Went to U-Pull-It today to see if they have an XJ with a D44 on it... they did not. But, they had plenty with the 8.25, so here's the question- would it be better to just settle and get a 8.25 from there to replace my turdy-5, or would it be worth the extra $450 (Online, already pulled for me and shipped to my door) to get a Dana 44 instead? I plan on a 4.5" lift and 32" tires with a locker, preferably electronic (ECTED, for example)... I wanna do everything right, even if that means it's a painfully slow build.

 

6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other.

You'll be fine with the 8.25, they are nearly as strong as a D44.

 

you can get the 8 1/4 for 100$ and blow 4 of them (unlikely) for the price of the d44

id take the risk and put the money elsewhere

 

The Chrysler 8.25 with the 29 spline shafts is a good axle for tires up to 36 inches, you can get 1541H shafts for them that make them even stronger, but the only selectable locker for them is the ARB air locker.

 

imo there are only 2 things that are better about the d44 compared to the c8.25

1.they are a little bit stronger
2.bigger aftermarket support

i say, fin a c8.25 from a 97-01 xj cuz it has 29spline and keep the extra money

 

i think the shaft strenght is with in a few LBS from a 44 to a 29 spline 8.25.

For the price and 8.25 is a good axle for an XJ if your running above a 35 a 44 aint gonna cut it either and you need to step up to 1 tons

 

sorry
I'm looking to upgrade to Dana 44 but can't find any here in "fabulous" Las Vegas, would you mind PM'g me the online retailer pls?

Thx and good luck with your search.

 

http://car-part.com

 

eBay, couldn't find anything else... still looking though. Thinking it's worth it getting the D44, I want a rear locker, and I don't want an air locker... ECTED if I can have anything.

 

They wanted $950, i won't recommend them.

Thx !

 

Why do you want an ected so bad? They aren't good lockers. If you want to do you're build right, make sure you research all the components enough before you buy. Only buy the ected if you want a locker that slips when you need it locked the most.

 

Ah, just started looking into a locker really, I just don't want to need an on-board air compressor, and my XJ is more of a DD then a trail rig.

 

Really? Only 35s? I've seen 38s run with no issues. Maybe it was pretty worked over or something, but I was giving the D44 more credit than that.

Got any links to reviews? I'm curious about this.

My XJ is now my backup DD. I've got an ARB in my D44, and I love it. Honestly the compressor is about the size of a pair of 1 liter bottles. Its not large whatsoever.

Even if you snag an airline you can get replacements for just a few bucks.

 

Alright... I'm sold, C8.25 it is then... I guess an air locker will be fine... any other good lockers for a daily driver? All I can find is automatic lockers, and I've heard auto isn't good for a DD... although I don't have to deal with snow. So anything else I should know about the 8.25? I'm not very technical at all, but I wanna try to swap it myself, so here's part II- What all should I bring next time I'm at the JY to pull it, and what else do I need to get for the swap, all I know is get oil and a new gasket for it... what else?

Also thanks for all the help everyone, making this a real easy decision on me, hopefully Chery will be happy with a 8.25 in her, I promised I'd get er a D44.

 

Good lockers for a daily driver are selectable ones. This is my opinion.