I went with a 8.25 this article influenced me greatly.
http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticl...es/index1.html
remember zj (needs massage with a file) and kj rear disks will bolt straight on.

Also be clear when folks talk about a "d44";
is it a '88-89 tow package D44? - which are the strongest jeep diff that bolts straight in.
or a modified tJ d44?- that is significantly weaker than a 8.25.

 

Sorry, I don't agree, I wouldn't choose the Dana 35 over either of the other axles for anything. If I was really building an axle to crawl with I would take the Chrysler 8.25 with its larger pinion and stronger axle tubes over the 1/4 inch larger ring gear. ( anyway on anything up to a 37 then I would go 8.8 or 14bff )

 

Is it locked? Selectable?

The way I see it, you can make any axle stronger by upgrading components. But if you start with one of the strongest axles available, you can still upgrade and make it even stronger.

You can upgrade your 8.25, but I can also still upgrade my D44.

Of course, this is putting money aside.

And of course, if I had things my way, I'd be sitting on a set of D60s.

 

Yes, you can upgrade your Dana 44, but the Dana 44 that went into the Cherokee is a long way from being one of the strongest axles available. Newer Dana 44s have larger pinions and pinion gears, they also have larger diameter axle tubes and an 8.8 inch ring gear instead of the 8.5 inch ring gear, they would be stronger than the Chrysler 8.25 because they have the pinion size and the axle tube size of the 8.25 . Like I've said many times I would go with an Explorer 8.8 if I needed to go with something stronger than my 8.25
And of course I will never put money aside. I don't mind paying for my playing, but when I can spend less than 250.00 upgrade to my 8.25 and be stronger than a Dana 44 it is a no brainer to me.
As far as setting on Dana 60s, not for my Cherokee. If I went that big I would build a trugy with a 1 ton chevy and run a Dana 60 and a 14bff.

 

To each his own, I guess?

 

Yes, to each his own, if the Cherokee I have, had come with the Dana 44 I would have stayed with the 44. The difference between the two is not worth spending money swapping them. So many people bad mouth the Chrysler 8.25 when it is really a decent axle that was the only thing I was trying to point out.

 

Gotcha. I really don't have much experience with the 8.25, but I see D44s around me all the time.

Are the 8.25s in newer Jeeps at all? If no, when did they stop putting them under these trucks?

 

I do not know the answer to that I have the Cherokee and I know that the Dakota and Durango used them. Whether they are still using them I don't know. A 2003 Liberty used the 8.25 though.

 

x2 on that one. i just happened to come accross a detoit locked alloy shafts fresh geared dana 44 for just under $500. only thing is it had 4.10 gears so i had to sway those. other then that it was a steel! in the end i just bought new gears and labor was free so it was like $600+ for a locked and alloy shaft dana 44. i couldnt pass it up. i also had the dana 35 out back so i could only go up from there. i love my 44 but my lil bro loves his 8.25. all about preference here and what you can get for a better price. y spend 1000+ bucks on a 44 when you have an 8.25 under your rig already, just lock it and gear it, you are good to go!

 

if your doing light wheeling you dont even need to be concerned with axles breaking. if you have an auto trans and are smooth when you wheel a d35 will survive on 35 inch tires.

 

I guess it would depend on what you call wheeling, in the club I belong to we have had 4 or 5 guys running Dana 35s break axles. Most of them were running 32s or 33s as a matter of fact, I don't think anyone was running 35s.
The problem with setting up to do light wheeling is that when you are trail riding sometimes you need to be able to do a little harder stuff or go home.

 

Yes jeeps still use the 8.25. the 2010 liberty uses it.

 

Thanks, good to know.

 

just make everything strong enough you wont break anything. lol jk. im in the same boat with you but allready have the 8.25 under my xj. have fun building you jeep.

 

So where does one obtain a 8.25 w/29 spline or 8.8 Ford as someone else suggested and can someone with average wrenching skills install one?