Blew up the Dana 35 rear, deciding on next step

1KEE

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Hi, I've been a lurker since I got this Tj a while back... Love the thing, it's been a daily driver and a lot of fun as well.

Still completely stock, 250K miles, 4.0, manual and a Dana 35 rear 3.73 ratio. Stock tires. Well, I was horsing around the other day and blew up the rear end.

Pretty sure the spider gears scattered. One of the rear axles will now completely slide out the end of the axle tube lol, the C-clip is gone. Rear end popped, then locked up, then went completely open after rocking back and forth. Oh, and I did drive it like that (on the front axle) for like 10 miles.

I'm not excited about the idea of rebuilding the 35 rear end. Pretty sure it's a mess inside. A stock 44 rear with same ratio can be had for about $1500 from a junkyard that looks decent. Not cheap, but convenient. And I'm not looking to re-gear or go bigger tires right now.

I considered getting a JK or JL axle, welding the brackets on and switching to JK/JL wheels, but not cheaper, and is more work... Thought about a Ford 8.8, thought about a 60, really want to go full float, etc. But I do miss driving the jeep, and don't want to turn this into a huge project. Whatcha guys think, should I just stick the junkyard 44 in it and go, or get silly with it?

Also, I'm shocked at how wimpy the wheel bearing design is on the 35 and the 44. I'm used to 3/4 ton truck with dana 80 full float lol, Kinda want to do a full float conversion on the stock 44 later on. And yeah, I read about the new 2024 full float 44 option, yeah that would be interesting but can't wait till those hit the junkyards.

Oh, I do have access to welding and machining... I'm not efficient at it and i take forever to get stuff done but not totally the end of the world. Just trying to sort though all the options and get things rolling.

(attached is a photo for laughs haha)

Thank you for any advice, and happy Memorial Day !
Alex.

AxleBlewUpSml.jpg
 
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Do a cost/benefit list for all those options. Dana 35 is going to come out on top,especially upgraded to a super 35.that jy Dana 44 is going to need parts/service and you'll need to shorten the driveshaft.

Why the hell would you consider a half dozen axles that don't even match your track width?
 
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Speaking from recent experience, I had to recently completely rebuild my rear Dana 35. I had to buy a carrier, all gears, shafts, seals, and bearings. Parts alone were about $1100. I paid $500 labor to have it all put in.

I tried hard to find a salvage one but couldn’t find one for less than $800 and no guarantee that it was any good.

I shopped online and rebuilt ones with warranty were about $1800-2000.

I am happy that everything is brand new now but would’ve like to find a used one close to me to swap out at a good price. I just couldn’t and didn’t want to wait until I got lucky and found one. I searched hard for a week online and at all salvage yards within 150 miles.
 
Thanks for the honest advise re staying with Dana 35, even tho It's not what I wanted to hear lol. At the moment my top candidate is a stock TJ dana 44 from a junkyard for about $1500, with the same (3.73) gears that I already have. Should be plug and play (yeah, the driveshaft might have to be shortened or just get the junkyard to send me the driveshaft from the donor Jeep).

I'll admit to having the kinda psychology that hates replacing someting I broke with the same thing, But, as well all know, the Jeep axle replacement thing is a huge slippery slope, so I'm just trying to find a happy medium between better than what I broke, and not too crazy.

Thanks for all the feedback!
 
Are you familiar with a super 35 kit? You could go that route and have a stronger setup than even the Dana 44.

Yea, I've been reading about it.... One thing is I can not do the ring/pinion setup myself, and by the time I get the parts for an S35 and pay someone to put the gears together, it's no cheaper than the 44 axle swap. On the other hand, I'm very comfortable swapping out the whole axle myself...

Also, it doesn't seem that the spider gears are any stronger in the S35 setup...
 
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Yea, I've been reading about it.... One thing is I can not do the ring/pinion setup myself, and by the time I get the parts for an S35 and pay someone to put the gears together, it's no cheaper than the 44 axle swap. On the other hand, I'm very comfortable swapping out the whole axle myself...

