Your opinions please...

Trav386

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2006
Location
Raleigh
I've got a 94 wrangler running 35's with the rear dana 35 axle. I'm worried about the axle crapping out on me at some point so I'm trying to figure out the most cost effective solution to the problem. Which would be better/cheaper, upgrading the rear axle to something stronger or just downsizing the tires to some 33's?
 
8.8 out of 97+ explorer, 31 spline shafts, disc brakes, still c-clip but a much stronger axle than the 35.
 
The 8.8 is great way to go. I was running one in my 95 YJ with 35's and never had any issues out of it. It would suck to go back to 33's. If you look around you can probably find one with lockers and gears already in it for a good deal.
 
Cost effective doesn't mix well with offroading but, get the 8.8 and gear it before swapping... If you continue to wheel it'll pay off to swap.
 
Even with 33's, the D35 is questionable at best. When my gave out, and I was going to have to spend alot to fix it, I decided to go with the axle that I could get cheapest and wanted to run anyway. I knew at some point I would end up replacing it, and didn't want to have to worry about the D35.
 
Yeah, I know that offroading isn't cheap...i've already droped a bunch of money lifting and putting those 35's on there. I was just trying to get a gauge of how much an axle swap would be that way I could decide whether or not to trade my 35's for some 33's. But it sounds like the axle swap is the way to go...
 
Cost

Well since you have a YJ it will be a lot cheaper to drop a 8.8 in there than for me. Stupid Tjs.
It will definately be less than 1274$, but for that you can have a brand new 8.8 all setup bracketwise and everything:
http://www.ok4wd.com/index.php/catalog/product/rock_equipment_complete_88_rear_axle_assembly/

But since it isn't to tough to do, you can buy the axle for sale up there by trailjeepman, pick up a bracket kit for it, (120ish, but then another 100ish for the ebrake cable kit) find someone on here to weld it up for you, (maybe 100-200) pick up misc parts, and you are looking at say 800$ or so?

Maybe less, sometimes you can find them for sale already setup for YJ's etc.
But swapping is the better way to go.
Oh yea, and lots of writeups on how to do it, what problems you will run into etc etc:
http://www.jedi.com/obiwan/jeep/ford88.html#price
there is one
 
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