Dana 35 axle help

[DirtyDC05]

I'm looking for some help. I'm picking up a 1988 Cherokee that has a bent Dana 35 housing. Im looking for a replacement housing. I did locate a 1998 grand Cherokee axle and am wondering if I can swap over the internals of my 88 Dana 35. This 98 axle also has disc brakes and wondering if they will be comparable? Any help is much appreciated.

Aaron

 

[NatersXJ6]

i know little or nothing about the D35 spcifically, however, in general...

I would have a hard time moving internals from an axle with a bent tube to another axle. The mis-alignment in the shafts is likely to cause issues with the differential bearings, side gears, etc...

Cherokee axles are all over in junkyards. Is there a reason not to just swap the entire axle?

And I do have experience with disc brake conversions... It takes more than a couple of calipers to make one work. The proportioning and residual valves are very different. Running disc rears on a drum master cylinder is likely to cause major rear brake lockup in a panic stop. Resulting in a nasty spin, nearly wiping out a Sherriff's car, and buying a guy a new front porch... Not to mention street sign, lawn, and vehicle damage...

Some day, I'll ask 17 year old me how he learned about brake conversions... Right now, he is still working off that old debt...

 

[jswift716]

Look for an 8.25 rear from a cherokee. The 99 models were stronger with 29 spline shafts. Swap in that instead of another d35 unless your lucky enough to come across an xj d44. The 8.25 is good factory for alot of abuse with up to 33x12 tires if you were anywhere near me I have a spare you could take out of my garage

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[jswift716]

Stay away from the gc d44a too. That's an aluminum housing

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[DirtyDC05]

Thanks for the info . Is the d44 a straight swap? Also is there a particular year or model that has 4.10 ?

Aaron

 

[darksidecustoms]

Yeah go for the XJ Chrysler 8.25 or Dana 44.
Another upgrade is to go to a Ford 8.8 from a late 90s Explorer, but this isn't bolt-in. Many come 4.10 ratio, LSD centre and disc brakes though.



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[Cottontail]

Grab an 8.8 out of a Ford Explorer. They mostly all (if not all) come with 4.10 gears, and in some instances can find them with LSD, and they are disc. The work to swap is minimal. You have to have new spring perches welded on, have to have new shock tabs welded on, and you have to get spacers.

Tough as nails though. I was able to get a junkyard axle for $150, paid a guy $100 to do the perch/tab work - and had 4.10s under the rear of the Jeep for $250. Pulled a stock 4.10 geared D30 from the junk yard for another $150. Regeared the entire Jeep for $400.

Spent another $250 on a new front lunchbox and $75 on a used rear lunchbox from a buddy. Total spend now is $725 on axles (over about 5 years of building) and I've locked it completely, got lower gearing, upgraded to disc brakes, and got a considerably stronger rear axle. Couldn't be happier.