Axle build or swap it? Help!

Hollowpoint515

Hollowpoint515

New member
So I am about to deploy soon to Afghanistan and along with the deployment will come with a significant pay raise while I'm gone so I am Ina pickle on what to do with that extra cash flow. So here is the dilemma I have a Jk unlimited sport and I want to run 37's with 4 inches of lift and 1 inch of body lift for a total of 5. Now for the axle to be able to hold that much meat. I've been thinking of either doing axle shafts, sleeves, truss, and gusset my Dana 30 and it would still leave me enough for my lift and few other mods. The other option is get a complete axle and just throw a Dana 44 up there and that's all I think ill be able to end up with? Any advice from anyone that has a built Dana 30
 
Just leaving OEF shortly

I've got the JK Unlimited X. Same deal, I've been debating beefing my 30's or upgrade to a 44. I've come to the conclusion that I will beef up my 30's so I can do the lift too. Then eventually go to the Dana 60's. My friend is running 38's on his 4 runner with only a ABR locker upgrade and hasn't broken his housing yet. Just the axle in which he then went to the chorm moly and hasn't had an issue since then. SO when are you headed over here? I'm leaving in Sept back home.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't waste any money building up your Dana 30 as in the end, that's all it will be, a beefed up Dana 30. The shafts will still be smaller and weaker regardless of what it's made out of or what kind of magical joints are used. Also, the ring & pinion will still be woefully small. What I would do is save up for a ProRock 44, work on installing a much more reasonable 3.5" lift and trim your factory fender flares. This will get you clearing 37's with ease, will help keep your suspension geometry at less of an angle and will keep your center of gravity much lower - these are all good things and what we're running now on our 2012 JK.
 
So is it reasonable to run the D30 with 4.10 or 4.56, 35s, and gussets. I am really happy with the 35s at this point and wouldn't mind some input before I drop the coin to do the re-gear. I realize that lockers are pretty much a no-go and that alone may push a D44 upgrade, but let's assume no lockers.
 
Beyrgut said:
So is it reasonable to run the D30 with 4.10 or 4.56, 35s, and gussets. I am really happy with the 35s at this point and wouldn't mind some input before I drop the coin to do the re-gear. I realize that lockers are pretty much a no-go and that alone may push a D44 upgrade, but let's assume no lockers.
Click to expand...

If all you're hoping to do is run 35's, yes, a Dana 30 will be fine even up to a 5.13 so long as you don't lock it up. If you do run lockers, I would try and keep the gears to 4.88 or less. Regardless, I would run chromoly shafts with full circle clips too. Sleeves are totally unnecessary but gussets are needed.
 
Awesome, thanks for the guidance. I am thinking 4.88 is overkill with just 35s so I guess that puts ARB air lockers back on the table with the re-gear along with new shafts woohoo.
 
Thanks for the input guys this helped me make up my mind I'm just going to go ahead and get my lift and order a pro rock 44 housing and slowly build it hopefully it will be done by the time my d30 goes out... What parts would be able to go on there from the stock d30? Breaks and knuckles?
 
Beyrgut said:
Awesome, thanks for the guidance. I am thinking 4.88 is overkill with just 35s so I guess that puts ARB air lockers back on the table with the re-gear along with new shafts woohoo.
Click to expand...

If you have a 2012 or newer, 4.88 would be overkill for sure for a set of 35's. On a 2007-11, it's a good ratio to go with.

Hollowpoint515 said:
Thanks for the input guys this helped me make up my mind I'm just going to go ahead and get my lift and order a pro rock 44 housing and slowly build it hopefully it will be done by the time my d30 goes out... What parts would be able to go on there from the stock d30? Breaks and knuckles?
Click to expand...

It's what I would do and, with any luck, you get your stock Dana 30 to last a long time. You would reuse the knuckles and brakes.
 
I plan on ordering the 4" EVO doubled long arm and wrangler MTR 37's I've already got flat fenders and just ordered the M.O.R.E. 1 inch body lift and poison spider 1.5 wheel spacers yesterday I don't think clearance will be an issue I just want my axles to survive and I've heard nothing negative about prorocks other than the price lol... But I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for.
 
