Should I upgrade my Dana 35 axle?

If you're having trouble visualizing this, do this. Watch YouTube videos of jeeps wheeling, in different places. Then look if they included a spec list in the video, or comment section. Find one with a Dana 35 and tire setup close to what you want and watch how it wheels. Maybe that can help visually 🤷‍♂️
 
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Should I upgrade my Dana 35 axle?
Once upon a time I would have told you no, don't waste your money. However, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to build a Dana 35 axle. If you're planning on running 35" tires or larger, I wouldn't bother starting with a Dana 35. However, if you don't plan on going larger than 33" tires, a built Dana 35 should be more than up to the task. By replacing the axle shafts with chromoly ones (I recommend Revolution axle shafts), upgrading the ring and pinion, as well as the carrier and adding a locker, I think you'd end up with a really solid axle for 33" tires.

Blaine (who I consider to be one of the most knowledgable people in the TJ community) has pointed out to us that there is a guy out there running a built Dana 35 axle on 35" tires and has no issues at all breaking anything off road. Jerry Bransford has also pointed out on numerous occasions that a built Dana 35 is up to the task.

So there you have it, two of the more knowledgable guys in the TJ community who are not dismissing the Dana 35 as a decent axle to off-road with.

Make no mistake, a built Dana 35 is a strong and capable axle. Obviously not as strong as a build Dana 44 (or similar), but if you're not going to be running anything larger than 33" tires, a built Dana 35 should suit you just fine.

In the case of the Dana 35 and the parrots all over the internet who always like to repeat things like, "Don't build a Dana 35, you'd be polishing a turd!". Well, those people likely have ZERO experience with a built Dana 35, and therefore they don't know what one is capable of. They just heard someone say not to build a Dana 35 10 years ago, and have been repeating it ever since as if it has any merit whatsoever (it doesn't). That's how rumors get started, and this is one of those rumors that has no truth to it whatsoever.

Sure, a Dana 35 in stock form will be easily destroyed by a set of 35" tires and some off-roading. However, a build Dana 35 is another story altogether. Don't underestimate these axles!

Of course there can be no question that a Dana 44 will always add more resale value (and bragging rights) to your TJ, so there's always that to keep in mind!

Oh, and remember, no matter how strong of an axle you have (even if it's a built Dana 60), that can't stop it from being destroyed by a piss poor driver. No matter how indestructible you think your axle is, no axle is indestructible against bad driving skill.


4340 vs 1541H axle shafts (and why 4340 is not a good choice)
The following is a quote from @mrblaine in another thread regarding upgrading the Dana 35 axle shafts:

There's a whole bunch of confusion and one side of the equation going on so far. First, let's get apples to apples in perspective. 1541H is a case hardening alloy. 4340 is a through hardening alloy. They are not readily interchangeable due to the 35 axle having a bearing journal that the bearing rides on directly without adding a hardened race. For that application, the superior axle material is 1541H because it is plenty strong and because it is case hardening, you can bring the surface hardness up high enough to withstand bearing rollers riding on it. "IF" you try to bring 4340 up to the same hardness, it will be brittle because there is no ductility left at those levels of hardness. The 1541H will have a very high surface hardness with a softer core for a good level of ductility.

This is typical of what 4340 does when you try to use it for a bearing shaft and don't nail the heat treat.


View attachment 92646

The very same thing that makes 4340 difficult to use for bearing shafts is what makes it a great material for non bearing shafts like the Dana 44 with Set 10 bearings. Since the hardness for a bearing journal isn't an issue, the heat treat can be brought up high enough that there is a lot of ductility left and a fairly high level of hardness throughout without it being brittle.

1541H Dana 35 shafts don't scare me, 4340 Dana 35 shafts scare me a lot.

Nailed the difference in the surface hardening alloy. It might also be noted that the 4340 is fine for front D30s, but Dana 35 bearings ride directly on the shaft, and cause the axle to flex. It's this flexion that causes non-concentric torque, and causes brittle 4340 axles to fail. 1541H axles are much more flexible; and if properly surface hardened will retain the hard surface and also flexion.
 
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I hate to wake up an old thread, but this one is so full of good info. I have read through it twice now. I have a Dana 35 in the back of my 97 TJ that seems to be needing new pinion bearings as well as some other love. This seems the perfect time for an upgrade. Plans are 4 inch lift, 35x12.5 tires and lockers. Yes, I like rocks and want to wheel it pretty hard. Weekend toy, not a daily driver. I do have a couple questions though.

I have seen more than once that most of the 30 spline lockers and carriers are designed for axles that came with gear ratio 3.56 and higher. I have the 4L 5-spd which I believe came with 3.07 or something like that. If I am re-gearing, new locker(I believe comes with carrier) and 30 spline shafts can I use my existing Dana 35 housing?

