Need advice....D30 vs 44

M

Matador

New member
Hey all,


Looking for some advice here.


I currently have run 35's on my Dana 30 and won a set of 4.88 gears. I plan on going up to a 37" tire down the road but lots of life left on my 35's.

Option A. Install 4.88 gears and lockers in my Dana 30 and 44 rear Probably run me about $2500 to install gears and locker up front. I could leave my LSD in the rear for now or throw a locker in the rear for more money.

Option B. Buy Rubicon axles that are used but built up a little with RCV's in front and chromo in rear....replace the 5.38 gears with something more manageable. (this option is a lot more costly) Probably cost me around $6-7k installed


What would you do? I have been wheeling with my existing setup for a few years.....but now it's time to regear and plan for down the road.



Thoughts? is there another option you would recommend?
 
Speeddmn said:
Should dump as much money as you can into that Dana 30. After all it's only money...





;)
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LOL.....that's what I was thinking!! Someone recommended doing that....I am not sold...no sense dumping money in it when it won't work with 37" tire etc...


I guess i'll throw the gears in....throw a rear locker in and just watch for a front 44
 
OverlanderJK said:
Install 4.88's f/r and locker in the rear. Leave the front open until you are ready for a new front axle.
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my plans for a PR44 took a drastic turn, so I took this route except that I put a TrueTrac in the front in addition to the Rear Locker. Puerto Rico is mostly mud so I'm sure I can last my 30 until the $$$ comes for a PR44
 
Ok so let me play devils advocate....so lets say you leave the gusseted d30 open, and have conservative gearing (say...3.21-4.56). Then you mount 37s. Where is the real weak point compared to if you were running the same setup on a factory d44?
 
Shit I just ordered 37s and I have a 30 still. I don't wheel hard which will help save my axle until I swap something bigger. But if I were you, just regear the front and that's it. Break the 30 and upgrade to Dynatrac 44 or bigger
 
MedixJK said:
Ok so let me play devils advocate....so lets say you leave the gusseted d30 open, and have conservative gearing (say...3.21-4.56). Then you mount 37s. Where is the real weak point compared to if you were running the same setup on a factory d44?
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Nobody? Thats no fun...
 
MedixJK said:
Ok so let me play devils advocate....so lets say you leave the gusseted d30 open, and have conservative gearing (say...3.21-4.56). Then you mount 37s. Where is the real weak point compared to if you were running the same setup on a factory d44?
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MedixJK said:
Nobody? Thats no fun...
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Lol, Your weak point will still be your smaller axle shafts (27 spline in the Dana30 compared to the 30 spline in the 44). You u-joints are also smaller than a stock Rubicon 44.

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-tech/jeep-jk-wrangler-axle-basics
 
MR.Ty said:
Lol, Your weak point will still be your smaller axle shafts (27 spline in the Dana30 compared to the 30 spline in the 44). You u-joints are also smaller than a stock Rubicon 44.

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-tech/jeep-jk-wrangler-axle-basics
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That makes sense. I read so many confusing/conflicting comments regarding the d30/d44. Especially about it not being a true "44". Yet most people seem just peachy about throwin 37s on if they have the 44 in front.

Edit: also dont know how i never saw that on project jk....
 
MedixJK said:
That makes sense. I read so many confusing/conflicting comments regarding the d30/d44. Especially about it not being a true "44". Yet most people seem just peachy about throwin 37s on if they have the 44 in front.

Edit: also dont know how i never saw that on project jk....
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Its something that took me a little while to get my head around as well. In the end it does boil down to the fact that the Rubicon 44 and Dana 30 have matching axle tubes, C and knuckles. The pumpkin is bigger, internals are stronger, and depending on your wheeling style, can last 5 mins with 35s or a few years with 37s.

That isn't to say that you cannot do the same with a Dana 30. Noroad is my favorite example, since he drove across country - wheeled the Rubicon - and drove back all on a D30 w/37s and 4.88s. :yup:
 
MR.Ty said:
Its something that took me a little while to get my head around as well. In the end it does boil down to the fact that the Rubicon 44 and Dana 30 have matching axle tubes, C and knuckles. The pumpkin is bigger, internals are stronger, and depending on your wheeling style, can last 5 mins with 35s or a few years with 37s.

That isn't to say that you cannot do the same with a Dana 30. Noroad is my favorite example, since he drove across country - wheeled the Rubicon - and drove back all on a D30 w/37s and 4.88s. :yup:
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I did this ^^^^ for over a year with the same setup but was scared to death a couple times that I wasn't going to be able to make it back in one piece. You can definitely do it but it came down to me wanting to drive to Moab next Summer AND making it back without breaking. Again, doable, yes, but I didn't want to chance it with the family in the Jeep. I'd do minimum and save for an upgrade like Overlander first suggested.
 
MR.Ty said:
Its something that took me a little while to get my head around as well. In the end it does boil down to the fact that the Rubicon 44 and Dana 30 have matching axle tubes, C and knuckles. The pumpkin is bigger, internals are stronger, and depending on your wheeling style, can last 5 mins with 35s or a few years with 37s.

That isn't to say that you cannot do the same with a Dana 30. Noroad is my favorite example, since he drove across country - wheeled the Rubicon - and drove back all on a D30 w/37s and 4.88s. :yup:
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I've seen it said a few times that if you want to run 37's then you should run 60's. What if you sleeve and gusset the front 44 and throw in rcvs shafts? Think that's good enough?
 
I'm pretty sure Eddie ran Rubicat with a PR44 and stock rear with 37 for quite some time before upgrading to Mobys old rear 60 after they swapped in an 80 on Moby.
 
....and don't forget we broke damn near everything on 35 ATs. I personally feel this is largely due to it being locked. So much so that when I rebuilt the housing I sold the locker and returned to an open axle.
 
Granite_head said:
I've seen it said a few times that if you want to run 37's then you should run 60's. What if you sleeve and gusset the front 44 and throw in rcvs shafts? Think that's good enough?
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Sleeves are ment to keep the housing from bending. This happens when you are driving fast through the desert. And more times than not, they don't work and the housing bends anyways. Gussets do work and keep your Cs from bending.

Ask Jnabird what he thinks of RCVs.

I personally won't run them because they are so strong that they make the Ring and pinion the weak point. Is rather have an axle shaft break than a pumpkin explode.

I think that Gussets and maybe a set of chormoly shafts (or a set of trail spares) is good enough for 37s as long as you're not a "hold my beer and watch this" wheeler.
 
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