Also, it doesn't seem that the spider gears are any stronger in the S35 setup...

Super 35 kits usually come with a locker.
 
Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!!

Thought I'd give an update on the axle situation... I appreciate all the feedback on rebuilding the blown up Dana-35 to an S35, but I decided to just swap it out with a 44 from a junkyard one state away. Got a 104K mile Dana 44 with Tru-Track LSD and disc brakes (yeah, I know, the disc brakes really isn't much of an upgrade) from a 2004. Same gear ratio (3.73) and I got it with the brake lines and parking brake cables so the swap is pretty much a drop-in. Might have to look into a different proportioning valve....

I got the driveshaft from the donor Jeep as well, only to find out it's the same as mine. Turns out all the talk about needing a shorter driveshaft for a 35 to 44 swap is incorrect. the axle center-line to pinion yoke distance on a 35 and a 44 is the same.

Here are some photos of pulling the old axle out. A forklift is handy to have, and the removal is really easy.

OldAxleRemove.jpg


OldAxleRemove3.jpg


OldAxleRemove2.jpg
 
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Here is the carnage found in the old axle. Looks like the carrier blew up. My guess is the pin that holds the spider gears worked it's way loose, caught the housing, and scattered the carrier.

OldAxleCarnage.jpg


OldAxleCarnage2.jpg


OldAxleCarnage3.jpg


OldAxleCarnage4.jpg
 
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And getting ready to put the new axle in.... Going with a LubeLocker gasket, I don't like the messy silicone. Was thinking about painting the axle with 2-part epoxy, but after thinking about how much work it is to prep it properly, I gave up. Just doing some rattle-can on the spring perches (because they have the plastic liners on top and trap moisture). Will change the oil after a week of driving (that's why I like the re-usable LubeLocker gasket), and will powder-coat the diff cover.

DiffGasket.jpg


NewAxle2.jpg


NewAxle3.jpg


NewAxle4.jpg
 
Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!!

Thought I'd give an update on the axle situation... I appreciate all the feedback on rebuilding the blown up Dana-35 to an S35, but I decided to just swap it out with a 44 from a junkyard one state away. Got a 104K mile Dana 44 with Tru-Track LSD and disc brakes (yeah, I know, the disc brakes really isn't much of an upgrade) from a 2004. Same gear ratio (3.73) and I got it with the brake lines and parking brake cables so the swap is pretty much a drop-in. Might have to look into a different proportioning valve....

I got the driveshaft from the donor Jeep as well, only to find out it's the same as mine. Turns out all the talk about needing a shorter driveshaft for a 35 to 44 swap is incorrect. the axle center-line to pinion yoke distance on a 35 and a 44 is the same.

Here are some photos of pulling the old axle out. A forklift is handy to have, and the removal is really easy.

View attachment 438368

View attachment 438369

View attachment 438370

Interesting that the driveshafts are the same. Can someone elaborate? Something doesn't add up here. Do they only need different driveshafts when you go double cardan?

Not thrilled about working under a jeep supported only by a forklift.
 
Proportioning valve is the same from drum to disc. No worries there.

Good deal!

Thanks for the info re the prop. valve. That's good to know.

If anyone wants the remains of the Dana 35 it's free for the taking and I can load with a forklift, CA Bay Area. All the brake stuff is there, but the diff is not in the best of condition lolz.
 
Interesting that the driveshafts are the same. Can someone elaborate? Something doesn't add up here. Do they only need different driveshafts when you go double cardan?

Not thrilled about working under a jeep supported only by a forklift.

I got the original driveshaft from the donor '04, and it's exactly the same as my original one. Same part number, too (see photo below). The way I measured the center-line to pinion yoke distance is with tires on the old axle, roll it to where the pinion yoke points to the floor, and measyre from the floor to the yoke. Repeat with the Dana 44, same measurement. So yeah, same length driveshaft.