High Pinion vs Low pinion. I have the low pinion front and rear. I hear high pinion is somewhat stronger. I could see it doing good things for driveshaft angles as well. Is it worth it to find some high pinion housings before dumping this much cash into them or are my current 30/35 fine?

Does anyone have a link to somewhere that I can buy a complete Super 35 kit from, the old links don't seem to be working any more.

Thanks,

Paul
 
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I hate to wake up an old thread, but this one is so full of good info. I have read through it twice now. I have a Dana 35 in the back of my 97 TJ that seems to be needing new pinion bearings as well as some other love. This seems the perfect time for an upgrade. Plans are 4 inch lift, 35x12.5 tires and lockers. Yes, I like rocks and want to wheel it pretty hard. Weekend toy, not a daily driver. I do have a couple questions though.

I have seen more than once that most of the 30 spline lockers and carriers are designed for axles that came with gear ratio 3.56 and higher. I have the 4L 5-spd which I believe came with 3.07 or something like that. If I am re-gearing, new locker(I believe comes with carrier) and 30 spline shafts can I use my existing Dana 35 housing?

High Pinion vs Low pinion. I have the low pinion front and rear. I hear high pinion is somewhat stronger. I could see it doing good things for driveshaft angles as well. Is it worth it to find some high pinion housings before dumping this much cash into them or are my current 30/35 fine?

Does anyone have a link to somewhere that I can buy a complete Super 35 kit from, the old links don't seem to be working any more.

Thanks,

Paul

You can use your existing Dana 35 housing for the Super35.

High pinion is stronger up front, if you can find one slap it in, otherwise use your low pinion, it'll work too.

Sources do seem to be wonky, another casualty of the great unnecessary & self-inflicted 'supply chain issues' we've foisted upon ourselves because ORANGE MAN BAD

But I digress:

https://www.revolutiongear.com/prod..._tj_cherokee_xj_30_spline_upgrade_super35_kit

the above link includes the shafts alone or an option with an air locker, hit the drop down menu

https://thejeephut.com/dana-35-rear-axle-kit-91-06-super35-w-arb-air-locker-revolution-gear/

Edit: here's the Super30:

https://www.revolutiongear.com/product/97_06_tj_lj_xj_and_zj_us_made_front_super_30_axle_kit
 
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I wish someone would make a TrueTrac style diff for 30 spline axles.

All I have been able to find are 27 spline from both Eaton and Powertrax.

For my type trail riding I don't really have a need for a locker and I don't want to add in an air compressor an other sundries to support a selectable one.

I've been waffling over this for a few weeks and have pretty much decided to do the 27 spline 1541H axles and TrueTrac.

Since I'll never go over 33" tires I think I should be fine.

I thought about doing the below linked Grip Lok kit since it's almost the same price as a 27 spline Truetrac kit, but I don't want the street manners.

For a 30 spline locker kit, if you don't want to do a selectable, here are a couple of links for Super 35 kits.

Grip Lok locker

Detroit locker

Edit: Added the E-Locker kit link

Eaton E-Locker
 
I hate to wake up an old thread, but this one is so full of good info. I have read through it twice now. I have a Dana 35 in the back of my 97 TJ that seems to be needing new pinion bearings as well as some other love. This seems the perfect time for an upgrade. Plans are 4 inch lift, 35x12.5 tires and lockers. Yes, I like rocks and want to wheel it pretty hard. Weekend toy, not a daily driver. I do have a couple questions though.

I have seen more than once that most of the 30 spline lockers and carriers are designed for axles that came with gear ratio 3.56 and higher. I have the 4L 5-spd which I believe came with 3.07 or something like that. If I am re-gearing, new locker(I believe comes with carrier) and 30 spline shafts can I use my existing Dana 35 housing?

High Pinion vs Low pinion. I have the low pinion front and rear. I hear high pinion is somewhat stronger. I could see it doing good things for driveshaft angles as well. Is it worth it to find some high pinion housings before dumping this much cash into them or are my current 30/35 fine?

Does anyone have a link to somewhere that I can buy a complete Super 35 kit from, the old links don't seem to be working any more.

Thanks,

Paul

I'm a fan of re-using old threads, just like old jeeps, lol. I too am rebuilding my Dana 35 soon with a 30 spline upgrade, but I'm not "beefing" up my housing since I'm not going any bigger than 31" tires. Yeah, I know, not very tall. But that's what the engine skid plate is for (y)

Going with OX locker and RevGear 30 spline axle shafts. No re-gearing needed, so I get to save some money there. Good luck!
 
