Jeep LJ Dana 44

[JosefDanielsLJ]

My rear Dana 44 axle threw a ring rear bolt and now the diff needs new gears. Should I regear the diff and add a locker or is it worth it to buy a Currie dana 44 complete axle assembly with locker and regeared. I still have the Dana 30 front axle with 5.13s open diff. I do off-road the jeep on pretty difficult trails and I am on 35s.

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

My rear Dana 44 axle threw a ring rear bolt and now the diff needs new gears. Should I regear the diff and add a locker or is it worth it to buy a Currie dana 44 complete axle assembly with locker and regeared. I still have the Dana 30 front axle with 5.13s open diff. I do off-road the jeep on pretty difficult trails and I am on 35s.

Edit- After looking at the currie axle the bigger gears from a Jk Dana 44 wouldn't hurt either which is a plus,I also think the price went up on it....So my math down below wasn't to accurate

If your strictly gonna run 35s I wouldn't spend the cash on a currie and save about 2k
A regear and a locker would suffice especially if you already have chromo. Shafts ,If you don't mind spending the extra 2k or so it'd be nice to have that currie axle because of the thicker tubes and beefier brackets and the improved trackbar bracket it has too

In my case I've only done new brackets from Jeeps west on my Dana 44 and a trutrac&gears and ran it for some time and I'm really happy with it, But with my heavy foot and the new manual swap d44s are weak to me now (the gears) so I'm now going on with a ford 9" etc.

 

[JosefDanielsLJ]

If your strictly gonna run 35s I wouldn't spend the cash on a currie and save about 2k
A regear and a locker would suffice especially if you already have chromo. Shafts ,If you don't mind spending the extra 2k or so it'd be nice to have that currie axle because of the thicker tubes and beefier brackets and the improved trackbar bracket it has too

In my case I've only done new brackets from Jeeps west on my Dana 44 and a trutrac&gears and ran it for some time and I'm really happy with it, But with my heavy foot and the new manual swap d44s are weak to me now (the gears) so I'm now going on with a ford 9" etc.

Yea for 5k I was thinking either I have a shop regear both axles again to 5.13s (regear was previously done by PO not very good) and add Eaton lockers to both axles or buying just rear Currie axle for now. Not sure if it’s worth putting money into low pinion dana 30 or not. Both current axles have stock shafts so would have to upgrade those too later.

Edit: I could have Currie 44 to my door for 5200$
Regear both axles and add Eaton lockers would be around 5500 (quoted by shop)

 

[macleanflood]

Regear it yourself. You'll spend a ton less on tools and learn a lot in the process.

-Mac

 

[JosefDanielsLJ]

Regear it yourself. You'll spend a ton less on tools and learn a lot in the process.

-Mac

I’ve thought about it, just the setting backlash and pinion depth is what gets me.

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

I’ve thought about it, just the setting backlash and pinion depth is what gets me.

Yep thats where you need patience and alot more patience with a side of patience....Did I mention patience ? Yeah patience
I've gotten good myself on setting up gears but I'm also not afraid to ask around if I need help So you can do the same so when the time comes of breaking gears or whatever you'll have a better picture on how to fix it!

If you do your own gears I'd recommend (what has helped me) setting your pinion depth dialed in 1st,Start of loose on backlash reel it in to manufacturers spec of your carrier/locker and gears and find a good medium,Then do pinion preload
It helped me a ton to have a set of setup bearings,So if you use Koyo or Timken use 1 brand for setup and another set of the same brand for your final setup

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

Yea for 5k I was thinking either I have a shop regear both axles again to 5.13s (regear was previously done by PO not very good) and add Eaton lockers to both axles or buying just rear Currie axle for now. Not sure if it’s worth putting money into low pinion dana 30 or not. Both current axles have stock shafts so would have to upgrade those too later.

