The Dana 35 thread

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junkxj

junkxj

Well poop!!!!!
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
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Mexico!!!!!!
Yes, I know.....

Plenty of these threads in this and other forums for sure....

But to the point. I would like real world knowledge about running 27 spline 4340 axles in a 4 cyl tj with a full case locker. I plan on running 34 inch swampers, nothing bigger as this is a budget/fun build.

Having read several hundred threads, and many articles I am fully aware that this is not ideal, and stuff can and will break.

I bought a "bolt in" 8.8 last summer, but after figuring in the gear change, locker, and drive shaft cost it was well more than I wanted to spend.

At this point I am thinking good shafts, with a 4cyl, and a full case locker will hold up to mild wheeling on the stock axle with not a lot of abuse.

I do have experience wheeling mildly built rigs, with what most people would consider under sized axles. To date I have had nothing but fun with theses rigs. I am in no way too proud to pull the winch cable, when a few tries with progressive throttle doesn't work.

I do understand the 30 spline upgrade is an option, and it is definitely stronger. But the fact of the matter is that the 27 spline stuff is much cheaper, and having researched axle strength I think the 27 spline may be up to the task..

I will respectably ask for no " a dana 35 is junk" , "why Polish a turd" or " bolt in a 8.8 for $500" posts, only real world experience with a low power/ lite weight rig with 4340 shafts.

Thank you very much in advance!
 
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the gears will shatter after you beef the shafts. The housing will twist if you beef the gears with cryogenic treatment. Then you will be trussing the housing.


Do as you thought and swap the 8.8 and be done.
 
junkxj said:
Yes, I know.....

Plenty of these threads in this and other forums for sure....
Click to expand...

Isn't that real world first hand knowledge? What are you looking for, someone to say its a strong axle? I have seen 44s under Toyotas on stock running works not break. I have broken every stock Toyota shaft in my old samurai on 33" LTBs. I am running stock stuff under my 4 door kick on 235s and beat it pretty good but I have a trailer and a solid back up plan. I also have locked tons under my K10 on 38s that has never been more offroad than the Hunt Camp parking lot at URE but i knew how weak the factory stuff was (by reading here and other "first hand experience" guys opinions on other forums) before I built the truck. If you have a good trailer and tow rig on standby and the ability to band-aid it to an access road then wheel the shit out of it. If any of that is a concern then I suggest doing an 8.8. Reliability becomes real concern when you get out of cell phone service and the 911 dispatch areas.Good Luck on whatever you decide.
 
You're going to spend the money on the 8.8 now or you're going to spend the money on the 8.8 later AFTER you've already dumped even more money into the D35 trying to get away with it. Just like everybody else.

Real world scenario #32,563: buddies 4cyl on 33" swampers with D35 super shafts and a lunch box locker. Climbing over a rock on School Bus Trail at Dixie Run. Had a mild bounce, nothing crazy. Heard a pop and knew that we had busted the shaft and pissed off everyone in our group and any one behind us on the trail.

Stub of the shaft broke off inside the carrier. Not being able to remove the stub because the splines were twisted. We had to leave the jeep on the trail overnight for hundreds of people to get around and take the carrier back to a shop and have them torch out the stub. Then spend the next morning putting it all back together and limp back to camp to properly torque everything.

We drove 4 hrs each way, paid to be at Dixie run, and got in half a trail for the whole weekend. Next year my buddy showed up with a 44 in the rear of his TJ and that D35 shoved up his ass for being a cheap FAWK! Don't make your friends shove that D35 where it doesn't need to be.
 
I broke a d35 shaft in 2 wheel drive with the trac lok and stock 3.07 gears driving through a small ditch on a dirt road. It took us about 2 hours to move it about a mile because the wheel kept walking out. No brakes=No fun. Replaced it with a used stock shaft. Next was a twisted tube climbing a small ledge. Replaced with a junkyard housing. Finally broke ring gear pulling a friends 2wd truck out. Point being, axle shafts are only one small part of why dana 35s suck. Save yourself the down time.
 
I destroyed a bone stock D35 backing out of a parking place with 30x9.5s...
 
I'm not sure what to say.
You say you want opinions but don't want anyone to say it won't work.
Rock on, then. It's the baddest assed axle of all time.
That's what you wanted to hear, so let me make you happy.

BTW are you John Fuller?
 
I used to have a ZJ with the Dana 35 and 33s back before I had my truck and trailer. Spider gears ate themselves up driving on the road. Had to get it towed home.
 
I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. I do apologize if I worded my question in such a way as to sound like I wanted someone to tell me my idea was right. I do understand the reputation the dana 35 has, and everything I have seen reinforces this.

Funny thing is....

Not one first hand experience out of all these replys that has said I broke something with a full case locker, and 4340 shafts. Several broken stock shafts, broken spider gears.
The closest reply to my question was a broken d35 super shaft, with a lunch box locker. The problem with this is that the 30 spline super 35 shafts will not work with lunch box lockers...

Flame away!
 
VortecJeep said:
I used to have a ZJ with the Dana 35 and 33s back before I had my truck and trailer. Spider gears ate themselves up driving on the road. Had to get it towed home.
Click to expand...

Also had that happen to ZJ D35, was yours a 93 by chance haha
 
junkxj said:
I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. I do apologize if I worded my question in such a way as to sound like I wanted someone to tell me my idea was right. I do understand the reputation the dana 35 has, and everything I have seen reinforces this.

Funny thing is....

Not one first hand experience out of all these replys that has said I broke something with a full case locker, and 4340 shafts. Several broken stock shafts, broken spider gears.
The closest reply to my question was a broken d35 super shaft, with a lunch box locker. The problem with this is that the 30 spline super 35 shafts will not work with lunch box lockers...

