Which rear axle would you choose?

What would you pick and why?

  • Currie TJ 35-spline HP Dana 60

  • Strange housing, Barnes TJ brackets & Tru Hi9 35-spline center

  • ECGS 489 30-spline Dana 44

  • ECGS 31-spline 8.8

  • Something else?!


Hey Blaine, you remember Bill M from Bend, Oregon. That was his name, wasn’t it? 😉
 
I am into any junkyard 44 or 60, have Dutchman narrow and build shafts, pick either 5 or 6 lug front and you are done, if you do the work, $2-2.8 k per diff including a locker. Isuzu rodeo 44 of the correct year is 6 bolt, rear disc and the correct width with the big jk pinion, just add a locker and brackets. More of a diy and not just a bolt in. Cheap yes, easy no...
 
As I know most of the rear ends mentioned here will work.
Strange does not build a fab 9 housing with ground clearance or overall clearance in mind. Clearance would be a concern among other mentioned here with the fabricated 9/10inch from Strange.

nor does their housing seem to be built with Chromoly like the Spidertrax stuff.

For future searchers, a cheaper route would be a Trail Gear 9/10 inch fabricated housing in 3.5” and their Dana 60 unit bearing ends.

Spidertrax’s 3.5 inch tube Spider 9”/10” (which does account for clearance offroad and offers 4130 skidsmeasures 5 inches from tube centerline to the bottom of the “diff” when at 15 degrees of pinion angle.

That should be close to a Dana 35C although I’ve never personally measured.
 
A couple questions around what you stated here...
You’d be confident in a Super35 behind the Hemi? I’ve been reading that the still small ring and pinion do not like constant higher torque output at all. Especially with bigger heavier tires. I obviously do not know myself firsthand...
Also, you said that leaves a few other choices. Besides a Super35 and a TJ Dana 44. What else would you suggest?
The Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk uses a Dana 44 sized rear diff...it has a supercharged V8 making over 700hp
 
Yes, tons of people wheel with 35s and a Super 35 axle. Unless you drive like a dipshit you have nothing to worry about.
Why does tire spin and throttle always equate to dipshit driving?

How would you get over an obstacle that consist of an incline angled smooth rock covered in mud and water after attempting to crawl it at low speed only to result in all four tires spinning and you not making any progress?