Edit: I could have Currie 44 to my door for 5200$
Regear both axles and add Eaton lockers would be around 5500 (quoted by shop)

People can get away with a LP30 if you're easy on em. Im not as to why I'm going with a Hp30 which is about 30% stronger since it's a high pinion

You can find a Hp30 for around 300 bucks or so,so it wouldn't be too bad Of an additional cost if you do it yourself (swapping the axle yourself) especially if you're already gonna be doing new gears and lockers front&rear

financially doing gears and lockers for the front&rear would be the smarter choice rather than spending that 5200 on just a rear axle

Imo I wouldn't spend the money on a LP30 I'd put it in a Hp30 I've yet to break my Lp30 but I'm easy on the trails since I'm a crawler,But a racecar driver on the streets
I've broken my Dana 44 3 times already,I've yet to break my LP30 but It's also not seeing nitrous launches either...Or clutch dumps...But it's showing signs of wear (backlash is getting loose)

 

[mrblaine]

I’ve thought about it, just the setting backlash and pinion depth is what gets me.

My only interest in anything to do with gears is pulling cover from time to time to see if they are still in the housing. I care nary a whit about learning a near useless skill that I will rarely use. Not to mention that I will have to relearn most of it the next time I do a set. And, I get to watch the pile of not cheap specially purchased job specific tools sit on the shelf and keep the rest of my mostly useless tools company.

You already have experience with someone who learned how to set up one set of gears, you don't want to worry when you're out on the trails whether his ill done work was a fluke or you are following in his footsteps.

I don't know where you are located, but there is a local gent who can do the work for you and prefers that you bring him the parts.
Lockers 1750 ish
Gears and set up kits 600 ish
Labor 1000 ish
Oil and misc. 100ish

3500 will get it most of the way there. You will do the wiring and switches.

 

[JosefDanielsLJ]

My only interest in anything to do with gears is pulling cover from time to time to see if they are still in the housing. I care nary a whit about learning a near useless skill that I will rarely use. Not to mention that I will have to relearn most of it the next time I do a set. And, I get to watch the pile of not cheap specially purchased job specific tools sit on the shelf and keep the rest of my mostly useless tools company.

You already have experience with someone who learned how to set up one set of gears, you don't want to worry when you're out on the trails whether his ill done work was a fluke or you are following in his footsteps.

I don't know where you are located, but there is a local gent who can do the work for you and prefers that you bring him the parts.
Lockers 1750 ish
Gears and set up kits 600 ish
Labor 1000 ish
Oil and misc. 100ish

3500 will get it most of the way there. You will do the wiring and switches.

Yea it’d be nice knowing it was done by a reputable shop. The 5500 quote was from premier west gears in riverside and I am waiting on a quote from the jeep doctor in Temecula.
I don’t have the tools to do a regear anyways so that would be an extra cost there.

 

[06TJ35's]

In my case I've only done new brackets from Jeeps west on my Dana 44 and a trutrac&gears and ran it for some time and I'm really happy with it, But with my heavy foot and the new manual swap d44s are weak to me now (the gears) so I'm now going on with a ford 9" etc.

3rd dana 44? How are you blowing them?

I have a have a heavy foot as well with a manual and 44 sometimes when im at the light i pretend i have a race car

 

[06TJ35's]

 

[L J]

Yea it’d be nice knowing it was done by a reputable shop. The 5500 quote was from premier west gears in riverside and I am waiting on a quote from the jeep doctor in Temecula.
I don’t have the tools to do a regear anyways so that would be an extra cost there.

Give Martin at MobileGear a call. I haven't used them but others give them a positive review.

 

[D's Jeep Wrld]

3rd dana 44? How are you blowing them?

I have a have a heavy foot as well with a manual and 44 sometimes when im at the light i pretend i have a race car

Driving it like a race car everyday 72 miles a day (it's my daily) And using nitrous every now and then with my buddies lol (as seen in the picture below)
Except this time it wasnt my Ring&pinion it was the Eaton trutrac that grenaded itself, the gears in this axle are like new (they have less than 1k miles) What did it for this diff was using a borrowed drag pack and me having a solid hook at the drag strip lol

My Lj is getting a break though as I'm gonna start chopping my frame to do a triangulated mid arm rear and a 9"