Jeep CJ Front Axle Dilemma

orange150

orange150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Fairfax City, VA
The "ice" has scared most people away from work today, so I'm just sitting here, fueled on coffee and thinking about everything other than work.

My DD Jeep is currently on the stock axles, with stock gears, with 33s. Which really sucks.
I've gone over this before, but my Jeep is my DD, like I said, so it sees 90%-95% street time, with the other being farm work. The farm work means it needs to be able to pull trailers and handle at least some load, which I am hesitant to do now with it's current axle set up. I do plan to start going to Uwharrie once the axles are addressed, and hopefully branch out from there one day.

I have a rear D44 out of an '86 that I will be regearing to 4.10 as soon as I've saved up to get the job done.

So here's where the dilemma comes. I can either regear my D30 front, or install the Scout D44 front w/ 4.10s that I have sitting on jack stands right now.

Regear the D30
  • The "easier" of the two options as all it requires is the regear (which would really grow into a complete rebuild of the D30; new/upgraded u-joints, ball joints, etc), but do I really want to spend the money on that axle, when I have the stronger, wider, Scout 44 already?

Install the Scout 44
  • To keep costs down I would swap the D30 outers onto that axle, so brakes, steering (aside from width), etc. would all swap over. <- Would be long term temporary.
  • Axle is already geared to 4.10
  • I would need to outboard the front springs, which is an upgrade for the Jeep, but an additional cost.
  • The Scout 44 camber would need to be adjusted, so a cut and turn of the knuckles.
  • New steering links.
  • Would need to run 2" spacers on the Jeep 44 rear to match width. Not a big deal IMO. <- Probably end up being long term temp as well

I would rather install the 44 because of all the perks it provides; it's stronger, wider, requires the springs to be outboarded which will give me better suspension performance. But, I am by no means skilled enough to do the job myself, so I have to shop the whole thing out. And it being my DD I am slightly concerned about down time, but only slightly.

I can't see the 44 install costing too much more than regearing the 30. I feel like a good fabricator could outboard the springs fairly easily, then it's just swapping the outers and getting steering links... Right? If I need a new drive shaft I could at least drive it while one is being made.

Or, I just run down the road to ECGS and have them regear the D30...


That's my dilemma. I've been mulling over it for a long time, but I need to do something as soon as I can afford it because driving on the stock gears is getting old. Fast.
 
Since you aren't doing the work yourself, I vote for the 44. The 30 is a fine axle, but would need new shafts to be equal to the 44 strength-wise and that would probably put the cost of the 30 a good bit higher than the 44. But then again setting the caster angle on a 44 is fairly time consuming. I dont think that swapping the 30 outers will work due to different spline counts on the outer shafts, and I think the u-joints may be different sizes preventing you from running 44 inners with 30 outers.

Swapping the 44 in will cost more than you realize. Those new steering links could run upwards of $200, but it will be done right the first time.
 
I wouldn't put new shafts in the 30 if I go that route, only the regear and whatever wear items I may as well replace while I'm there. If I bust one later I would, but not initially.

The 30 outers will swap onto that particular axle, I've looked.

I don't need crazy steering links, so that could potentially not be as high as $200.00
 
If you are cutting and turning the knuckles now, I would vote to shorten the scout d44 long side to use an early bronco longside shaft (~4"), and then you dont have to outboard the springs or run spacers.
 
Regear your 30/44 combo for what you use it for. Maybe consider 4.56 gears for extra "pop". Too much work on an old axle to do the Scout 44 IMO. If you go that route you will end up spending as much or more on the front 44 as regearing the 30/44 combo. Just my 2.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
If you are cutting and turning the knuckles now, I would vote to shorten the scout d44 long side to use an early bronco longside shaft (~4"), and then you dont have to outboard the springs or run spacers.
Click to expand...

So that was my other option, but I was kind of thinking I might just leave it full width for the added stability... Maybe I could get it cut down for roughly the same price as regearing that 30. I can hang it and swap outers in my driveway....


Keep the opinions/ideas coming. Y'all have more experience in this than I do.
 
I went through this same dilemma myself on my CJ8. I ended up finding a recently rebuilt dana 30 with chromoly shafts already for cheap so I decided to stay with the 30. I think it really comes down to tire size and what you are going to be doing with the jeep. Light wheeling and 33's the dana 30 should be fine unless you get stupid with the skinny pedal. If you break a shaft stock shafts are cheap or replace with chromoly and be set. Now if you were on 35's or bigger and heavy rock crawling it would be different. I think getting a truly professional job on rotating/shortening the dana 44 is going to be very expensive. Are you planning on any kind of front locker?
 
J.C. said:
Maybe consider 4.56 gears for extra "pop".
Click to expand...

Given the 90% street, unless you're sporting a T-5 or AX with OD, 4.56 may be a little too much.
My brother went from 2.73s :lol: to 4.56 in his '84 CJ-7 w/ TBI'd 258/T-4/D300 & 33"s and is screaming (3K+ rpm) at 55 mph. It does very well offroad, but the on road has really suffered... Now he wishes he'd gone a little more conservative (3.54-3.73) to keep the R's down on road and 4:1'd the D300 for offroad
 
Caver Dave said:
Given the 90% street, unless you're sporting a T-5 or AX with OD, 4.56 may be a little too much.
My brother went from 2.73s :lol: to 4.56 in his '84 CJ-7 w/ TBI'd 258/T-4/D300 & 33"s and is screaming (3K+ rpm) at 55 mph. It does very well offroad, but the on road has really suffered... Now he wishes he'd gone a little more conservative (3.54-3.73) to keep the R's down on road and 4:1'd the D300 for offroad
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I'm sticking with 4.10s. My old 258 already doesn't like to rev high..
 
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