School me on the Ford 9"

77GreenMachine said:
I agree with @Jody Treadway by the time you spend the coin to do the things we mentioned to a 9”, you could start with a better axle.

However if you are just cruising Uwharrie style trails on 35s, you probably be fine with nothing more than a pinion guard. But if there’s the slightest chance you might get hooked and build bigger later, just start with a better axle.
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Already been there with multiple rigs. tons. v8 swaps. 37-42s and all the good stuff. I want this rig to drive to the mountains for camping a hiking with my kid and my dog and feel confident cruising trails and throwing a throttle party just enough to make my kid smile along the way and still get home. 35s will be it for this rig.

My plan is SUA frt/rear with Waggy springs. Wider than stock axles locked and geared with an upgraded tcase along the way. front/rear stretch about 2 inches each simple cage and call it good.
 
Another vote for an 8.8 with disk brakes. I believe 9" will cost more in any aftermarket parts. We have an 8.8 from an Explorer in the Cherokee, beat to hell and back, only welded the spider gears no other upgrades, no problems yet. The Cherokee is on the Rev limiter ever trip. Been to Harlan, Windrock and Moab.
 
I can also attest to an 8.8 taking an absolute beating. Explorer 8.8 is narrow, but already spring under and everything.

My old XJ had an awful life. I was not good to it at all and it never failed me. Pretty sure it was out of gear oil when I sold it to @Van-go according to what he told me, and he has abuses it even more than I have and it just keeps going.
 
my issue is the width. Also, the lug pattern. What about any kind of toyota rear? Tacoma or older Tundra? Same 6 lug spacing and should be wider than mini truck axles or an older ifs, right?
 
cburgin said:
my issue is the width. Also, the lug pattern. What about any kind of toyota rear? Tacoma or older Tundra? Same 6 lug spacing and should be wider than mini truck axles or an older ifs, right?
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2005+ Tacoma rear would be the right width, or the older Tacoma rear with wheel spacers. FJ80 axle too.

Toyota Axle Widths: 21 of 'em for Axle Swaps

The most Toyota axle widths you've ever seen: Specs and gotchas for minis, 4Runners, Tacos, T100s, and 40, 55, 60, and 80 Series Land Cruisers.
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Ok so damn here go. Just found a set of 1979 Ford 3/4 ton axles. 4.10s. Rear 60 has been converted to disc. $500 Can I pull off a rear 60 with 35s? I could run h2 wheels to offset width.
 
cburgin said:
Ok so damn here go. Just found a set of 1979 Ford 3/4 ton axles. 4.10s. Rear 60 has been converted to disc. $500 Can I pull off a rear 60 with 35s? I could run h2 wheels to offset width.
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go for it.
And H2 wheels are nice cause every tire is available in 17’s
 
77GreenMachine said:
I can also attest to an 8.8 taking an absolute beating. Explorer 8.8 is narrow, but already spring under and everything.

My old XJ had an awful life. I was not good to it at all and it never failed me. Pretty sure it was out of gear oil when I sold it to @Van-go according to what he told me, and he has abuses it even more than I have and it just keeps going.
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That axle has been absolutely thrashed. I think it does have oil in it though. Some leaked out when I flopped coming down cream puff.
 
cburgin said:
Ok so damn here go. Just found a set of 1979 Ford 3/4 ton axles. 4.10s. Rear 60 has been converted to disc. $500 Can I pull off a rear 60 with 35s? I could run h2 wheels to offset width.
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If you’re not hard core wheeling and choose lines carefully that shouldn’t be a problem. I say go for it. The front 3/4 ton 44 is nice cause it has thicker axle tubes as well
 
IMHO, it would be hard to run anything other than superduty axle just for monetary reasons. For the price of those 3/4 ton axles you can get much better axles with modern brakes and everything. Also, there is a factory elocker for the sterling that is pretty cheap and easily retrofitted into the older housings that would be perfect for a dual purpose rig. A set of 99-04 leaf sprung axles would be perfect.

Plus a 30 spline dana 60 is kinda useless. It has all the ground clearance and weight of a dana 60 with the axle shafts of a dana 44.
 
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NCJeeplover said:
IMHO, it would be hard to run anything other than superduty axle just for monetary reasons. For the price of those 3/4 ton axles you can get much better axles with modern brakes and everything. Also, there is a factory elocker for the sterling that is pretty cheap and easily retrofitted into the older housings that would be perfect for a dual purpose rig. A set of 99-04 leaf sprung axles would be perfect.

Plus a 30 spline dana 60 is kinda useless. It has all the ground clearance of a dana 60 with the axle shafts of a dana 44.
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Is that an echo I hear?
 
cburgin said:
What about any kind of toyota rear? Tacoma or older Tundra? Same 6 lug spacing and should be wider than mini truck axles or an older ifs, right?
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Let me just stop you right there...

