Root Moose
Expedition Leader
What vintage? I'd shoot for a disk braked one out of KJ if you can swing it.
dana 35 ok for overlanding?
- Thread starter BIGdaddy
- Start date
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
2000, 29 spline.
is the liberty version a bolt in, like the newer xj ones?
thats a cool idea.
Root Moose
Expedition Leader
Nope, you'd have to at a minimum cut off the coil spring brackets and buckets and weld on some leaf spring perches.
Buy a grinder and "go to town". I have a Bosch 4" grinder I bought in the 1980s and it is just starting to get noisy and may need to be replaced. I think I paid $50 for it then. I think the price today is not that much different.
Buy some perches and take it to some one to get welded. They won't charge that much. I'd guess under $50 at today's rates but it's been a long time since I've paid anyone to weld for me.
Read up on the brake changes. It's not a big deal but you need to know what has to be done before going into it. It's all bolt on stuff pretty much (can't think of anything that isn't besides perches).
Buy a grinder and "go to town". I have a Bosch 4" grinder I bought in the 1980s and it is just starting to get noisy and may need to be replaced. I think I paid $50 for it then. I think the price today is not that much different.
Buy some perches and take it to some one to get welded. They won't charge that much. I'd guess under $50 at today's rates but it's been a long time since I've paid anyone to weld for me.
Read up on the brake changes. It's not a big deal but you need to know what has to be done before going into it. It's all bolt on stuff pretty much (can't think of anything that isn't besides perches).
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
I wish there was an odometer on my hitachi grinder, I've worked in construction (and then architecture) a long time, compadre, so I've got the tools and even a welder, too.
Thing is, I don't have the time or desire to grind on an axle, when I can easily pick up a donor that bolts in. I bet I could put some grand cherokee discs on the rear with little to no fab...
... as you say.
Root Moose
Expedition Leader
Oh, for certain. I wasn't aware that you were handy - was trying to suggest a "one stop shopping" sort of scenario.
Yeah, get an XJ axle, add the discs at you leisure, be happy.
Yeah, get an XJ axle, add the discs at you leisure, be happy.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
Oh, for certain. I wasn't aware that you were handy - was trying to suggest a "one stop shopping" sort of scenario.
Yeah, get an XJ axle, add the discs at you leisure, be happy.
LOL, not as handy as some around here...Just basic "cut it apart/stick it together" stuff..haha!!
I'll let you know if I pick up that 8.25...
IH8RDS
Explorer
Brian,
This is what I used when I did it to mine years ago. Picked up all the parts at the pick-n-pull for under $50. Including the proportioning valve.
http://home.swbell.net/rriojas3/reardisk.html
This is what I used when I did it to mine years ago. Picked up all the parts at the pick-n-pull for under $50. Including the proportioning valve.
http://home.swbell.net/rriojas3/reardisk.html
Don't waste your time upgrading a D-35. Do not throw good money after bad. If the axle shaft snaps, which it will if you have a locker and use the rig at all, you are instantly immobilized. Stopped. No go. Trail ornament. The wheel and what's left of the axle will start to migrate out of the housing if you try to motate. It's ugly.
I don't want to count the times we've had to abandon a D-35 clad Jeep out there in the wilds, abort the entire days' jeeping and drive back to civilization to get another shaft. Just to turn around and be fixing it into the night. If the shaft breaks at the splines, it's tough to get the broken stub out of the soup without taking the cover off. Then there's all that oil to deal with. You may need a big magnet to pull the stub out if it's in the housing.
Not my idea of a good time.
Forget incrementalism, and just get a '90's Ford 8.8" complete rr axle assy. from an Explorer. Usually 3.73's, disc brakes and a limited slip.
regards, as always, jefe
I don't want to count the times we've had to abandon a D-35 clad Jeep out there in the wilds, abort the entire days' jeeping and drive back to civilization to get another shaft. Just to turn around and be fixing it into the night. If the shaft breaks at the splines, it's tough to get the broken stub out of the soup without taking the cover off. Then there's all that oil to deal with. You may need a big magnet to pull the stub out if it's in the housing.
Not my idea of a good time.
Forget incrementalism, and just get a '90's Ford 8.8" complete rr axle assy. from an Explorer. Usually 3.73's, disc brakes and a limited slip.
regards, as always, jefe
The D35 is fine for under 33" tires and mild wheeling, open diff... No reason to swap it out if thats the case. I ran a few years on a D35 with 33" goodyear mt/r's and a lockrite, and never broke but I was carefull. Do not throw any money at it though, its a waste. If you feel you need to upgrade go with a Ford 8.8, very sturdy axle (you can tell just by picking it up!) I ran a disk brake 8.8 with 4.10's and an aussie locker and beat on it pretty good and never broke it. I ran a SYE and a tom woods cv driveshaft. All it all it was a great combo with the same bolt patern as jeep so you didn't have to change your wheels
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
yup, the plan is to just run it now. I found a few locally, but I have other stuff that is actually worn out that I need to address. So far the axle seems to be tip-top, so I'll not address it till it gives me a reason to.
Brian's Dana35...165,000 miles and still going strong.
Brian's Dana35...165,000 miles and still going strong.
Booner
Observer
Brian, my 98 ZJ has a D35 with a shade over 165K on it. It has had an Aussie in it for the last 5K, and spends quite a bit of time off road. I belong to a local Jeep club and do as many of the group trail rides as I can. There are quite a few members running D35s, so we carry a few extra axle shafts. Nobody has broken one in recent memory. BTW, I am running Hankook MTs in 32x11.50-15 with a 3" BDS and 1" aluminum spacers. I have a spare D35 (100.00 on C-List) sitting in my garage freshly rebulit to stock specs (no Aussie) in case mine lets go.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
awesome to hear. Its an interesting persective to have an axle that holds up under moderate use just fine, but that is cheap enough to be treated as a consumable (If one wishes), where spares are cheap, easy and plentiful.
I should probably go on craigslist soon and find my backup spares.
BigAl
Expedition Leader
I installed an 8.8 in my buddies cherocar this past weekend. I was impressed with the size of the 8.8 , it makes the D35 look spindley. The disc brakes looked beefy and the internal e brake was very clean. The 8.8 was $100. The guy threw in the DS so we had the proper hardware to refit the the driveshaft. It was originally spring under in an explorer, so we had to grind off the perches. We reused the perches, made it spring over and stole the shock mounts from the D35. It turned out to be a very easy swap. We need to buy a new master cylinder but I think they are only $20.
his original D35 failed spectacularly. We removed the cover and the spiders fell out.
his original D35 failed spectacularly. We removed the cover and the spiders fell out.