Adding an Eaton True Trac to a Dana 30 axle

justin mazzon

justin mazzon

Member
I currently have a '13 JK Sport with a rear elocker. I used to live near the coast and did a lot of ridge line trails. Now that I'm in the Sierra's the trails seem to be much more rocky. I primary do the easier difficult trails and would like a little more traction in the front. Do you think it's worth the money to add an Eaton True Trac to my Dana 30 axle for that extra traction?
 
No, I don't think it's worth the risk or the money to lock the D30. The R&P is fairly small and locking it will increase the risk of a bad break. Save for a D44.
 
Don't do it. Put some gussets on that dirty 30 and run it! If it breaks, then get a D44!
 
Run what you have until it breaks... don't stick any money into the 30 (maybe C gussets) but i would just save up for a 44.
 
I put a Truetrac in my D30 because I was going in to replace a pinion bearing, and decided to toss one in. I don't plan on wheeling hard enough to destroy my D30, I did c gussets years ago. The TT is a moderate upgrade to what the BLD can do up front. If both wheels are touching the ground, both wheels will dig, which is nice. TT is better than BLD, but not as good as a locker.
 
I am putting a TT in my 2012 front D30 next week. Will let you know how it works and if anything breaks. Not pushing things too far anyway. Just some light to medium trails in Big Bear and Ocotillo areas. Hopefully it holds together!
 
Been running mine for a year now, it works wonders in the mud, I don't see myself able to upgrade to a prorock until maybe 2018 so it was worth it for now...
 
I'm new to the site but I've been running a eaton e locker in my Tj for 3 years now and push it to its limits. Just remember what you have and be easy on the throttle. I know the jks are a lot heavier and that would cause more strain but I believe the Dana 30 is stronger than its given credit for.
 
Jk_nate said:
I'm new to the site but I've been running a eaton e locker in my Tj for 3 years now and push it to its limits. Just remember what you have and be easy on the throttle. I know the jks are a lot heavier and that would cause more strain but I believe the Dana 30 is stronger than its given credit for.
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It all boils down to where you play, while I might get away with a bit more skinny pedal here cause it's mostly mud, I would probably blow it playing on Eddie's backyard at half the power...
 
Jk_nate said:
I'm new to the site but I've been running a eaton e locker in my Tj for 3 years now and push it to its limits. Just remember what you have and be easy on the throttle. I know the jks are a lot heavier and that would cause more strain but I believe the Dana 30 is stronger than its given credit for.
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First off, a TJ weighs about 3,200 lbs. stock. A stock 4-Door JK weighs over 1,000 lbs. more. Depending on how big of a tire you're running, where you play and how often, you're kidding yourself if you really think a Dana 30 will get the job done.

jorgelrod said:
It all boils down to where you play, while I might get away with a bit more skinny pedal here cause it's mostly mud, I would probably blow it playing on Eddie's backyard at half the power...
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This ^^^

Everyone has their own idea of what playing "hard" really means or how "often" is really often. For the guys out there who think that all you have to do is be easy on the throttle to make a Dana 30 last with a set of 37's or bigger, it's pretty clear that we have differing ideas on the matter.
 
wayoflife said:
First off, a TJ weighs about 3,200 lbs. stock. A stock 4-Door JK weighs over 1,000 lbs. more. Depending on how big of a tire you're running, where you play and how often, you're kidding yourself if you really think a Dana 30 will get the job done.



This ^^^

Everyone has their own idea of what playing "hard" really means or how "often" is really often. For the guys out there who think that all you have to do is be easy on the throttle to make a Dana 30 last with a set of 37's or bigger, it's pretty clear that we have differing ideas on the matter.
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I completely agree with you. A Dana 30 isn't ideal. If you don't have 4K or more to drop on a new axle I would say play till it breaks. I would never recommend putting 37s on a Dana 30 or even a Dana 44 without a lot of work done to it. I'm not into mud ridding at all. Fourtantly I have a couple of rock crawling places close to where I live.
 
wayoflife said:
First off, a TJ weighs about 3,200 lbs. stock. A stock 4-Door JK weighs over 1,000 lbs. more. Depending on how big of a tire you're running, where you play and how often, you're kidding yourself if you really think a Dana 30 will get the job done.



This ^^^

Everyone has their own idea of what playing "hard" really means or how "often" is really often. For the guys out there who think that all you have to do is be easy on the throttle to make a Dana 30 last with a set of 37's or bigger, it's pretty clear that we have differing ideas on the matter.
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I would be running it on trails like Slick Rock and Deer Valley which I think you've run in the past. Would stay at 33" tires. Although some where down the road up grade to 35" tires. Do you think going in this direction it's smarter to just save my money and just upgrade to a D44?
 
While the mechanic has the D30 axle apart to regear the diff and install TT, is it recommended to upgrade the axle shaft or anything else mechanical in the front diff or axle guts? I am running 34" tires and plan to stick with that size. Not lots of accessories adding more weight.
 
jpone said:
While the mechanic has the D30 axle apart to regear the diff and install TT, is it recommended to upgrade the axle shaft or anything else mechanical in the front diff or axle guts? I am running 34" tires and plan to stick with that size. Not lots of accessories adding more weight.
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I assume you're doing new bearings? Might as well since they have to be removed anyways. It wouldn't be a bad idea to do the axle seals since there is less labor involved while everything is apart. As far as axles, I would leave the stock ones. Re-gearing will make the already small D30 pinion even smaller. It would be a weak point if something were to go wrong. It's easier to replace an axle rather that the pinion gear if that were to break.
 
WJCO said:
I assume you're doing new bearings? Might as well since they have to be removed anyways. It wouldn't be a bad idea to do the axle seals since there is less labor involved while everything is apart. As far as axles, I would leave the stock ones. Re-gearing will make the already small D30 pinion even smaller. It would be a weak point if something were to go wrong. It's easier to replace an axle rather that the pinion gear if that were to break.
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Not super knowledgeable on the details on this stuff, so the advice is much appreciated! Yes, will do bearings and seals.
 
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