What broke on your dana 35?

What broke in your Dana 35 rear axle?

  • ring gear or pinion

    Votes: 9 27.3%

  • pinion bearing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • spider gears

    Votes: 10 30.3%

  • carrier

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • axle shaft

    Votes: 13 39.4%

  • axle bearings

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • Total voters
    33
GubNi

GubNi

8 lug disc brakes?
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Jonesborough, TN
I know everyone says dana 35 axles are weak. What I don't know is why. I've only heard of spider gears breaking. What I want to know is what part did you break and if you would please tell me if you had a locker and what size tires. If you know what caused it that would help too.
 
I voted axle shaft. I think weak tubes and housing flex causes the most issues.

Honestly I think it gets a bad wrap but for a 7.5" axle its not bad. I think its easy to compare it to other sturdier axles. Its like running 36s on a suzuki axle, no one is surprised when it breaks...

I think a study cover, some minor trussing, and reasonable tire size they will go a long way.

That said. I'd find a d44 or toy axle unless you have a collection of cheep parts to use up.
 
I broke the spider gears in mine. No locker, rig was completely stock with 30x9.50 tires. I was backing out of my driveway when it broke...
 
My nephew has taken out one shaft and on set of spiders, with 31's. But I'm fairly sure he could break an anvil with a rubber mallet. I was "lucky" enough to have a D44A in my ZJ, that I somehow managed to make live with the 37's for the short length of time I had it.
 
Read up on NAXJA.org, they have countless threads on guys that broke everything from carriers to housing, shafts and bearings.

Seems there isn't a single good thing about that axle.

That being said my roommate put 230K miles on his locked with 31's for the majority of the time and only snapped one shaft- on 33's.
 
I have personally witnessed two sets of spiders and two axleshafts go on dana 35s. Max tire size on any of them was 35.
 
on 35 number 3 lol

shafts with 35's
gears x 2 with 33's
all have been open

just turned 32,300 miles as of last weekend. i know people with 80k on their 35 running 33-35 tires open and/or locked and have never had an issue. my reason is they are cheap, last one i bought open with 3.73's in it from an 05 with 60k and no lift for 95$. the one before that was free with 3.07's, bought a used set of 3.73s for like 60$.

i wanted to run something cheap and easy until i had researched every last option on what i want to run after this. looked at everything from 609's to 14b. decision now is down to 44 front/60 back, 44 front/9" back or 44/ 8.8 back. just dont think the 8.8 will work on 38's when i step up to that down the line. who knows but i didnt want to swap in something to pull it later.

bottom line for me - ive got the swap down to less than 3hrs by myself with a beer and smoke breaks. floor jack, jack stands, no air tools. worth 60 to 100$ for a bandaid fix for now i guess.
 
it wont let me pick more then one...when i broke my d35, it was the axle shaft, carrier, seal, pinion gear....the axle tube wasnt round inside, and the entire rear drum needed to be replaced...including the backing plate
 
Long side axle shaft X 2 locked with 33s

-One on the street making a left turn.

-One at tellico due to spinning tires finding traction

8.8 and dana 44s are so cheap I see no reason to put any money into a dana 35. Everyone that has one should at minimum be carrying spare shafts and spider gears.
 
sounds to me like some of these could be atributed to lack of maintenance. just saying fatigue is a factor in any part. I have broken ford 9 in rears too, 8 lug heavy duty stuff also. And fixed countless 14 bolt rears because ppl do not maintain their stuff. I am running a d35 with 31's now in my YJ. about to add a locker so I guess I will get to chime in soon too....: ayy? I say if it's what you have go with it. :driver:
 
Even though the poll results don't show it, from the thread it seems spider gears are the main problem. I have seen two broken and both were spider gears. Adding a locker might allow it to last longer. I have an 8.8 I plan to install soon. Just curious about the 35s.
 
only one axle shaft!

im running a d35 in a cherokee with 410's
35's/welded spider's/(axle truss)2'' wheel spacer's lol
and only have broken 1 axle pulling out of a gas station!
and i beat this thing to death!
 
axle bearings.. spiders on a wrangler on 31's (blown 31, replaced with DONUT from cherokee !!! bad idea.. increases spider rotations and chunk.. lost tooth.. lost two teeth.. stripped!, replaced spiders + tire and rolled on for another 30k+ [sold]) aside from axle bearings and that one set of spiders, no broken shafts, current is on 33's with '88XJ 35 non-C-clip [due for 8.8 cause axle bearings are raising cain, but still going]

my older '91 XJ had the '35 and it never did break and I beat it [on 31x10.5's], loaded it up (40 40# bags of concrete!! tires+springs didnt like it)

my other 91 XJ had the '35 never broke either, had 235's then 33's, then swapped for 8.25 because of bearing noise and I had the 8.25

mostly backlash though is the problem, rolls about a foot when parking! i bet it would last a good while if i stuck bearings in it and fixed the backlash. backlash = sheared teeth on grabbing traction. oh and I never did really baby them on/off asphalt [weight load or skinny pedal load].

all 3 d35's geared 3.55, open
 
GubNi said:
Even though the poll results don't show it, from the thread it seems spider gears are the main problem. I have seen two broken and both were spider gears. Adding a locker might allow it to last longer. I have an 8.8 I plan to install soon. Just curious about the 35s.
Click to expand...
Wait...aren't you a one ton axle dealer? And a 8.8?... :lol: hahaha
 
GubNi said:
Even though the poll results don't show it, from the thread it seems spider gears are the main problem. I have seen two broken and both were spider gears. Adding a locker might allow it to last longer. I have an 8.8 I plan to install soon. Just curious about the 35s.
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing. I busted the spiders which took the ring gear with it. So I replaced the ring gear and put a lock rite in it. Then it broke the axle shaft.

It seems the open carrier allows some stress off of the shafts, which prolongs the life of the axle if the spiders hold up.

I wheeled the D35 open on 35s with a 4.10s and a 2.5liter for years with out issues, I was always easy on it, it busted the spiders on the ledge on Daniel (When the second ledge was the first ledge), I bounced and it blew up.

Wheel Spin and Bouncing will kill it.
 
2 sets of spiders, pinion gear ice cream cone on 33s
 
My first D35 in my YJ when still stock on 31's broke 3 shafts, one set of spiders and a ring gear. After the ring gear I bought the super 35 kit with a detroit locker, and then held up well with 33's. Stepped up to 35's and broke a pinion, and then broke the case on the detroit.

Bought my TJ and got a great deal on a 35 with an ARB and 4.56s. Broke 5 shafts a ring gear and the arb with 33's,

Put a 44 from a cherokee in with cromo shafts and a locker. Now running 36 TSL's and have not broken a thing. Now looking for some wood to knock on.
 
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