Hollowpoint515 said:
I plan on ordering the 4" EVO doubled long arm and wrangler MTR 37's I've already got flat fenders and just ordered the M.O.R.E. 1 inch body lift and poison spider 1.5 wheel spacers yesterday I don't think clearance will be an issue I just want my axles to survive and I've heard nothing negative about prorocks other than the price lol... But I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

Personally, I would cancel the 1" body lift. Being that you already have flat fenders, the 4" of lift will be more than enough to clear 37's. You really don't want to raise your center of gravity any more than you need. Also, if I could, I would recommend against the MTR's. Of all the tires I have ever personally run, they were by far the worst. Hard to balance, track funny on pavement and have really weak sidewalls.
 
Hollowpoint515 said:
I've also been looking at J.E. Reel drive shafts or the Tom woods
Click to expand...

I personally would recommend J.E. Reel. If you go with Woods, just make sure to pay for upgraded Spicer or Neapco u-joints. If you don't, you'll just get cheap Chinese joints that I have seen fail time and time again for no good reason.
 
Thanks for the advice on the tires I'm jut trying to find something that will be good on rocks but stiff enough to drive 20 min back and forth to work I've seen a lot of people run Toyo and nitto
 
Hollowpoint515 said:
Thanks for the advice on the tires I'm jut trying to find something that will be good on rocks but stiff enough to drive 20 min back and forth to work I've seen a lot of people run Toyo and nitto
Click to expand...

Toyo and Nitto make some of the best tires around bar none. I personally would definitely choose between either of them.
 
If you already have the flat fenders and are looking to run 37s; personally, I'd go with the 3" option on the double d long arm kit. It's enough to clear the tires you're looking at and you're going to keep a lower center of gravity which is huge.

I'm planning on going with the Double D kit myself with my Jeep (once I can rub more than 2 pennies together) but plan on running trail grapplers on it. It's a comparable tire as far as price goes but is easier to balance and performs better (on and off road) from what I've heard...either way, post pictures when you can cuz it's going to be awesome!
 
wayoflife said:
If all you're hoping to do is run 35's, yes, a Dana 30 will be fine even up to a 5.13 so long as you don't lock it up. If you do run lockers, I would try and keep the gears to 4.88 or less. Regardless, I would run chromoly shafts with full circle clips too. Sleeves are totally unnecessary but gussets are needed.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to hijack, but...I remember you saying something in another thread that no matter what you do, there MUST be a weakspot somewhere. First it's the shafts. Upgrade those, you move on to the pinion, and so on. I remember you saying (even in the Keep It Tight video where you guys were "relieved to find out that it wasn't the pinion but just the shafts on the rockjock) that it's better to blow out a shaft than to blow out a pinion. It seems to me if you are going to "gamble" on running a D30 with heavy meat, it would be wise to keep the shafts as your weak point no?
 
NFRs2000NYC said:
I don't mean to hijack, but...I remember you saying something in another thread that no matter what you do, there MUST be a weakspot somewhere. First it's the shafts. Upgrade those, you move on to the pinion, and so on. I remember you saying (even in the Keep It Tight video where you guys were "relieved to find out that it wasn't the pinion but just the shafts on the rockjock) that it's better to blow out a shaft than to blow out a pinion. It seems to me if you are going to "gamble" on running a D30 with heavy meat, it would be wise to keep the shafts as your weak point no?
Click to expand...

So long as you're not running a ring and pinion that's not really really small like a 5.13 would be in a Dana 30, your shafts will still be the weak point even IF they are chromoly. The benefit of running a standard set of chromoly shafts with full circle clips is that they will not come apart at the bearing caps and fail the way factory shafts with c-clips WILL but, will not be so strong at the joint like an RCV shaft would be that it'll push the break down the line. Does that make sense?
 
wayoflife said:
So long as you're not running a ring and pinion that's not really really small like a 5.13 would be in a Dana 30, your shafts will still be the weak point even IF they are chromoly. The benefit of running a standard set of chromoly shafts with full circle clips is that they will not come apart at the bearing caps and fail the way factory shafts with c-clips WILL but, will not be so strong at the joint like an RCV shaft would be that it'll push the break down the line. Does that make sense?
Click to expand...

Yezzir, most helpful. I was going to upgrade my axles, but I got scared off by the notion that if I do I might grenade my pinion instead. When you say a "standard set of chromoly shafts" you mean something like Ten Factory shafts?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom