being babied.

[Pete M]

There seems to be no way of knowing how far a 35 will go. Some last, some don't. But you can bet money that you won't find me running one in any of my trucks. I've got an AMC 20, a 9", and a D-44. The next one is likely to get an Explorer 8.8.