Should I re-gear to 4.88 with Tracklok (locked) carrier or use a new carrier?

[jeep2fun]

I have a 5speed 4.0L manual 97-TJ (non rubicon) which has a dana 44 on the rear with 3.55 gears and 33" tires. It has a TrackLok carrier on the rear Dana 44 with a Powertarx No-Slip Traction System (lunchbox locker) and am happy with it for now except the highway speeds with 3.55. Which brings me to the re-gear options and I am thinking of re-gearing to 4.88 with one of the below routes:

Option-1: Regear with Thick Dana 44 gears and use the existing Tracklok carrier and the lunchbox locker —- saves me the carrier and locker cost (Savings of $400).
Option-2: Regear with standard Dana 44 gears with new Open carrier and new locker (or go selectable)—- New carrier and locker cost (Extra cost $400~$1000).

I am leaning towards Option1 — for obvious cost reasons, but I am not sure if the Dana 44 Tracklok carrier strong enough to be used with 4.88 gears and a locker?
Please advise, which option would you choose and why?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I'd go with the thick gearset if you like your rear lunchbox locker.

 

[jeep2fun]

I'd go with the thick gearset if you like your rear lunchbox locker.

Thank you Jerry. I have been a new member but have been gleaning a lot of information from your posts since the past few months. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.

 

[pc1p]

I'd go with the thick gearset if you like your rear lunchbox locker.

^this...

 

[jeep2fun]

^this...

Thanks for confirming. Do you think the Track-Lok carrier is strong enough and can take the abuse of 4.88 + lunchbox locker & 35" tires if I pan to replace my 33" ?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Thanks for confirming. Do you think the Track-Lok carrier is strong enough and can take the abuse of 4.88 + lunchbox locker & 35" tires if I pan to replace my 33" ?

I dunno if I'd run a lunchbox locker in the rear with 35's. Its physically small size makes it a bit suspect with big tires on tougher trails.

If you decide to replace it, and especially since you apparently have no problems driving with a rear lunchbox locker which is not especially well-behaved, I'd go for a Detroit Locker. It's pretty much bulletproof, fully automatic, and is pretty much the most well behaved automatic locker available. It would be better behaved than the No-Slip is. That is the best behaved lunchbox locker out there but it's still not as well behaved as a Detroit Locker would be.

 

[jeep2fun]

I dunno if I'd run a lunchbox locker in the rear with 35's. Its physically small size makes it a bit suspect with big tires on tougher trails.

If you decide to replace it, and especially since you apparently have no problems driving with a rear lunchbox locker which is not especially well-behaved, I'd go for a Detroit Locker. It's pretty much bulletproof, fully automatic, and is pretty much the most well behaved automatic locker available.

Thank you again - Jerry. You are our lighthouse for all TJ owners out there.

Sorry to hijack my own thread and I have read your older posts about you having wheeled on a Dana 30 till you almost broke it. So, do you advise an Eaton elocker on 97 TJ 4.0 Front Dana 30/27 spline with chromoly axle shafts or just leave the dana 30 alone (with 33" vs. 35" tires)?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Thank you again - Jerry. You are our lighthouse for all TJ owners out there.

Sorry to hijack my own thread and I have read your older posts about you having wheeled on a Dana 30 till you almost broke it. So, do you advise an Eaton elocker on 97 TJ 4.0 Front Dana 30/27 spline with chromoly axle shafts or just leave the dana 30 alone (with 33" vs. 35" tires)?

I didn't wheel on my Dana 30 until I almost broke it, I wheeled on it until I broke it lol. When you add a locker to a Dana 30 with 35" tires, it's time to beef the axle shafts up to stronger heat-treated 4340 replacement shafts. With a front locker and 33's, that gets into a gray area.... strong enough most of the time but not all of the time... a front shaft could break on the trail with that combination, especially when you're in 4Lo, steering wheel turned hard to the side, and give it a little too much gas. The 'ears' on the factory axle shafts that hold the u-joints are not hardened and they can break or stretch in that situation which will cause the u-joint to break from being twisted out of the ears that hold them.

This is the broken ear on my factory Dana 30 axle shaft. I had to remove the inner axle shaft after that so I could finish the trail. With mrblaine providing an assisting tow strap over the tougher sections so I wouldn't break the other side too.

 

[pc1p]

Thanks for confirming. Do you think the Track-Lok carrier is strong enough and can take the abuse of 4.88 + lunchbox locker & 35" tires if I pan to replace my 33" ?

It's hard to give a response with 100% certainty without knowing driving style, terrain, experience, etc. and even then, there are no guarantees (I've seen a Dana 60 front axle break an axle shaft with 35"s - something considered nearly impossible).

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about carrier strength in this instance. I have not seen many Dana 44 carrier issues in my life. I would be much more worried about running 35"s on a lunchbox locker. It may hold up for a while, but in the long term, I have yet to see a LL stand the test of time. They tend to wear out quickly and when they do fail, it's usually in the worst of circumstances. If you're okay with a locker in the rear, a Detroit Autolocker would be a solid replacement that will add considerably to carrier strength, while giving exceptional performance over many, many years of use.

Note that if you plan to run 35"s and wheel it aggressively, there will be a handful of upgrades you will want to consider. At that point, the cost of the Detroit will be negligible in the grand scheme of things.

 

[jeep2fun]

I didn't wheel on my Dana 30 until I almost broke it, I wheeled on it until I broke it lol. When you add a locker to a Dana 30 with 35" tires, it's time to beef the axle shafts up to stronger heat-treated 4340 replacement shafts. With a front locker and 33's, that gets into a gray area.... strong enough most of the time but not all of the time... a front shaft could break on the trail with that combination, especially when you're in 4Lo, steering wheel turned hard to the side, and give it a little too much gas. The 'ears' on the factory axle shafts that hold the u-joints are not hardened and they can break or stretch in that situation which will cause the u-joint to break from being twisted out of the ears that hold them.

