Ford 8.8 vs JK Dana 44

The super 35 just means 30 spline shafts instead of 27. Same reason you can have a super 30 or super 44. Just increased spline count.
Kind of, but to pull back the curtain a little more, it gains strength through the material that it’s made from as well as an increase in diameter. Going from a stock 1.18 inch stock axle shaft to a 1.31 inch axle shaft.
 
  • Like
Reactions: starkey480
That’s apples to oranges. Especially if you already have a Dana 35. Once you get the tj44 you’re still going to need to get a locker and upgrade the axle shafts and get a new driveshaft.

Super 35: $1k total. Done.

TJ 44: axle - $1k, locker - $700, shafts- $400 = $2100 + new driveshaft + immediate regear + doing an axle swap for basically the exact same thing as the super 35.
Members here have gotten a TJ Dana 44 much cheaper than what a Super35 in parts alone. Jerry being one of them. His Jeep is not running a super35, but a swapped TJ44 that he got on the cheap.
  • Both axles will likely need a re-gear. Money would be spent regardless of axle housing choice.
  • The Super35, while not meant to be, is claimed to be just as strong as the STOCK dana 44 shafts. (Even in this thread) So why do the shafts need to be upgraded? Money saved.

  • I’d would rather have an upgraded driveshaft with a SYE anyways at that point. Money would be spent regardless of axle housing choice.
When I upgrade my dana 44 in the TJ, I would ask $500 max for it. They can be found for $500-600 from time to time. While rare, it does happen.

Not to mention, the JK Dana 44 Gen 2 can often be had for less than $800. But is NOT bolt in and would require a matching front axle in regards to WMS.

Plus sell your stock Dana 35 for what it’s worth to someone who wants/needs it. That money can offset the 44 swap cost.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The shuggs
Members here have gotten a TJ Dana 44 much cheaper than what a Super35 in parts alone. Jerry being one of them. His Jeep is not running a super35, but a swapped TJ44 that he got on the cheap.
  • Both axles will likely need a re-gear. Money would be spent regardless of axle housing choice.
  • The Super35, while not meant to be, is claimed to be just as strong as the STOCK dana 44 shafts. (Even in this thread) So why do the shafts need to be upgraded? Money saved.

  • I’d would rather have an upgraded driveshaft with a SYE anyways at that point. Money would be spent regardless of axle housing choice.
When I upgrade my dana 44 in the TJ, I would ask $500 max for it. They can be found for $500-600 from time to time. While rare, it does happen.

Not to mention, the JK Dana 44 Gen 2 can often be had for less than $800. But is NOT bolt in and would require a matching front axle in regards to WMS.

Plus sell your stock Dana 35 for what it’s worth to someone who wants/needs it. That money can offset the 44 swap cost.
Super 35 shafts are stronger than stock Dana 44 shafts. Take the housing names out of it and it’s easier to say 30 spline heat treated 1541h axle shafts are stronger than 30 spline carbon steel axle shafts. And no I would prefer not to run carbon steel axle shafts so those would need to go.

In my area Dana 44s are all around 1k. Maybe it’s because there is such good rock crawling out here I’m not sure. So even if you only factor in the housing plus a locker it’s still almost double the cost.

I got my super 35 kit for $400 on marketplace but I’m just lucky 😎
 
IMG_3264.jpg
IMG_3261.jpg

Here is my 8.8. Very rewarding project, been running it for years with ZERO issues. This isnt for everyone, either is spending thousands on a 44. There will be an argument on the differential being offset. I wouldnt steer you away from it.
 
I wish I knew what size wheel and tire my 8.8 would comfortably handle on trails now. Its bound to be so much stronger than my stock dana 35.
Also wondering the same thing about my front Dana 30 now than it has new 4340 chromolly axle shafts ?
 
I wish I knew what size wheel and tire my 8.8 would comfortably handle on trails now. Its bound to be so much stronger than my stock dana 35.
Also wondering the same thing about my front Dana 30 now than it has new 4340 chromolly axle shafts ?

It will handle 35" tires easily now and even bigger but your Dana 30 would be screaming. Back before the Super 35 kits came out 4Wheeler magazine did a writeup on the 8,8 and they said you could run 35" tires on stock axles. In that article they said the 8.8 was stronger than a Dana 44. I don't know how correct all the info was but that is what they wrote. The 8.8 was a suggested improvement but as I said this was before the Super35 .
 
I wish I knew what size wheel and tire my 8.8 would comfortably handle on trails now. Its bound to be so much stronger than my stock dana 35.
Also wondering the same thing about my front Dana 30 now than it has new 4340 chromolly axle shafts ?
No matter how strong you make the rear, your front is still limited by the TJ ball joints. Your limit is 35s.
 