Fund yota axles

But if you're set on them I've got an IFS width rear w/ an elocker geared 4.88
 
cburgin said:
solid argument so what front to match. Know nothing about SD axles so what is the ground clearance like?
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99-04 Super Duty 60. They run around $500-600. Granted with 35s, they're way overkill. You just have to ask yourself if you'll ever go to 37 or bigger. If so, there's the answer.
 
cburgin said:
Ok so damn here go. Just found a set of 1979 Ford 3/4 ton axles. 4.10s. Rear 60 has been converted to disc. $500 Can I pull off a rear 60 with 35s? I could run h2 wheels to offset width.
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I would not go with those axles for what you plan on doing. I would stick with a nicely built 9" (Buy 6 lug shafts to match the wide track waggy front), or an 8.8. I would think the stock housing with a well built third and some 6 lug shafts would be fine for what you are planning.

I wheeled a full size Bronco for two years with a 9", Detroit and otherwise stock on 36" TSL's. I didn't go full send with it though, more like 1/2-2/3 send because I had to drive it home from the trails.

I have a Tacoma rear I bought for my Samurai. The third members are larger, with bearing cap cradles, 10mm mounting studs on a larger circle pattern. I don't know how much stronger they are though compared to the standard mini-truck stuff, and if they would be good for a torquey 4.0. They obviously put them behind the 3.x liter V6 motors in the Tacomas. Maybe @Jody Treadway knows. The FJ80 rear axle has a larger ring and pinion. I think there was a Jeep for sale on here a while back with FJ80 axles under it on 37" tires.
 
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I liked the 98+ Passport/Rodeo Dana 44 with a wide track cherokee/j-truck 44 front on paper, but got a 99-04 front 60 and E350 D60U rear.
63" WMS
Coil Sprung
Uses JK style HD Dana 44 R&P
3.73 and numerically lower carrier for all gear ratios
8.9" Ring Gear
JK Wheel bearings and seals are the same part# as rodeo/passport and fit
6 on 5.5 pattern
 
Bebop said:
IDK why you're all against C-Clips.

Get a F150 8.8.

Cheap, super strong what what it is and will 100% hold up to 35s
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This, 8.8 is by far the king for strength/budget as far as oem goes for under 37" tire that isn't 8 lug. Could always do a c clip eliminator as well. There's also the option of the latter model ford 9.75 rears with factory e locker but I can't really speak to the strength.

I'm not a big fan of of jk44 or tj/xj ones for that matter just due to the small thin tubes. Same goes for any sheetmetal beer can style housing axles (toyota, furd 9). Plus those beer can housing axles tend to be money pit to build compared to others (just ask @77GreenMachine and @rcalexander105 ).
 
Chris_Keziah said:
This, 8.8 is by far the king for strength/budget as far as oem goes for under 37" tire that isn't 8 lug. Could always do a c clip eliminator as well. There's also the option of the latter model ford 9.75 rears with factory e locker but I can't really speak to the strength.

I'm not a big fan of of jk44 or tj/xj ones for that matter just due to the small thin tubes. Same goes for any sheetmetal beer can style housing axles (toyota, furd 9). Plus those beer can housing axles tend to be money pit to build compared to others (just ask @77GreenMachine and @rcalexander105 ).
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You got a big ole box of Morton's kosher salt over there you're just dumping on me right now

Just kick a man in the balls while he's down why don't ya :flipoff2:
 
Everybody keeps saying explorer 8.8s are awesome, but JK axles have thin tubes... Yet 8.8s are famous for ripping holes in the tubes, smiling at you, etc.... :laughing:
 
For the people recommending the Toyota fj80 axle bear in mind the pinion is offset like 3" to the right, so on a yj that may be a PITA. It works fine on my 5mile long Tacoma, but a SWB jeep would be a no go IMO. Also Toyota stuff is annoying because you can't find spare parts very easy and you have to pay the land cruiser tax. Go domestic. The answer is always 14bolt :flipoff2:
 
shawn said:
Everybody keeps saying explorer 8.8s are awesome, but JK axles have thin tubes... Yet 8.8s are famous for ripping holes in the tubes, smiling at you, etc.... :laughing:
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Yeah, but if it’s gonna smile at you better to have like $250 in an 8.8 than $1500 in s jk 44. If you get a truss it will tie the tubes together and eliminate the smiling issues
 
Shreddinlettuce said:
Yeah, but if it’s gonna smile at you better to have like $250 in an 8.8 than $1500 in s jk 44. If you get a truss it will tie the tubes together and eliminate the smiling issues
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Unless you're welding the 8.8 (bad idea, carriers break) the jk44 is going to be the same price or a little cheaper for a much stronger assembly.
 
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