Provide some input please...

[jamie411]

Your Advice Is Appreciated...

My Jeep:
1983 CJ7
Wide Track with AMC20 rear Dana 30 Front
T-5 /Dana 300
4 inches of suspension lift
2.5 body lift.
33 inch tires

Daily Driver with light to moderate occasional trail use.

Checking charts using 33's I should be geared at 4.10. I am currently much higher then this. 2.73.

I have torn the jeep down to the frame in order to weld in a new cross member and coat with por15.....

Since I have the jeep down this far I am looking at the axles. I want to replace them.

I have found this for sale in my area..

Dana 35

When I emailed the owner of this fabrication place, he mentioned it was geared at 4.10 and that he also has a dana 35 rear off a tj which he can gear to 4.10 for me, with an auburn electric diff lock. I asked him if he could make this work for my CJ7 , he said that he could. $750 Canadian all work and taxes included.

Question is this.....Can this swap be done? if so, should I be looking at changing my drive shaft? Transmission or Transfer Case ?

I am aware of pinion angle and mounting perch changes, that is not an issue, but its the other things that I am not aware of. I am new to jeeps. If I change to these axles am I looking at completely gutting and replacing what I currently have (which is in good working order, recently rebuilt) for no reason. Another option is that he can re-gear my current AMC20 for $400.

Opinions? guidance?

Thanks for your input.

 

[kickitandholdit]

Re: Your Advice Is Appreciated...

weather or not you need the other parts depends on how you treat your jeep.

im bored as hell in geology class right now so im going to ramble on a bit cause im so bored.. that being said


my opinion is if it aint broke dont fix it. depending on how you drive you might not ever break your stock axels so why spend all the $ to replace them? i like to break stuff before i replace it with something bigger and well i haven really broke that much which has saved me alot of $ considering all the stuff i want to replace and have $ for. my jeep still works and i still have all the $....

if you have broken these parts before, and you know they are going to break when you do whatever it is that you do, go ahead and replace them.

personally i like to break stuff so i dont replace anything until after i break it. but thats just me. alot of people put dana 44s and T-18 tansmitions and "all kinds of cool beafy that i wont" and a stock jeep can often handle all the driving they do so essentially they kinda blew $ (which some people like to do)

but then there are those people who put the toughest parts in their jeep and break them every weekend.

what if you spend all that $ on those other parts and you break them?

after i break something i like to replace it with something i know wont break. (still riding around in a stock drive train)

so i guess it really depends on how you drive but as far as if the parts easily match up i have no clue

im going to find another thread to ramble on

 

[jamie411]

I understand if it is not broke, do not fix it. I agree on that. I guess what is nagging at me is the fact I have the jeep down to the frame. I am looking at two leaking axles that look old and tired and see two axles that are in great condition, rebuilt and ready to be installed. It would speed the process up. I can sell my old units for a little bit of cash and install the new units.

That is if they fit.......

 

[kickitandholdit]

i can understand. if you have it all the way down to the frame you might as well end up with something you wont so close your eyes and pull the trigger on the dana 35 hahaha

i have always wonted to put some shortened 6 bolt chevy axels under mine for some reason

post some pictures man

 

[Old Dog]

You really don't want a dana 35, they are a very weak axle.
Your AMC20 with one piece axles would be better. Now if it were a d 44
I would say go for it.

 

[CJim7]

Do NOT...I repeat, Do Not consider a D35. This is just about the weakest axle ever built for a rearend application.

Recommendation: A seal kit, new bearings, and a nice set of 4.10s. The corp20 is by far a stronger axle then the D35...these things will break just looking at them wrong.

 

[csuengr]

Just re-gear your axles. Cheap, simple, good. Now I did change my axles to FSJ Dana 44 's, but I already had them (free) and my CJ had narrow trac axles. Yes, they were a pain to put in. Of course my factory Dana 30 and AMC20 had came with 4.10 gears. Got $400 for them.

 

[54cj3b]

$750. for a Dana 35 don't waist your money
you can pull a Dana 44 out of a junk yard for like $450.

 

[jamie411]

Good thing I asked. Thank you very much for the info.

How difficult is it to replace the seals and bearings on the AMC20 ? is it something I should try? I am capable of tearing down a jeep and reconstructing it, so I am not intimidated, but is it something better left to a shop?

 

[IOPort51]

you are going to end up taking the axles to a machine shop to press the bearings off and on but the rest is pretty easy.
Pull the axles out, don't try pulling the hubs off!!

 

[j0114]

Yeah for the rear end dont go less than a Dana 44 ,
I also believe in 1 piece axles even if the 2 piece aernt broken,

I just got a pair of TJ Dana 44 ; out of a rubicon FR and RR
am going to use then on a project, but I got the disc brakes still on them and everything, I got them in a trade so i can help you with price,

but there are several tj rubicon forums,
i think
rubiconownersforum.com
is a good one, Anyways id check them they are always ditching the stock stuff for non oem, and id lot rather have those than something from a junkyard, even though the junkyard part was good advice

 

[Busted Knuckles]

What these guys said, do not put a D35 under your Cj, even if its for free ! Around here $450 will buy you a pair of 44s.

I was on the Rubicon, following a guy in a "Brand New" TJ. I was out of my jeep, guiding him forward. He lets out the clutch, and I hear a "tink", and the axle shaft started walking out of the housing. He sheared the shaft. By the time he realized what had happened, the axle came out far enough to knock the brake wheel cylinder off the backing plate. This jeep was brand new, and had stock sized rubber on it.

He had to pay a mechanic to bring parts and tools up to the trail and fix it there, its impossible to tow a jeep out of the rubicon.

I should also note that at the time, the guy driving the TJ was around 50 years old, and had his wife with him, it wasnt some kid beating the snot out of a jeep.

The next year the same Tj was back on the trails, but had $12k of axle/lift work done to it, it now rides on custom D60s. He was sure that was not going to happen again.

 

[kickitandholdit]

so what about a Dana 44 vs chevy truck axels? im assuming Dana 44 is a bit tougher?

 

[CJim7]

so what about a Dana 44 vs chevy truck axels? im assuming Dana 44 is a bit tougher?

Dana 44 's are common in Chevy trucks. But contrary to popular belief, a corp 20 is a stronger axle once the thinner axle tubes are addressed. Once you do the work to get a Chevy 44 to work under your Jeep, you are into some money. A 1pc axle and truss are cheaper alternatives for the 20.
Guys that bend up AMC20 axles are jumping them off ledges...I've beat the hell out of mine with biasply 36's and a lot of horsepower with no issues. Key is to realize it isn't a Baja-buggy. Keep the tires down and the axle will live.