I know, as others said, this is an old thread. BUT a good one for new TJ owners to understand and help navigate the true information about stock TJ Dana 30/35 differentials.
I am new to Jeeps and 4x4 vehicles. Bought a "beach cruiser" to use in Daytona Beach/ New Smyrna Beach Florida area to cruise the beaches and do a little trail riding. I'm old, don't want to get stuck and considering a lunchbox in the 30 and leaving the 35 open. I'm running 31x10.5x15 tires, NO lift and 4cyl 3 sp auto with 3.73 (stock) gears. No power on streets but seems ok in lower gears in sand.
Do you think a regear to 4.56 or 4.88 is worth the $$$ for my applications?
 
I know, as others said, this is an old thread. BUT a good one for new TJ owners to understand and help navigate the true information about stock TJ Dana 30/35 differentials.
I am new to Jeeps and 4x4 vehicles. Bought a "beach cruiser" to use in Daytona Beach/ New Smyrna Beach Florida area to cruise the beaches and do a little trail riding. I'm old, don't want to get stuck and considering a lunchbox in the 30 and leaving the 35 open. I'm running 31x10.5x15 tires, NO lift and 4cyl 3 sp auto with 3.73 (stock) gears. No power on streets but seems ok in lower gears in sand.
Do you think a regear to 4.56 or 4.88 is worth the $$$ for my applications?

few thoughts. Re-gearing to 4.56 from the 4.10s you probably have isn't going to all that different, there are some charts and graphs here that should tell you what ratio is best for your setup & for all I know that is the correct ratio. Also, I don't know what a little trail riding means, that varies person to person, though in Florida I don't suspect it's going to be too taxing so the lunchbox up front will likely be sufficient for your purposes, it'll be far more capable that what you've been dealing with thus far so you may want to just start there & see how it does, it's dirt cheap, comparatively speaking. Leaving the rear open will work for most things, though if you get sucked down the slipperly slope you may want to consider tossing a locker back there too when you're re-gearing if you go that way. That will include a few extra parts for the 35, but once they're in there re-gearing it shouldn't add much cost-wise for labor, but the parts are getting pricey. Probably the least expensive route would be a Detroit locker as opposed to a selectable.
 
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I know, as others said, this is an old thread. BUT a good one for new TJ owners to understand and help navigate the true information about stock TJ Dana 30/35 differentials.
I am new to Jeeps and 4x4 vehicles. Bought a "beach cruiser" to use in Daytona Beach/ New Smyrna Beach Florida area to cruise the beaches and do a little trail riding. I'm old, don't want to get stuck and considering a lunchbox in the 30 and leaving the 35 open. I'm running 31x10.5x15 tires, NO lift and 4cyl 3 sp auto with 3.73 (stock) gears. No power on streets but seems ok in lower gears in sand.
Do you think a regear to 4.56 or 4.88 is worth the $$$ for my applications?
I'd do nothing but install the lunchbox locker in your Dana 30, beach cruising and "a little trail riding" doesn't warrant anything else. Personally I'd go strictly with the No-Slip lunchbox locker, it's made by Powertrax.

I installed a No-Slip into the front axle of my previous TJ and it was a stellar product, you couldn't even tell it was there until after shifting into 4x4. Most lunchbox lockers make ratcheting and clicking sounds while making low-speed turns like in parking lots which I didn't like. That's why I really liked my No-Slip, it was silent in those situations.
 
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I'm currently in the process of finishing up my Dana 35 - Super 35 build. (Working on the Dana 35 now). Just to add my .02, I'm re-gearing to 4.88 with front and rear lockers (OX). My plan was/is, to not go any bigger than 31" tires. I'm building my Jeep to be a strong as I possibly can make it, with the equipment that it already came with. Sure, I could have spent the time and money searching for a Dana 44/8.8, but I already have the Dana 35 and a spare Dana 35 (you can find those really cheap and readily available), but then I would have to pay for the axle AND the upgrade of parts. I'm just working with what I have.

I'm building it to be an all around rig, not just rock rolling. I figured lockers are a good "tool" to have with the jeep, so I better upgrade the Dana 35, from everything I've read about them. Maybe some day I'll upgrade to 33's, but that would be in the future since the 31's I have are new.

Anyways, happy wheeling!

PS: My profile picture is me wheeling with the stock Dana 35 (NO upgrades) on 31's at Hidden Falls Offroad park in Marble Falls, TX and it did just fine.

