newbie... saying hi and looking for advice

[blueXJ99]

hi everyone! i hope to learn a lot from here.

i have had my 99xj for about 2years now. 3in lift, custom light bar, exhaust, intake, fuel injectors... the basics i guess.

anyways, i'm not really a hardcore wheeler like most of the people on here.
my xj is a daily. so my question is...

would getting a danna 44 be beneficial? i really don't intend to make it a rock crawler but more like a light offroad/mudding capacity. i have a lot of plans for my xj and the whole 44 vs 35 idea will dictate where i go from there.

thanks!

 

[Mrsig]

and enjoy the forum!

 

[steady.foot]

Welcome to the forum blue. As far as the rearend swap, I would look into a chrystler 8.25 swap. They put them into a lot of XJs and lots of aftermarket support.

 

[TerryMason]

From what I understand, XJs could be ordered with a 8.25 and trac lock limited slip. If you find and swap in one of these axles then that may be everything you need.

 

[TerryMason]

A little more info:
Jeep Cherokee (XJ) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Axles
The Jeep XJ utilizes front and rear solid (live) axles as opposed to independent front and/or rear axles. This configuration allows the XJ to have superior off-road capability and performance at the expense of some on-road comfort and driveability. Mid-1985 and later two-wheel drive models used the same basic suspension with a single tube connecting axle ends with no differential.

Front Axle
1984–1996: Dana 30, High Pinion, Reverse Cut, 27-spline axleshafts (1989 – 1995 : with ABS used 5-297x universal joints, non-ABS had 5-260x universal joints. Certain XJ models were produced with constant-velocity joints instead of universal joints.)
1996–1999: Dana 30, High Pinion, Reverse Cut, 297x/760 universal joint, 27-spline axleshafts.
2000–2001: Dana 30, Low Pinion, Standard Cut, 297x/760 universal joint, 27-spline axleshafts.
1985–2001: Straight non-driven front axle for two-wheel drive only.

Rear Axle
1984–1989: Dana 35, non c-clip, with anti-lock braking system (ABS) or non-ABS.
1987–1990: Dana 44, non-abs, 30-spline axleshafts.
1990–1996: Dana 35, c-clip, ABS or non-ABS.
1997–2001: Dana 35, c-clip, ABS.
1991–1996: Chrysler 8.25", c-clip, non-ABS, 27-spline axleshafts.
Late 1996–2001: Chrysler 8.25", c-clip, non-ABS, 29-spline axleshafts.

Axle Gear Ratios
Jeep XJs came in several standard gearing ratios:
3.07:1, manual transmission, I6 engine.
3.54:1, automatic transmission, I6 engine with Dana 44 rear differential.
3.54:1, manual transmission, I4 engine with Dana 35 rear differential.
3.55:1, automatic transmission, I6, V6 engines; manual transmission, I4 engine.
3.73:1, automatic transmission, I6, Tow Package, UpCountry Package.
4.10:1, I6 engine
4.56:1, automatic transmission, I4, offroad or tow package.

 

[blueXJ99]

man... i have a lot of reading to do! lol. what about the front axle... should i keep it the way it is?

again, thanks for the advice.

 

[TerryMason]

Swapping axles can get expensive. I put a Ford 8.8 in my TJ and have at least a grand in it, without buying a locker. While yours may not cost as much, it can really add up quick.

I'd suggest taking your time and finding an XJ 8.25 with the same gear ratio you currently have and bolting that in. If it already has a limited slip then all the better. The limited slip isn't as good as a locker, but may be enough to make you happy in the mud.

It looks like you'll loose your ABS if you swap axles. You'll have an ABS light (that would cause you to fail inspection) unless you pull the fuse.

 

[blueXJ99]

of course! i'm just eager to get things done right away but you're completely right... i should take my time.

thanks!