JK to TJ Rear Axle Swap: Slow Build

[S.McArthur]

I have not seen any JK to TJ axle swaps (here), so I will do my best to document the process for the rear axle swap. I picked up this JK dana 44 for $50 and 8lbs of ground venison/2 beers and 30min of Jeep talk; not a bad deal if all goes as planned.
“Why not just do tons brah?” Because I don’t need them and the price point just getting those axles defeats the purpose of even doing a JK swap. The whole point of a JK swap was the price, I could not find a TJ Dana 44 cheap enough to justify rebuilding and swapping. Why not get the “beefier” JK Dana 44 cheap and see where it takes me?

This is going to be a super slow process, I’m tied up in house repairs/preparation to sell, so my disposable income is tied up at the moment.
New drive shaft/axle shafts/brakes/baking plates/locker(?)/etc. are all part of the plan. Goal is under $3k, when I price out a similar axle through ECGS, it’s $3800+/- depending on options. Goal is to run 35s down the road, obviously I will complete the other needed things before that happens. As of now, 33” rubber will be under the Jeep.
I have an idea of what companies I will do business with as far as axle shafts/R&P/brakes/etc.

So, lets converse about the build process and available options & keep my thoughts/buy list in one place.
o Axle is straight, no damage outside of typical usage
o No axle shafts/brake baking plates/hardware/etc.
o Carrier/bearing caps present; 3:21 gears/ No visible damage

Step 1: Remove JK brackets/Weld TJ brackets
o Artec JK2TJ brackets w/Truss (Non-triangulated): $424.99
o Appears the “easiest” of the available options
o Pro/Cons of trussing a rear axle? I don’t see much of a use for a truss for my needs.
o TNT Customs: $224.00 +
o Too many additional pieces to purchase, looks way too bulky/annoying to deal with.
o E.C.G.S: I only see brackets for 2.75” tubes, JK has 3.25” tubes
o Others I have not seen?

Not much reason to get beyond this point as of now, I will need to relocate the axle vent/brake line t-mount thing from P to D side, other than that, it looks like it’s going to be “cut/paste” work to get the brackets in line. Should be fun, I’m keeping the 65” WMS, I’ll just have to work out whether to attempt a front JK2TJ swap or use spacers to make up the gap on my stock TJ Dana 30.

Running Price List: Target goal: under $3000
• JK Dana 44: $50
* Artec Industires JK2TJ Kit

 

[jryan]

Wanting to swap to JKR front and rear axles. I'm subscribing to this thread. Good luck, can't wait to see updates.

 

[Chris]

Awesome thread, I'm definitely subscribing.

I know Dave at Jeep West here does a lot of JK Dana 44 axle swaps into TJs. I spoke with him in depth about this and he said that while a lot of people would opt for 1-tons or something fancier, the JK axles are a dime a dozen, can be had for plenty cheap, and are substantially stronger than the Dana 44 axles found in the TJ.

For that reason, he told me he does a lot of them and everyone is happy with the results. Sure, they are far from bolt-in and require a lot of work to get setup properly. However, given their availability, I really like the idea of the JK axle swap into the TJ.

What are you doing about the front axle? I believe the JK axle will have a wider wheelbase, so the front won't match if you keep your stock TJ axle. Maybe I missed something.

 

[astjp2]

Over on the other forum there are several postings on this. Without the shafts, it is just a bare housing. Brackets from Clayton/artec/tnt may be options for you but this is no different that using a 14 bolt that you can buy for $50 in some areas. I will be watching though. I am going to use the Rodeo 44 for my build since I have used one before on a YJ. Tim

 

[S.McArthur]

What are you doing about the front axle?

Great question...I have no clue, yet. The JK is 65" where the TJ is 60.5. From what I researched swapping a JK front axle Dana 30/44 is a pain in rearguards to the track bar/pitman arm/ and a few other little things. I thought about running the TJ Dana 30 I have with 1.5"/2" spacers to "match" the width, but as of now...who knows. I'd like to find a Dana 44 or even a Dana 30 from a JK, but they are much harder to find.

no different that using a 14 bolt

Absolutely, I read a comment like this on another forum which why I said “Why not just do tons brah?”.
(Side note: That sounds like I'm coming off like a prick, but I'm not, just reads funny)
I considered going all out looking for a 1 ton axle, but I just didn't see the benefit for what my needs are. Also, I think some of those axles are super wide (2+" more than the JK) and I didn't want to go overboard. Bottom line, I was basically staying with Jeep axles, never looked outside of Jeep stuff. Especially never thought to look at Izuzu rodeo parts.