Re the fokrlift and working under the Jeep, I'm crazy but not that crazy lolz i use jackstands against the frame rails when I'm under it. The forklift is for positioning it up and down, lifting it out of the way when I roll the axle in and out, and to check supsension movement and stuff. It's really handy to have the forklift there.

Driveshaft.jpg
 
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And getting ready to put the new axle in.... Going with a LubeLocker gasket, I don't like the messy silicone. Was thinking about painting the axle with 2-part epoxy, but after thinking about how much work it is to prep it properly, I gave up. Just doing some rattle-can on the spring perches (because they have the plastic liners on top and trap moisture). Will change the oil after a week of driving (that's why I like the re-usable LubeLocker gasket), and will powder-coat the diff cover.

View attachment 438379

View attachment 438380

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View attachment 438382

Wow, that Dana 35 really came apart. I upgraded my axle to a super 35 with an e-locker and I'm happy with it on and off-road. But, assuming your new 44 doesn't have have any big hidden issues, I think your choice is a good and cost effective one.
 
I got the original driveshaft from the donor '04, and it's exactly the same as my original one. Same part number, too (see photo below). The way I measured the center-line to pinion yoke distance is with tires on the old axle, roll it to where the pinion yoke points to the floor, and measyre from the floor to the yoke. Repeat with the Dana 44, same measurement. So yeah, same length driveshaft.

Re the fokrlift and working under the Jeep, I'm crazy but not that crazy lolz i use jackstands against the frame rails when I'm under it. The forklift is for positioning it up and down, lifting it out of the way when I roll the axle in and out, and to check supsension movement and stuff. It's really handy to have the forklift there.

View attachment 438388

I upgraded from 35 to 44. The driveshafts are different.
 
Dana 44 is almost an inch longer, and as a result you simply cannot assemble it with the original Dana 35 driveshaft.
I tried, and it simply didn’t fit.
It is possible that your rig has a lift that made it with work with stock driveshaft.
I did measure the old and new driveshafts before installing, and it is around 2cm shorter.
 
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Dana 44 is almost an inch longer, and as a result you simply cannot assemble it with the original Dana 35 driveshaft.
I tried, and it simply didn’t fit.
It is possible that your rig has a lift that made it with work with stock driveshaft.
I did measure the old and new driveshafts before installing, and it is around 2cm shorter.

Thanks for the info. I have not installed the axle yet (give me a few more hours :), but I did measure the pinion yoke to centerline of the axle distance on both the original Dana 35 and the "new" Dana 44, and they are the same. I just rolled it around with tires installed, pointed the pinion towads the floor, and measures the distance between the floor and the yoke. It was the same. Yes, one axle is a Dana 35 and the other a Dana 44.

Considering how my measurements are conflicting with other people's experiences, I am planning on double-checking by putting everything together, leaving the suspension bolts loose, leaving the springs out, and letting it down onto the bump-stops. Then checking driveshaft for enough room on the splines (that's why I like having the forklift for up and down action hahah).

Oh, and yeah, my TJ is stock height. And I was sorely tempted to install a small lift while doing this....
 
Thanks for the info. I have not installed the axle yet (give me a few more hours :), but I did measure the pinion yoke to centerline of the axle distance on both the original Dana 35 and the "new" Dana 44, and they are the same. I just rolled it around with tires installed, pointed the pinion towads the floor, and measures the distance between the floor and the yoke. It was the same. Yes, one axle is a Dana 35 and the other a Dana 44.

Considering how my measurements are conflicting with other people's experiences, I am planning on double-checking by putting everything together, leaving the suspension bolts loose, leaving the springs out, and letting it down onto the bump-stops. Then checking driveshaft for enough room on the splines (that's why I like having the forklift for up and down action hahah).

Oh, and yeah, my TJ is stock height. And I was sorely tempted to install a small lift while doing this....

If you have stock height, you will need to have different driveshaft, like and inch shorter. Otherwise, you will assemble everything and then discover that it you cannot fit the driveshaft