Liberty 8 1/4 into a TJ?

Archdukeferdinand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Location
Vilas, NC
Looking at replacing the 35 in a '97 TJ, don't have much TJ experience.

My first thought is what are the brackets like on a KJ liberty? Any chance its a bolt-on or close to?

A little searching and I found one in SC that's got 4.10s, if this is even close to bolt on for a bit more beef and discs while keeping the same bolt pattern I think its worth exploring.
 
most all the libertys came with 3.73's that i know of and for whatever reason they have had alot of problems with those axles ie dealer warranty and we sell alot of parts for them. and they are low mileage rear ends. Id stay away from it. It also will not bolt in. We do have the bolt in 8.8's of course but either way id stay away from the kj rear all together
 
Cperry said:
most all the libertys came with 3.73's that i know of and for whatever reason they have had alot of problems with those axles ie dealer warranty and we sell alot of parts for them. and they are low mileage rear ends. Id stay away from it. It also will not bolt in. We do have the bolt in 8.8's of course but either way id stay away from the kj rear all together
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Thanks for the tip, I did find one with 4.10s but if this thing ever gets bigger meats than 33s its getting full widths. If the brackets are different than its not worth my time, sounds like even if they were it'd be worth avoiding.

PO was having bad problems with the drum brakes and on one end of the 35 the seal is blown and the surface for the seal is all chewed up. Not gonna bother fixing the turd or replacing it with another turd.

Still open to the idea of "other" axles, d44a from a ZJ? 8 1/4 from a 4-cyl XJ with new brackets? Trying to keep this cheap, I can do the fab myself but time and funds are both limited.

I'm trying to build a DD, the TJ has the 2.5L and I'm really not trying to go any bigger than the 31s it has on it. I feel like the 8.8 would be overkill and there's the whole width issue...
 
the 8.8" and 9" are relatively cheap swaps with a large aftermarket and decent reliability. I've had an 8.8" in a cherokee with no issues and it was wheeled hard. 4.56 gears on 35's but other then that a stock housing and axles

plus the width isnt necessarily a bad thing, its not like they stick out a large amount or anything. My 8.8 rear matched up with my 35 front as far as width
 
Archdukeferdinand said:
I feel like the 8.8 would be overkill and there's the whole width issue...
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Overkill? It's still just a 1/2 ton axle. That's not overkill, that's what is minimum and proper, IMO. What is the "width issue" you speak of? If you looked at my jeep without looking under it, you'd never know it has an 8.8. FWIW, I've built several 8.8s for my friends. Best bang for the buck for a TJ considering a junkyard axle is only $100.
 
willness33 said:
Overkill? It's still just a 1/2 ton axle. That's not overkill, that's what is minimum and proper, IMO. What is the "width issue" you speak of?
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Yeah, but its a beefier 1/2 ton axle than I need. I'm not dropping more than like $3-400 on the whole thing if I'm staying in 1/2 ton land. If I could find a 4.10 geared 8.8 ready for me to do the bracket work, bolt up brakes/driveshaft and drive it for $100 I'd probably take it in a heart beat. Seems like 8.8s are higher than that every time I've looked, or the ones that are cheap need new bearings, r&p, etc...

Width issue was needing wheelspacers or different backspaced wheels? I might be making it up but a guy I used to work with was running an exploder 8.8 in his TJ and I swear he said he needed to run wheelspacers to make up for it being a couple inches narrower than the 35?

Either way, we got a 4-cyl, 31s, and I'm real gentle on the throttle. Leaning towards a junkyard 35. Not so worried about strength, just really didn't want to put money into another 35 with drum brakes. Seems like the path of least resistance though.

I've got a set of tons set aside for next summer so not gonna get that deep into something like an 8.8, thanks for the replies everyone, I'm used to XJs and this is my first TJ.
 
Archdukeferdinand said:
Yeah, but its a beefier 1/2 ton axle than I need. I'm not dropping more than like $3-400 on the whole thing if I'm staying in 1/2 ton land. If I could find a 4.10 geared 8.8 ready for me to do the bracket work, bolt up brakes/driveshaft and drive it for $100 I'd probably take it in a heart beat. Seems like 8.8s are higher than that every time I've looked, or the ones that are cheap need new bearings, r&p, etc...
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Pull A Part in Charlotte has 8.8 rears for under $100. You probably won't need anything if you can get one with 4.10s. 3.55s is usually the norm, but the 4.10s are out there.
Width issue was needing wheelspacers or different backspaced wheels? I might be making it up but a guy I used to work with was running an exploder 8.8 in his TJ and I swear he said he needed to run wheelspacers to make up for it being a couple inches narrower than the 35?
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Nobody I know has ever needed spacers with an 8.8 but we all run non-stock wheels. From everyting I've read, even stock wheel will clear. An 8.8 is only 5/8" narrower per side, IIRC.
Either way, we got a 4-cyl, 31s, and I'm real gentle on the throttle. Leaning towards a junkyard 35. Not so worried about strength, just really didn't want to put money into another 35 with drum brakes. Seems like the path of least resistance though.
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Only a dead fish swims downstream all the itme. Seriously, 8.8 swaps have been done sooooo many times, it's just about commonplace.
I've got a set of tons set aside for next summer so not gonna get that deep into something like an 8.8, thanks for the replies everyone, I'm used to XJs and this is my first TJ.
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If you're really going to go tons, go ahead and throw another 35 under there and run it in the mean time. However, I hear a lot of people with aspirations of running 1 ton axles, but just never get there, myself included. For someone like myself, an 8.8 keeps me wheeling without worrying about a rear axle. Keep it in mind. It really can be done on the cheap. Even if you're only on 31's now, you will be looking for bigger tires, tons or not. When you get bigger tires, you won't want a D35 at the end of your drivetrain.
 
A TJ bracket kit is $250 so doing an axle swap for $400 is pretty mcuh impossible. only thing that bolts into to a tj is a d35 and d44. d44 are big money and they are sub par if you find one cheap then yes throw it in. 8.8's are the most affordable swap and allow you run 35's no problem. anything past 35's and your front axle has to be addressed. which basically means new wheels and a whole lot more money to do a bolt in front in a TJ. the width difference is 5/8 of inch more narrow with stock wheels and wide tires its close to the spring buckets but they fit.
 
willness33 said:
Even if you're only on 31's now, you will be looking for bigger tires, tons or not.
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See its my first TJ but not my first jeep. Its already gutless enough on the big hills with 31s, it won't get anything bigger without some drastic changes. I completely forgot that guy I worked with was running stock wheels, that's why he was running wheelspacers. I've got 15x8s with around 4" BS so I'm sure that'd be fine if the 8.8 is just 1-1/4" shorter overall.
Thanks for the tip on the pull-a-part, last time I looked was pre cash for clunkers and the cheapest I was finding 4.10 8.8s near here was like $300-350 just for the axle.
Chase, do you guys have the brackets for $250? If I can pick up an axle for right around $100 this starts to make a lot more sense. You're probably right, even if I got everything in hand for $350, by the time it was ready to drive I'd still be up over $400, but you know how it goes- pick a budget, try to stick to it.
Thanks for the patience everybody, I've been an XJ guy for the past decade or so. I'm sure I'll ask all sorts of stupid questions.
 
I ran a 2.5 TJ with 35's for two years, yes it was way under powered but I climbed everything there is at URE. If it were me I wouldn't mess with 1 tons I would just throw an 8.8 under it, a set 4.88 gears, a 4"lift and a set of 35's and run the crap out of it.
 
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