 

[Fouledplugs]

If you are running the factory gas tank and factory skid you will "may" run into clearance issues. Nothing that will stop the swap but it is something to think about and look into.

 

[S.McArthur]

If you are running the factory gas tank and factory skid you will may run into clearance issues. Nothing that will stop the swap but it is something to think about and look into.

That has been a concern I've had regarding the truss. The axle compared to the Dana 35 on the TJ now is night and day, it's super beefy looking; I'm sure I am going to have issues with fitment. I need expand my swap research to other axles to see what other little things to prepare for. I'm glad I have the time to research/build, it would be quite frustrating if the Jeep was offline while this process was happening.

 

[Fouledplugs]

That has been a concern I've had regarding the truss. The axle compared to the Dana 35 on the TJ now is night and day, it's super beefy looking; I'm sure I am going to have issues with fitment. I need expand my swap research to other axles to see what other little things to prepare for. I'm glad I have the time to research/build, it would be quite frustrating if the Jeep was offline while this process was happening.

Savvy makes a skid that saves some space, not sure of the exact clearance you will get with the aftermarket skids, someone else will chime in and get you some more details on how much space a skid may or may not save you.

Is this your daily driver?

 

[ac_]

Unless I am crazy, which is not at all impossible, I am pretty sure a Dana 44 is a Dana 44. Meaning the pumpkin should be the same size as the Dana 44 that came in the TJ. The differences would be axle lengths, and mounting hardware of which were already mentioned. The gears should all be the same size. I don't think you will have a fitment issue, although you may if you are actually running a truss.

I put a Ford 8.8 in mine, but opted for no truss because I didn't feel I needed one, and I didn't want to mess with clearance issues. As long as you don't plan on jumping your Jeep, you can probably opt out of the truss, and that may save you a lot of time and work. But the fact that you didn't feel you needed one ton axles, lets me believe that you are probably not building your jeep to beat the snot out of it. That Dana 44 housing will take quite a bit of punishment, and it will run your 35's just fine.

I ran Dana 44's in the front of my blazers with 38 inch tires with no trusses, and never had any issues. Now I didn't go jumping rocks either. If all you want to accomplish is running 35's, your axle will do just fine with no truss.

I too am curious how this thread goes. Please post tons of pictures of your progress. I still haven't learned how to read!

 

[mobile chernobyl]

Savvy makes a skid that saves some space, not sure of the exact clearance you will get with the aftermarket skids, someone else will chime in and get you some more details on how much space a skid may or may not save you.

Is this your daily driver?

Rokmen also makes a skid which claims 1" extra clearance between diff and fuel tank (skid). This subject in general would be interesting to have more insight into as I'm doing a swap of rear axles as well!

 

[S.McArthur]

daily driver

I drive it daily(ish), but it is not the everyday vehicle (if that makes sense), that what my government motors silverado is for. I have not read/found much issue with clearance in any swap article or thread on the "other" forums, I may just need to get it under there and cycle it to see where any issues are. Once I start getting closer to actaully getting it under the Jeep, I'll start looking at those issues.

pretty sure a Dana 44 is a Dana 44

I do not have a TJ Dana 44 laying around to compare, but this JK axle is quite beefy. As I mentioned to Fouled Plugs, I have not seen any concerns with fitment in anything I've read; not to say I shouldn't be prepared, but I'll just have to cross that when I get there. AS for the width, I'm using 1.5" or 2" spacers now, I have a slight idea of how much the axle is going to stick out.

not building your jeep to beat the snot out of it

Yes and no. The JK axle is claimed to be a "almost a dana 60" and can take a beating especially under the lighter (not much) TJ. I'm not jumping it, but I will be exploring the capabilities of the Jeep. If peopel in Johnson Valley are beating the snpot out of Super 35's, I should have no issue with the larger/stronger JK Dana 44.

running a truss

Truss comes with the kit and acts as the guide, it does not appear to sit more than 1-1 1/2" over teh diff, in that case, I do not see an issue. The truss is probably going on, I thought about just getting brackets, but the artec kit makes it look a whole lot easier.

post tons of pictures

I will do my best, I am one of those people that have a hard time stopping once I get on a roll. For the sake of the forum, I'll try and document this process well.


