axle swap concerns please help

[knp6212]

im working on puting a small block chevy in my CJ7 , with the lift and body mods im doing i plan to run hopefully 37's but my question is what are some good budget axles i can swap in that will handle the extra power and rubber but not break the bank..?

 

[CJ]

Per this post >> http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f15/your-profile-3975/ << (which you were directed ta and all have to read), please fill out your profile. We at least need to know what year CJ, axles and transmissions to help you.

 

[BajaEdition]

im working on puting a small block chevy in my cj-7, with the lift and body mods im doing i plan to run hopefully 37's but my question is what are some good budget axles i can swap in that will handle the extra power and rubber but not break the bank..?

Budget Axles? for 37s and a v8?
:booze::booze::booze:
so Let me ask, do you want to scrimp?
or are you asking for what would be the least expensive alternative?
I mean if you want cheap, go with what you have and upgrade the axles to chrome moly,
OK OK, get a set of D60s, should be able to finish the mods for less than 5 gs to get everything right.

 

[Kane]

A 350 can mean alot of things. A stock TBI 350 can have a moddest 230HP and that means some Dana 44 's will be enough but if you run a built 350 with 400HP then you enter a whole new world and will need the big guns like the Dana 60's. Stock junkyard 60's are cheep and if you stay full width and they are easier to install. Scout Dana 44 's can be found for a decent price but need a little work to the front alignment and will handle a mild small block with those big meats. Now my opinion is based strictly off your tire size choice. IF you were running 33's or less then the AMC20 will hold up just fine with some mods and the Dana 44 scout axles will be pretty bullet proof. Scout axles are a little tough to find though. I searched for almost a year before I came across a rebuildable set.

 

[Old Dog]

If your going sua a waggie front 44, if soa a chevy front 44 either one paired with a ford 8.8 or 9".
By the way anything you do is going to be hard on the bank account.

 

[derf]

A built Dana 44 (i.e. one with a bit of money in it) will handle that combination. A mostly stock D60 will probably handle it better. In the end, they will both cost quite a bit.

If you were on a very Limited budget, you could do a stock Dana 44 but you need to keep off the skinny pedal to keep from breaking it.

 

[LASTCJ786]

Scout Dana 44 's should be fine full width or Full size Waggy axles.

 

[knp6212]

thanks everybody big help, just want to figure out all my options and find the best compromise between cheap as dirt and bulletproof axles, thanks again guys

 

[Cheepjeep85]

just remember you get what you pay for in the end. i'm slowly but surely learning this lesson.

 

[bdunnam]

Since you plan on running 37's i would say you should probably find a 1 ton single wheel chevy between 73 to 87. They will have a good set of axles, D60 front and chevy 14 bolt rear, now the 14 bolt rear is pretty indestructable, and if you're feeling brave or have the money you can have the bottom of the housing shaved and modifiy the cover to fit and you will get as much ground clearance as a Dana 44 . Those rear ends are fairly easy to set up and pretty cheap because they're so abundant, but the D60 will cost a pretty penny itself, but you may consider finding a 3/4 ton chevy, most of those will still have the 14 bolt rear, but more than likely will have an 8 lug Dana 44 to match.

 

[Dano12771]

I'm still new to this type of upgrade but, after doing some research I found buying adonar vehicle in decent shape might be a good solution. I found a 1987 1ton chevy 4x4 for 1900$. It has a 454ci GM Turbo 400 Transmission , np205 Transfer Case Dana 60 front and a gm 14bolt ff rear. Drove it 1-1/2hrs home with no probs. Haven't torn it apart yet but, plan on getting started new years weekend.

 

[fzsk4p]

Ford 8.8 with a little TLC will handle any 37 for can throw at it.

 

[Mattduran]

I would go with the Scout Dana 44 's. You will need to change the camber and remount your front spring out past the frame, which can be done easy with angle iron. These are the Same bolt pattern and the drive shafts will line up. We decided to cut ours down to stock jeep width, which makes a great rig for narrow trail riding. Good luck.

 

[jeepy]

Whatever you do, use pick-up axles of some sort and run 8 lug 16" or larger wheels. That way you can run the larger brake rotors.

 

[LASTCJ786]

I just got my cut down Scout Dana 44 front end in my CJ7 .
I re-used the stock brakes ,knuckles, spindles and 6 bolt hubs. I found out
that the Scout spindles have 7 bolt holes. So those won't be spares. LOL
All that's left is to hook up the front drive shaft and cut the Ubolts.

 

[Mattduran]

I just got my cut down Scout Dana 44 front end in my CJ7.
I re-used the stock brakes ,knuckles, spindles and 6 bolt hubs. I found out
that the Scout spindles have 7 bolt holes. So those won't be spares. LOL
All that's left is to hook up the front drive shaft and cut the Ubolts.

Great Choice. I have the same setup and luv it. Did you change the camber to positive 5-7 degrees?

 

[Dano12771]

I just sold my 1 ton 4x4 donar truck so now it's back to square one. Now I need to fig out what axles what motor what Transmission and what tcase I should try and track down the one ton axles were huge and I didn't feel that GM Turbo 400 was going to work because of the length. Also the bb 454 was a bit big. So now I'm on the hunt for helpful info to build up my stock 1985 CJ7 .

 

[LASTCJ786]

I have a 4" lift so I had them set the caster at about 8 /9.

I would go with the Scout Axles the Rear is easy the front is a little more work. going with the scout you can use most of your CJ stuff. brakes, hubs.The Scout spindles have 7 bolts not 6 like the Jeep. If you use a waggy then you will have to buy the short outer shafts.