Flame away!
Click to expand...
I said I broke the ring gear with stock shafts and a shitty limited slip differential. If you upgrade the shafts and diff, you still have weak gears and a shitty housing.
 
Thank you RHSCTJ for the info. I have read about many broken ring gears and also pinions on the dana 35s.

I am guessing, going by the fact you had 3.07 gears, this happened in a 4.0 tj? Also curious as to the size tires that were on the jeep at the time.

Thank you for the info!
 
I was stationed in Hawaii and built a D35 in the rear of my ZJ because on the island finding axles to swap in is not really an option as junk yards or pull a parts are non existent. So I did what I could to beef it the best I could, I ran the Superior Super 35 kit with an ARB on 35" MTZ tires. Not one single piece of that setup lasted a single trail ride. That was on "tails" not even anything complex or remotely difficult. As soon as I was moving to the Mainland I planned on swapping out to an 8.8 but the Jeep was stolen before that happened. The police found my Jeep completely stripped then burned out the carcass and the rear axle was still under there (burnt to a crisp) even the douche bag thieves knew better than to waste their time.
 
junkxj said:
Thank you RHSCTJ for the info. I have read about many broken ring gears and also pinions on the dana 35s.

I am guessing, going by the fact you had 3.07 gears, this happened in a 4.0 tj? Also curious as to the size tires that were on the jeep at the time.

Thank you for the info!
Click to expand...
It was a 4.0 and had 33" bfg m/t. Before you say you have a 4 banger consider the torque multiplication of the gears. 4 cyl makes 150 lb ft. 4.0 makes 225. 150X4= 600. 225X3= 675. Not a huge difference in actual torque to the wheels
 
junkxj said:
I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. I do apologize if I worded my question in such a way as to sound like I wanted someone to tell me my idea was right. I do understand the reputation the dana 35 has, and everything I have seen reinforces this.

Funny thing is....

Not one first hand experience out of all these replys that has said I broke something with a full case locker, and 4340 shafts. Several broken stock shafts, broken spider gears.
The closest reply to my question was a broken d35 super shaft, with a lunch box locker. The problem with this is that the 30 spline super 35 shafts will not work with lunch box lockers...

Flame away!
Click to expand...


Fair enough, go build your d35. I bet you will run 37"irocs on a yellow xj.


Honestly, I feel dumber after reading your response and will remove myself from this conversation.
 
RHSCTJ said:
It was a 4.0 and had 33" bfg m/t. Before you say you have a 4 banger consider the torque multiplication of the gears. 4 cyl makes 150 lb ft. 4.0 makes 225. 150X4= 600. 225X3= 675. Not a huge difference in actual torque to the wheels
Click to expand...

I definitely see your point, and do agree that gearing does make a big difference in the amount of stress an axle has to endure.

I would disagree with the idea that a engine that makes 50% more torque (using your numbers), would not make a difference. In my opinion a bump of 50% in torque is a large amount. I would also imagine the transfer case gearing would come into play, but it really doesn't apply to the specific question I possed.
I am just seeking answers specifically about a 4 cylinder tj.
 
junkxj said:
I would like to thank everyone for the thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. I do apologize if I worded my question in such a way as to sound like I wanted someone to tell me my idea was right. I do understand the reputation the dana 35 has, and everything I have seen reinforces this.

Funny thing is....

Not one first hand experience out of all these replys that has said I broke something with a full case locker, and 4340 shafts. Several broken stock shafts, broken spider gears.
The closest reply to my question was a broken d35 super shaft, with a lunch box locker. The problem with this is that the 30 spline super 35 shafts will not work with lunch box lockers...

Flame away!
Click to expand...

Just GTFO and build it and tell everyone how awesome it is!! I think it is a great axle, you will never have any issues. These douches on here probably were making stuff up about those axles they broke.
 
Jeff B said:
Fair enough, go build your d35. I bet you will run 37"irocs on a yellow xj.


Honestly, I feel dumber after reading your response and will remove myself from this conversation.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I do appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to my question. But unless I missed something in your responses, you have no experience with the specific question I asked, and have not added anything of value to the thread.

How my question about a dana 35 in a 4cyl tj lead you to think I would build a xj (yellow for some reason) and run 37 iroks is beyond my understanding.
 
junkxj said:
I definitely see your point, and do agree that gearing does make a big difference in the amount of stress an axle has to endure.

I would disagree with the idea that a engine that makes 50% more torque (using your numbers), would not make a difference. In my opinion a bump of 50% in torque is a large amount. I would also imagine the transfer case gearing would come into play, but it really doesn't apply to the specific question I possed.
I am just seeking answers specifically about a 4 cylinder tj.
Click to expand...
The trans and transfer case have pretty equal gearing on both 4cyl and 4.0. Disagree all you want, but this is scientific fact.
 
Why do you think all the toyota guys run way more gearing than everyone else? A 22re doesnt make shit for torque so they make up for it with more gear.
 
junkxj said:
How my question about a dana 35 in a 4cyl tj lead you to think I would build a xj (yellow for some reason) and run 37 iroks is beyond my understanding.
Click to expand...

Because there was an idiot on here that did that and argued how strong is 35 was.
 
Infamous1 said:
Just GTFO and build it and tell everyone how awesome it is!! I think it is a great axle, you will never have any issues. These douches on here probably were making stuff up about those axles they broke.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the endorsement to build the axle. Although I can't imagine I would ever tell anyone it's a great axle. It obviously isn't, it's a dana 35.

I would also like to apologize if in any way, shape or forum implied anyone on this forum is a douche. I do not think this, and would never assume this about someone without meeting them in person and getting to know them.

But again, I have yet to see ONE example of a broke part on a 2.5 tj with a full case locker and 4340 axle shafts running under 35 inch tires....
 
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