TXTJ
 
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I know, as others said, this is an old thread. BUT a good one for new TJ owners to understand and help navigate the true information about stock TJ Dana 30/35 differentials.
I am new to Jeeps and 4x4 vehicles. Bought a "beach cruiser" to use in Daytona Beach/ New Smyrna Beach Florida area to cruise the beaches and do a little trail riding. I'm old, don't want to get stuck and considering a lunchbox in the 30 and leaving the 35 open. I'm running 31x10.5x15 tires, NO lift and 4cyl 3 sp auto with 3.73 (stock) gears. No power on streets but seems ok in lower gears in sand.
Do you think a regear to 4.56 or 4.88 is worth the $$$ for my applications?

That combination is amazingly underpowered. You'll be happy if you treat it like an old flat fender and keep it below 50 mph.

Gearing will help in situations where you need a bit more power,but you will be disappointed if you expect gears to make it drive like a 6cyl
 
few thoughts. Re-gearing to 4.56 from the 4.10s you probably have isn't going to all that different, there are some charts and graphs here that should tell you what ratio is best for your setup & for all I know that is the correct ratio. Also, I don't know what a little trail riding means, that varies person to person, though in Florida I don't suspect it's going to be too taxing so the lunchbox up front will likely be sufficient for your purposes, it'll be far more capable that what you've been dealing with thus far so you may want to just start there & see how it does, it's dirt cheap, comparatively speaking. Leaving the rear open will work for most things, though if you get sucked down the slipperly slope you may want to consider tossing a locker back there too when you're re-gearing if you go that way. That will include a few extra parts for the 35, but once they're in there re-gearing it shouldn't add much cost-wise for labor, but the parts are getting pricey. Probably the least expensive route would be a Detroit locker as opposed to a selectable.

Thanks for the information. The trails, around my home, can be driven by most vehicles with exception of an occasional puddle with slippery goop on the bottom and the soft sand that may have gotten washed up from the rivers. I have yet to use 4x4 any place because I refused to cross one large puddle without another jeep and recovery gear. I have no winch (yet)
As for gears, chart shows from 3.73 to 4.56 would be a good choice for my tire selection. I may rethink that and just use <31" tires on 15" rims and sell the 18" rims and 32" tires that I bought.
 
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I'd do nothing but install the lunchbox locker in your Dana 30, beach cruising and "a little trail riding" doesn't warrant anything else. Personally I'd go strictly with the No-Slip lunchbox locker, it's made by Powertrax.

I installed a No-Slip into the front axle of my previous TJ and it was a stellar product, you couldn't even tell it was there until after shifting into 4x4. Most lunchbox lockers make ratcheting and clicking sounds while making low-speed turns like in parking lots which I didn't like. That's why I really liked my No-Slip, it was silent in those situations.

I was thinking this way too. I did buy a Powertrax LockRight for the Dana 30 up front and will install soon. I think just having the lunchbox up front will be a large improvement.
 
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I was thinking this way too. I did buy a Powertrax LockRight for the Dana 30 up front and will install soon. I think just having the lunchbox up front will be a large improvement.
That's one of the better lunchbox lockers. It won't be totally silent when making slow speed turns but that's not a drawback for most people who need a locker.
 
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I'm currently in the process of finishing up my Dana 35 - Super 35 build. (Working on the Dana 35 now). Just to add my .02, I'm re-gearing to 4.88 with front and rear lockers (OX). My plan was/is, to not go any bigger than 31" tires. I'm building my Jeep to be a strong as I possibly can make it, with the equipment that it already came with. Sure, I could have spent the time and money searching for a Dana 44/8.8, but I already have the Dana 35 and a spare Dana 35 (you can find those really cheap and readily available), but then I would have to pay for the axle AND the upgrade of parts. I'm just working with what I have.

I'm building it to be an all around rig, not just rock rolling. I figured lockers are a good "tool" to have with the jeep, so I better upgrade the Dana 35, from everything I've read about them. Maybe some day I'll upgrade to 33's, but that would be in the future since the 31's I have are new.

Anyways, happy wheeling!

PS: My profile picture is me wheeling with the stock Dana 35 (NO upgrades) on 31's at Hidden Falls Offroad park in Marble Falls, TX and it did just fine.

TXTJ

Thanks for that information. I will figure out how to change photos (Avatars) but for now my radio has the front stage.
I have thought about dumping lots of cash into my new to me 98 TJ then I said no, I will recycle others parts that they upgrade. LOL
I'm an old man on a pretty strict budget. I am going to install a lunchbox locker in the front Dana 30 and leave the rear open till I find a good replacement for the open carrier, this should at least help a little if I get in trouble. My TJ came with 27" tires and PO installed 31x10.5r15 on it before I bought it. I got some nice 255/70r18 (32") tires but the TJ has a hard time turning them, no guts at all. I'll sell them the 32's and just run 31" tires.
Thanks again...
 
My locker to install.

LockRight 2.jpg