The Dana 44 I found local the guy is asking $300 for a Rubi Dana 44 with 80k on it. No factory compressors and said it needs new axle seals. So I figured I could by a Dana 44 "refresh kit" (about $100), do all the seals and bearings, pick up a factory compressor ($150-ish), and then the electrical and hoses wouldn't be much more. So I'm into a Dana 44 with a selectable locker in the rear for around $600. Where as I had been planning on doing the Ford 8.8, $300 for the axle, $300 for the truss, $75 for wheels spacers, and a few other parts totaling around $800, plus the labor and time to weld everything in place. I'm currently running 33's with plans to go to 35's once these shoes go bad. Doubt I'll go much bigger. I do have a Rubicon TC, which means the shorter driveshaft and with the offset diff on the 8.8 things could get a little weird.
I have plans to wheel throughout the Midwest and eventually travel more distant (CO, NM, Moab, so forth) in the future but not sure I'd make it all the way out to the coasts to do JV, Rubicon Trail and so on. I know it's possible to break stuff on the easy trails and what not too, but I like to take it easy since my Jeep will also be a daily and I need to drive home and to work the next week. Plus I'm broke so I can't constantly be dropping money into it because I got reckless over the weekend.
I'm also not saying I wouldn't go to the 8.8 or Dana 60 in a year or so, I'm just needing something right now to get me rolling again. My engine swap is getting fairly close to coming to an end and want to be able to drive it right away because my Jeep has now been down since Oct. As of right now I'm going Saturday afternoon to look at the axle and probably going to pick it up, unless someone can talk me out of it.
I have plans to wheel throughout the Midwest and eventually travel more distant (CO, NM, Moab, so forth) in the future but not sure I'd make it all the way out to the coasts to do JV, Rubicon Trail and so on. I know it's possible to break stuff on the easy trails and what not too, but I like to take it easy since my Jeep will also be a daily and I need to drive home and to work the next week. Plus I'm broke so I can't constantly be dropping money into it because I got reckless over the weekend.
I'm also not saying I wouldn't go to the 8.8 or Dana 60 in a year or so, I'm just needing something right now to get me rolling again. My engine swap is getting fairly close to coming to an end and want to be able to drive it right away because my Jeep has now been down since Oct. As of right now I'm going Saturday afternoon to look at the axle and probably going to pick it up, unless someone can talk me out of it.