SX2 tire info:

SX2-11035x13.50-153513.5085 lb1229/3264BSW91134.8513.5352600Yes


Toyo OC M/T tire info:

35X13.50R15LT114QCBSW21.03610008.50-11.08234.814.42600/-35/-N/A596


So both tires weigh within 3 pounds of each other. Both say they are 34.8" tall but I seem to remember the Toyo's being a little shorter.

The TSL's are bias ply so they will flat spot on you but it goes away in the first 5 miles or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eddie Greenlee
SX2 tire info:

SX2-11035x13.50-153513.5085 lb1229/3264BSW91134.8513.5352600Yes


Toyo OC M/T tire info:

35X13.50R15LT114QCBSW21.03610008.50-11.08234.814.42600/-35/-N/A596


So both tires weigh within 3 pounds of each other. Both say they are 34.8" tall but I seem to remember the Toyo's being a little shorter.

The TSL's are bias ply so they will flat spot on you but it goes away in the first 5 miles or so.
what is the load range of the SX2
 
In that article they said the 8.8 was stronger than a Dana 44.
If looking at the ring gear size (typically an easy data point that holds water)and comparing the 8.8 to the old (TJ/LJ) Dana 44 with the smaller ring gear, I would strongly agree. Mark Williams Enterprises seems to really like the strength behind the 8.8. Cheap and easy to find too. But as with pro’s, there are con’s when comparing each axle.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Wildman
They've been running 8.8's in Mustangs and Tbirds on the track for years. But what do I know...
 
Take the housing names out of it and it’s easier to say 30 spline heat treated 1541h axle shafts are stronger than 30 spline carbon steel axle shafts. And no I would prefer not to run carbon steel axle shafts so those would need to go.
I’ll agree, a Super35 Dana 35 uses 1.31 inch chromoly axles. A stock Dana 44 uses 1.31 inch carbon shafts. The Dana 35 axles have have a whopping ~10% increase in strength. For transparency a Ford 8.8 has 1.32 inch carbon axle shafts stock as well. A true testament would be a test to see at what point the two shafts break at. (how much torsional stregth does each have and at what number does each break at)
 
Nope. Blaine made one at one point but it’s not sold anymore. I’m not sure why.
I developed one for Superior along with the Super 88 version for the 8.8. To date, I'm the only one who figured out how to stop them from leaking and use a tapered roller bearing set that could handle side loads. All the rest use a ball bearing style bearing captured in an aluminum end housing and they are or were used for drag racing applications.

The eliminator was a great product but it had a few issues. The first is there is no good way to get converted to disc brakes and that turned a lot of folks off. The second is the higher strength shafts (no bearing surface on the shaft) used with the Set 10 bearings really dipped into the sales of the Super 35 kits since the much tougher 4340 and 4140 shafts broke far less often. There is also a case to be made for the end of the shaft not smacking into the cross pin aiding in longevity. We sent several kits out for testing and one gent in Canada beat the crap out of it without every breaking it. Cold, yanking and dragging logs in for firewood using his rig as an all wheel drive tractor with lots of wheelspin. He was very highly impressed and he was more than a fair bit of a 35 skeptic.

The last reason they aren't around is Yukon didn't run them through their fucking copy machine like they did the Super 88 kit.
 
No matter how strong you make the rear, your front is still limited by the TJ ball joints. Your limit is 35s.
so are there variations in ball joints today?? Are the ball joints in my Jeep from back in 1997? I dont know
Can I buy a ball joint that is twice as stronng as the current ones in my dana 30?
I'm sure it would be very hard to drill out the ball joint recieving hole to accept a larger and stronger ball joint !?
No matter how strong you make the rear, your front is still limited by the TJ ball joints. Your limit is 35s.
 
so are there variations in ball joints today?? Are the ball joints in my Jeep from back in 1997? I dont know
Can I buy a ball joint that is twice as stronng as the current ones in my dana 30?
I'm sure it would be very hard to drill out the ball joint recieving hole to accept a larger and stronger ball joint !?
No I was referring to the TJ style ball joint as the limiter not just the specific ones in your Dana 30. Same issue with a 44 as well. I’m not sure what can be done but if it was that easy more people would be doing it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eddie Greenlee
I mean if I really want to continue fixing the weakest links on my dana 30 , even more implortant than the chromolly axles just installed , would be the ball Joints !!!! I see standard ball joint, heavy duty ball joints. So are the breaking points of these ball joints 100% better