Rear axle choices

prariepunk

prariepunk

Active member
I have an "end game" for my jeep that includes 37"s a fuel cell & full cage & long arms & more... anywho. I believe I've busted things up in my rear end & rather than fix something I'm going to replace eventually I'm thinking about replacing it now. I know I can find a D60 at almost any junk yard but I also know that they hang low at the diff & may pry the cover on rocks... what are my other choices pros/cons that will handle 37" tires. I know I'll have to custom mount it going from leaves to springs (& then again to coil over) I don't have a front shaft right now so gear matching won't matter (I'm looking at either 4.56/4.88) & I'm not TOO worried about width.
 
It still drives (on road :-( ) well enough but there is a clacking metal noise coming from the rear diff & I'm afraid it's not long before she pops. I'm afraid to tear off the cover & have parts fall out.
 
JP magazine had an issue that covered like the 3 best rear diff options and their pros an cons. I have the mag, I saved it because I'll be in your shoes sometime in the future. Let me do some diggin an see if I can find it. Seems like the dana 44 was a good choice and it told what were the better years and what to do to it to make it even stronger. I believe the 60 and 70 were mentioned and the draw back was weight and the low slung pumkin. Maybe the ford 9" was mentioned and the draw back was the low pinion. I don't know, it's been a while since I read it.
From what I've read all in all, I'll prob go with the D44 myself. I doubt I'll go bigger than 33's on my CJ5 and for the wheelin' I do it'll prob last right on. Pretty cheap and easy to find in a junkyard too. They think highly of the 60's. Lol
 

Scout around in the salvage yards for a dana 44 from another TJ. It'll be a direct bolt in.
 
There's a guy near the 4WDHardware in Colombiana that buys almost ever Wrangler that's destined for the scrap yard for a premium & parts them out... He's got everything sorted & inventoried... So finding a direct bolt in d44 is gonna be like finding a Ethiopian chicken :-(
 
Yeah Davey's jeep. That place is great. They are also the nicest people. I got some full doors off of them. I would totally recommend them.

Www.daveysjeeps.com

Sorry had to add my two cents to that.
 

It wouldn't hurt to look. It'll save time and money in the long run. Think about the money and fab work to install an 8.8.
 
I don't think 44,s will hold very long with 37" and tough wheeling. Don't get me wrong, the 44 is a great axle but limited to about 35" tires. The 60 looks just like a larger version of the 44 and will hold up to the 37,s better. You will hear some say their 44,s have held up to 37,s and anything they throw at it, but I think they have just been lucky where tough wheeling is involved. In the past I wheeled for years with the two piece AMC20 rear end, but over all its not the best axle and consider myself very lucky. I wonder if you are confusing the chevy 14 bolt with the 60, the 14 bolt hangs real low and hangs up on everything and as you mention, the diff cover can get torn off. I think the 60 is the way to go if you are looking to do some big wheeling. would suck to lose your axle out in the middle of nowhere. The way you describe setting your jeep up, sounds like you plan to do some tough wheeling, and you will need some tough axles as well. I lost my rearend last week, d44 4.88s. I read a similar article in Jp mag as mentioned above, and one thing they did say was any thing larger than a 60 was really overkill and they kinda thought the 60 was too.
 
Davey's charges a premium for "used" parts... a lot more than any junkyard would. It looks like the D60 is the way to go if I can find one with 4.88s in it... What about (stock) traction, i.e. limited slip, positrac or open. I know open sucks in snow so I figure it's no good on the trail... but what about the other two? Sooner or later I'll be adding a selectable locker (or a spool)
 

Do you have a pull-a-part in your area? They're reasonable on most used parts. The one in Knoxville is anyway.
 
prariepunk said:
There are a few around but they don't have ANY TJs... or Wranglers or CJs. Davey's Jeeps buys them all
Click to expand...
I meant to look for a dana 60. Our pull-a-part will get a CJ or YJ in every now and then, it's like throwin a piece of meat in to a fish bowl of pirrana. In a matter of days it's picked clean.
 

There is a "salvage yard" next door to my job & I'm sure that they'll have a ford truck or two (or ten) that I can choose from
 
Somebody else was pushing the 14 bolt & how much better it was than the D60... Does anybody run one or had any experiences here?
 
I havnt run a 14 bolt but, someone I know had one and hated it. He got hung up all the time, the front diff would clear a rock but the back would hang up. I have heard that the 14 bolt is about indistructable but hangs down low and weights a ton.
 

You can shave the 14b and have the ring gear turned down, will nearly have the ground clearance of a d44.
 
The part you shave you plate over. If your going to 37's then don't consider anything else than a shaved 14 bolt. I have seen plenty of 60's and over built 9's fail too often with tires that size. As to what material you loose in the housing isn't that much compared to the strength of the axles.
 

The 14bolt has a support bearing for the pinion which will keep the pinion from walking up/down the ring gear while under load.

Bounty is right about shaving and if needed machining the ring gear for greater clearance. Ballistic Fabrications offers a weld-on shave kit.

14 Bolt Shave Kit

I have been looking into this kit or something similar due to having a 14bolt myself and yes, it does currently hang on everything. (35" tire atm, someday 42s)

Bacon
 
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