This is the broken ear on my factory Dana 30 axle shaft. I had to remove the inner axle shaft after that so I could finish the trail. With mrblaine providing an assisting tow strap over the tougher sections so I wouldn't break the other side too.
View attachment 217998

The above picture will always remind me to be very light on the gas (or completely stay away from it - if possible) when locked in 4lo

 

[jeep2fun]

It's hard to give a response with 100% certainty without knowing driving style, terrain, experience, etc. and even then, there are no guarantees (I've seen a Dana 60 front axle break an axle shaft with 35"s - something considered nearly impossible).

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about carrier strength in this instance. I have not seen many Dana 44 carrier issues in my life. I would be much more worried about running 35"s on a lunchbox locker. It may hold up for a while, but in the long term, I have yet to see a LL stand the test of time. They tend to wear out quickly and when they do fail, it's usually in the worst of circumstances. If you're okay with a locker in the rear, a Detroit Autolocker would be a solid replacement that will add considerably to carrier strength, while giving exceptional performance over many, many years of use.

Note that if you plan to run 35"s and wheel it aggressively, there will be a handful of upgrades you will want to consider. At that point, the cost of the Detroit will be negligible in the grand scheme of things.

Based on the above responses I am thinking it will be money well spent to go Selectable or Detroit in the back Dana 44 (and selectable in front Dana 30) and not worry about saving the initial $400 to avoid any LL associated pitfalls later. This is the best forum to come to bounce ideas off of. Thank you all.

 

[pc1p]

Based on the above responses I am thinking it will be money well spent to go Selectable or Detroit in the back Dana 44 (and selectable in front Dana 30) and not worry about saving the initial $400 to avoid any LL associated pitfalls later. This is the best forum to come to bounce ideas off of. Thank you all.

In regard to selectable or auto-locker decision, just be mindful of the potential quirks of an auto-locker in the snow. I'm not sure if you've driven your TJ on snowy roads much yet or not, so I thought it would be worth mentioning it. Some people don't mind, while others are completely afraid to drive if so much as a flurry falls.

 

[jeep2fun]

In regard to selectable or auto-locker decision, just be mindful of the potential quirks of an auto-locker in the snow. I'm not sure if you've driven your TJ on snowy roads much yet or not, so I thought it would be worth mentioning it. Some people don't mind, while others are completely afraid to drive if so much as a flurry falls.

Thanks a lot for pointing that out and me being from Colorado it is definitely a part of life. I don't have much experience with deep snow here, except the below winter run I have done so far with the locker — and have I loved it. But yes, it has been a challenge in /out of tight turns in parking lots or tight turns in uphill — where you have to gas to get moving and you are locked when you power it — egg & chicken scenario.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/illinois-gulch

 

[707kevin]

The above picture will always remind me to be very light on the gas (or completely stay away from it - if possible) when locked in 4lo

Both of the times I broke a front axle shaft on a Dana 30 was in 4low, turning pretty sharp, in reverse, on 33's, lunchbox locker. I don't wanna do that trail repair a third time - hopefully 33's on the Dana 44 last a bit longer. Watch the steering angle in 4low!

 

[jeep2fun]

On second thoughts — is it advisable to re-gear to 4.56 instead of 4.88 ? Will this reduce the stress on Dana 30 and give it a few more days to survive? I know it may be sluggish on the highway with 35" but atleast a Slow TJ (on highway) is better than a Weak TJ — JMO. What do you all advise?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

On second thoughts — is it advisable to re-gear to 4.56 instead of 4.88 ? Will this reduce the stress on Dana 30 and give it a few more days to survive? I know it may be sluggish on the highway with 35" but at least a Slow TJ (on highway) is better than a Weak TJ — JMO. What do you all advise?

Absolutely stay with 4.88, the Jeep would be undergeared for 35" tires with 4.56. You'd be constantly downshifting for even very gentle grades.

 

[jeep2fun]

Absolutely stay with 4.88, the Jeep would be undergeared for 35" tires with 4.56. You'd be constantly downshifting for even very gentle grades.

Thank you again, one wrong step avoided — so 4.88 it is.

 

[pc1p]

Thank you again, one wrong step avoided — so 4.88 it is.

Being that you're in CO, I would even consider 5.13's - it's a great ratio for a 5-speed in hilly terrain.

Some people erroneously think their 4.0L should be driven like a diesel engine. Running highway speeds at 3000 RPM isn't a problem and as a matter of fact, often gives good fuel economy. Here's a short video of mine I took for a friend after he said he doesn't trust his TJ above 70 since it handles poorly:

 

[pc1p]

Both of the times I broke a front axle shaft on a Dana 30 was in 4low, turning pretty sharp, in reverse, on 33's, lunchbox locker. I don't wanna do that trail repair a third time - hopefully 33's on the Dana 44 last a bit longer. Watch the steering angle in 4low!

Where did the breaks occur? The Dana 44 shafts are essentially the same in terms of where their weak spots are. A good set of CM's would go a long way in reliability...

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Agree on the 5.13 gears recommended by pc1p, your Colorado altitudes and mountain grades would make that a better choice. I should have noticed you're in Colorado before.

And yes so far as a front Dana 44 and Dana 30 goes, the ears of both are unhardened, the same thickness at the u-joints, and are the same strength. I wouldn't expect a front Dana 44's ears to hold up any better than the Dana 30's. For a locker and bigger tires I'd upgrade them to 4340 inner/outer shafts like from Revolution Gear. Ricky @Garza at www.4lowparts.com would be a good resource for them.