I may start to strip the axle to today and get the Artec Kit on order, I need a mental break from home repairs and life in general. Wrenching on stuff usually clears the mind.

 

[Fouledplugs]

Will you be doing the rear coil correction kit while your Jeep is under the knife?

 

[S.McArthur]

rear coil correction kit

Yes, extra $99 for the Artec plates. I am still shopping around for those though. I could cheap out and get some rough country ones, but...we shall see.
Recommendations?

 

[Mike_H]

Yes, extra $99 for the Artec plates. I am still shopping around for those though. I could cheap out and get some rough country ones, but...we shall see.
Recommendations?

Not sure on the axle side, but a lot of the posts I've read on Coil correction use the factory upper frame mounts. Cut them off and re-weld them into a new location.

 

[Fouledplugs]

Recommendations?

Im biased, I have the Artec sitting at home waiting for me to return to the USA.

@Chris used the genright kit but Im not sure if he ever posted pics of them installed. I know he was planning on getting them as close to the top of the peak in the rear frame.

 

[Fouledplugs]

Not sure on the axle side, but a lot of the posts I've read on Coil correction use the factory upper frame mounts. Cut them off and re-weld them into a new location.

This will keep your cost low and free money up for more important stuff honestly. This is the best idea and is often used.

 

[Fouledplugs]

Unless I am crazy, which is not at all impossible, I am pretty sure a Dana 44 is a Dana 44. Meaning the pumpkin should be the same size as the Dana 44 that came in the TJ. The differences would be axle lengths, and mounting hardware of which were already mentioned. The gears should all be the same size.

I like this, sparks my interest. The JK 44 uses a bigger pinion and a bigger ring gear tnan the TJ Dana 44, I imagine side by side the pumpkins are not the same size based off those two facts, I could be wrong as well. I will look into this and start a new thread with my findings.

 

[ac_]

I like this, sparks my interest. The JK 44 uses a bigger pinion and a bigger ring gear tnan the TJ Dana 44, I imagine side by side the pumpkins are not the same size based off those two facts, I could be wrong as well. I will look into this and start a new thread with my findings.

One of the reasons why I think this, is because I have seen shortened d44s for different applications that came out of different rigs that still take the same parts.

Take for instance when you order a Dana 44 cover, it doesn't ask you the truck it came out of it just says Dana 30, Dana 35, Dana 44, Dana 60 and such. I don't really buy that a JK Dana 44 is close to a Dana 60. If that was the case, who would ever use a Dana 60? I have to assume that the pumpkins are the same, and the gears are the same, since the cases are the same. If the cases weren't the same then why would they form a different case to use the same cheap cover?

That is my working theory anyway with absolutely no facts to back that up.

@Fouledplugs, if you prove me wrong, I will graciously admit that I was wrong, but I don't think I am.

 

[BuildBreakRepeat]

One of the reasons why I think this, is because I have seen shortened d44s for different applications that came out of different rigs that still take the same parts.

Take for instance when you order a Dana 44 cover, it doesn't ask you the truck it came out of it just says Dana 30, Dana 35, Dana 44, Dana 60 and such. I don't really buy that a JK Dana 44 is close to a Dana 60. If that was the case, who would ever use a Dana 60? I have to assume that the pumpkins are the same, and the gears are the same, since the cases are the same. If the cases weren't the same then why would they form a different case to use the same cheap cover?

That is my working theory anyway with absolutely no facts to back that up.

@Fouledplugs, if you prove me wrong, I will graciously admit that I was wrong, but I don't think I am.

“A traditional Dana 44 axle uses an 8.5-inch ring gear. However, JK Wrangler rear axles use an 8.8-inch ring gear with a Dana 60-sized pinion shaft. The JK axle is still referred to as a Dana 44, but neither the differential nor the ring-and-pinion are compatible with older Dana 44s.” Found it on four wheeler

 

[ac_]

“A traditional Dana 44 axle uses an 8.5-inch ring gear. However, JK Wrangler rear axles use an 8.8-inch ring gear with a Dana 60-sized pinion shaft. The JK axle is still referred to as a Dana 44, but neither the differential nor the ring-and-pinion are compatible with older Dana 44s.” Found it on four wheeler

Pretty interesting. Do they still fit in the same case? Or does the JK have a special cover?