Best crate axles to upgrade from my Dana 30 / 35

Woodrow said:
Many knowledgeable folks here have said the S35 (which does require a locker) is more than up to 35s. As said above, the clearance is better and another possible advantage is lower weight. I currently run a Super 35 w/ an e-locker on 33s.
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freedom_in_4low said:
Cool. I lived there from 90-97 and 02-06. Don't make it down there much anymore. Must be nice living 45min closer to Crossbar though.
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Indeed! Always looking for more people to wheel with if you’re down there often maybe we can connect somehow.
 
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You give up a lot going with crate axles on either a 33" or 35 " tire. Weight, clearance, and, often, travel. Take a look at some of what @starkey480 does on a HP30 and Rubicon Dana 44. If I remember correctly, he just converted to the Dana 44, but ran a Super 35 kit for a while. Besides him, there are numerous others here who wheel hard on similar combinations.

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Irun said:
You give up a lot going with crate axles on either a 33" or 35 " tire. Weight, clearance, and, often, travel. Take a look at some of what @starkey480 does on a HP30 and Rubicon Dana 44. If I remember correctly, he just converted to the Dana 44, but ran a Super 35 kit for a while. Besides him, there are numerous others here who wheel hard on similar combinations.

d54bd721-d784-475b-b453-43a8129b4d82-jpeg.379805


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Is that license plate a plug for your new gluten free yogurt company? 😬
 
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TheBoogieman said:
Those look like 37s in that pic. :unsure:
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100% optical illusion, in fact they're KM3's so they're really more like 32's. I think it's the angle, closeup, and the front & rear being chopped off a bit that gives it that look. Here's another couple shots, they look smaller as you step away.

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Murf926 said:
Did your dick fall off? 😂
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not yet :oops:
 
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Westtown Willy said:
100% optical illusion, in fact they're KM3's so they're really more like 32's. I think it's the angle, closeup, and the front & rear being chopped off a bit that gives it that look. Here's another couple shots, they look smaller as you step away.

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not yet :oops:
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I only ask because I can't think of many scenarios where I'd get tired of fuck'n a good looking woman...and I'm an old bastard.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
harder than me for sure. All of his wheeling trip reports seem to start off describing his respectable 35" build as the smallest rig in the group, with the rest on 37-40" tires.
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I’ve followed Victor through some pretty gnarly stuff, so yeah, he wheels hard.

(…and to confirm the rest of his post, I’ve also had close up views of him breaking axles. 🙂)
 
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You got to see me break the front axle (locker) and rear axle (shaft) within 5 ft of each other :)

That damn Goose Trail has got my number, I think I either winch or I break something 9 out of 10 times when running that trail. Hopefully next weekend will be the 1/10 time!
 
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gasiorv said:
Driving style and the type of wheeling I do is most likely a factor, but I have found that a Dana 44 (rear) with chromoly shafts is not adequate for 35s. I was constantly breaking shafts, breaking e-lockers, and replacing bearings and seals. So if others are saying that a Dana 35 with shafts is equivalent to a Dana 44 with shafts and are going to do any serious wheeling, I recommend going with the Currie Dana 60. With the currie, it is basically stock width, you don't have to stretch, and with the Currie you lose minimal clearance between diff and ground.

For the front, I am still running my Dana 44. The stock rubi locker went on me and I also had issues with breaking ujoints and ears (on chromoly shafts), but since I upgraded to an elocker and RCVs I haven't had any issues with the front on 35s. So if you upgrade your Dana 30 to 30 spline shafts like Starkey recommended you will probably be OK.

Again, my recommend is based on my driving style and the wheeling I do, my Jeep is a toy to me and is in the rocks much more than on the roads. I don't know what type of wheeling you do, so my recommend may not apply.
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And people said you couldn't break a HP60 on 35" tires but I proved them wrong on that one... Seems there are the 1% who can break stuff that others have no issues with. I'm on R&P # 4 right now in my HP60 rear axle. If I break another one I'm going to a LP60 or a 14 bolt like Jeff.
 
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a few years ago I went with a complete ECGS 489 with a 33 spline OZ. My old high mile 44 housing was spun and cracked, the brakes were shot, the pinion nut wouldn’t stay tight and I wanted a locker. I’d love to do an LS conversion one day so I went with something more that speed. It was expensive but I have had zero issues it. Easy bolt-in. The axles have both 5 lug patterns so if you decide to go larger and maybe add 1/2 ton lockouts one day, you’re a step closer.
Be sure to communication concerning shock mount placement and lift so you can run the length shocks you prefer and end up with a favorable pinion angle. The larger axle tubes and thicker mounts do lift the rear a little higher.
 
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Wildman said:
And people said you couldn't break a HP60 on 35" tires but I proved them wrong on that one... Seems there are the 1% who can break stuff that others have no issues with. I'm on R&P # 4 right now in my HP60 rear axle. If I break another one I'm going to a LP60 or a 14 bolt like Jeff.
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Well I just installed a HP60, so hopefully I don't have the same fate. But that is my luck, I broke everything on the Dana 44 except for the R&P, now that I installed the HP60 (as an upgrade) I will break the R&P due to the reverse gear. Oh well, I will have fun doing it!!
 
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gasiorv said:
Well I just installed a HP60, so hopefully I don't have the same fate. But that is my luck, I broke everything on the Dana 44 except for the R&P, now that I installed the HP60 (as an upgrade) I will break the R&P due to the reverse gear. Oh well, I will have fun doing it!!
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If you break get the load bolt from Jantz Engineering. I talked about how I installed it in my thread. I broke the ring gear teeth twice and the pinon gear teeth once.
 
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