Jeep Strokers

My Dana 35c is shot... With the stroker going in the jeep in a couple weeks I need to upgrade fast. I think all of the Jeep xj and tj d44s are limited slip right? If there is an "open diff" would that be worse or better if you are tearing it up offroad? This really sucks, I did not plan on this.

What year xjs had the d44 option? Its either d44 or ford 8.8, whichever I find first in the best condition.

87 XJ's and MJ's with the Towing package. Getting kind of hard to find. I have one in my storage

Anyway, 8.8 might be the better option due to availability.

Muad'Dib wrote:... 8.8 might be the better option due to availability.

Also the 8.8's can usually be found for considerably less money than a D44. I've got both on my XJ, a D44 in front and an 8.8 in the rear. If I had been the one to stuff the axles under there (PO did the swap) I would have stuck with 8.8's at both ends.

Either axle can be open or limited slip from the factory. If you go with Ford axles, they had the Trac Loc option available. That's what I have in mine and they work great.

they made an 8.8 front? didn't know that


i overbuilt and went with an 02 14 bolt ff in the rear that i got really cheap.....i'll never break it and it came with factory discs and a parking brake

fsjeep13 wrote:My Dana 35c is shot... With the stroker going in the jeep in a couple weeks I need to upgrade fast. I think all of the Jeep xj and tj d44s are limited slip right? If there is an "open diff" would that be worse or better if you are tearing it up offroad? This really sucks, I did not plan on this.

What year xjs had the d44 option? Its either d44 or ford 8.8, whichever I find first in the best condition.

You can find many different axles to go under an XJ for cheap. A Dana 44 that is leaf sprung is not all that much money ($300 - $400). They made 44's with and without the "TracLoc" limited slip. I have two TJ's both have Dana 44's one had Tracloc and the other was an open differential.

Then there is the Corporate 8.25... its a tough axle, not unlike the Dana 44 and the axles stay like the Dana 44.

If you can find a 31 spline Ford Explorer 8.8 axle with Disc Brakes that would be a good swap too. These are also an internal clipped axle like the Dana 35. The trick is to get Disc Brakes to keep the axles in the tubes, should the axles brake.

The Dana 35 can be repaired cheaply, don't think all is lost. It will hold up as well as any Dana 35 and fine with a STROKER. Most Dana 35's are being trashed with a; LEAD foot, on big tires, and off road.

Moreover, you can find a used Dana 35 with the correct gears to bolt right up for cheap... $100. I believe there is a set of axles (Dana 30 and Dana 35 with 4.10 gears) on my website for sale right now.

I keep forgetting that most of you have xjs. I have a TJ. I guess the 8.8 would be better then becuause it would hold the axle in place if I broke it. I definitly have a case of Lead foot and I have 33" tires. I try to tear it up when I can out there. Its an open diff so I know I'm winding up one side and smashing the spider gears. I guess the spider gears are the only thing that is shot. There is a huge chunk missing from one of the teeth amongst pitting on the other teeth. I'll have to baby it anyway for the first 500 miles, so I'll have time to think about what I need to do. I think the limited slip will help me not chew the gears so much. Any ideas where to get a set of spider gears? Are they all pretty much the same size or are they D35 specific?

It was in 2005 when I had my spider gears replaced. I used to work at Lithia Jeep and after hours, a mechanic and I changed them out. I feel that I could to it again. I would not mind spending a saturday getting it together on my own to save a little money. I had to have the trans out and resealed, so I am over budget already.

Your spiders will be Dana 35. You have options... you can go with a Yukon Sparten "LOCKER" that will replace your spiders (goes right into the carrier in place of the spiders). I have done this to my "project" TJ and I HATE the Yukon Sparten Locker on road... this project TJ however is currently my daily driver so it sucks in tight turns. But, off road it is awesome.

Spiders will run you about $100 but again you can find a complete used axle for that money. If you have the room, you might consider buying a used axle then you have spare axles and the spiders that you need. Unfortunately, you will still be open off road.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

I have the Dana 44 in the rear of my TJ, it had the OE "TracLoc" in it, I blew all the clutches out of it, it now has an Auburn in it, it seems to be holding up fine.

I'm running a 29 spline 8.25 rear w/ 4.11s and a truetrac. In the front I have a HP D30 open. Im only running 31" tires so this might not help much.

29 spline 8.25 with 33s, i got a ton of gear on my rig also and beat the hell out of it and its never flintched

D30 with spartan locker, 29 spline 8.25 with true trac on 33's

27-spline 8.25 with its 2nd Auburn LSD and 4.10s on 27". I thrash it regularly.

I ended up finding an 8.8 with LS 3.73, so its now in my backyard. Just have to get brackets and have someone weld it up. First I have to get my injectors though...

89 Jeep MJ
D30 3:73 Gears
D44a with 3:73 Gears, Alloy USA Shafts and Spartan Locker

I am using a '65 Chrysler B-body 8 3/4 with a Sure Grip "posi" and 4.10's in the rear. It came outta my fast car. When I was putting a Dana 60 in the car I got to thinking and then made a few measurements. They are within half an inch in width, have the correct bolt pattern, larger drum brakes (I already had a disc brake kit for it though) and utilize a drop out center section like a ford 9". Gear sets and parts are cheap and you can often find complete drop outs that are already set up with lower gears for cheap from the drag racers. They are pretty strong and will take about 600 hp in a 3500 pound car on slicks and a transbrake. They came in all the big cars from Chrysler in the 60's and 70's including station wagons that had even bigger drum brakes than the cars. I've been running it for about 10 years now in the XJ and never had an issue.

I know, I know, I'm the freak in the group ... what else is new