2002 TJ, broken axle

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JimmyMac

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Currently have Dana 35 Rear, Dana 30 front. Rear axle broke, thought it was a good time to upgrade to a Dana 44 with electric locks in rear, and maybe replace the front as well. Looking for advice


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JimmyMac said:
Currently have Dana 35 Rear, Dana 30 front. Rear axle broke, thought it was a good time to upgrade to a Dana 44 with electric locks in rear, and maybe replace the front as well. Looking for advice


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Depends on how you broke it?
 
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A Dana 35 rear axle can be made to be pretty darn strong, just ask @mrblaine

How did you manage to break your rear axle? That's the first piece of the puzzle we need to know.
 
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JimmyMac said:
Currently have Dana 35 Rear, Dana 30 front. Rear axle broke, thought it was a good time to upgrade to a Dana 44 with electric locks in rear, and maybe replace the front as well. Looking for advice


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Have a set of Rubicon Dana 44's under my 98. Love them. Disc brakes and lockers. Can't go wrong.
 
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mrblaine said:
Depends on how you broke it?
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If I had to assume the chain of events leading up to the situation, I would assume the keeper broke or slipped off, the axel moved out of position and the spline end is now non existent. I have yet to look at the spider gears, since my efforts were superseded by a group of enthusiasts, but I know the butt plate removed exposed a good deal of debris. I was told the spider gears are chewed up. Last evolution was a failed attempt to climb a 60 degree wall, but I am not convinced it was the cause


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JimmyMac said:
If I had to assume the chain of events leading up to the situation, I would assume the keeper broke or slipped off, the axel moved out of position and the spline end is now non existent. I have yet to look at the spider gears, since my efforts were superseded by a group of enthusiasts, but I know the butt plate removed exposed a good deal of debris. I was told the spider gears are chewed up. Last evolution was a failed attempt to climb a 60 degree wall, but I am not convinced it was the cause
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That climb is typical of events that can cause Dana 35 breakages, especially if there was any axle bounce going on. It's simply not a robust axle, its smallish diameter 27 spline axle shaft likely snapped right at where it enters the differential's side gears which is at the base of the splines.

These photos typical Dana 35 breakages... http://www.billhughes.com/dana35c/

Replacing the entire axle with a used TJ Dana 44 would be optimal and the easiest. The issue is those TJ Dana 44 axles have become precious commodities and aren't always priced reasonably. Other possibilities include installing a Super 35 kit from www.revolutiongear.com as sold by www.4lowparts.com or adapting a Ford 8.8 axle which is not easy or cheap either unless you are a fair fabricator and know how to weld and get it installed on your own.

This photo shows the stock Dana 35 axle shaft, 1.18 inches in diameter with 27 splines (left). The Super 35 shaft in comparison on the right is 1.31 inches in diameter and has 30 splines for a strength gain of over 35 percent.

p64128_image_large.jpg
 
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Jerry - you are correct. Finally got a good look at the axel and gears. Spline end broke off, took out the spider gears. Found a Dana 44 with 3.73 ring & pinion to Mach the front. Used, will check it out tomorrow. Thanks for all the input everyone. Excellent place to get an education. And you are most likely correct, attacking that wall did the trick.


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