Used axle swap

[Axeman]

Background: I have a 2006 TJ 63k miles with 4.0/6spd/3.07 Dana 30/Dana 35. I bought it with 31s, which is drivable, but I plan on running 33s in the near future. It is a 2nd vehicle for pleasure mostly, not a DD, and any wheeling I do will be mostly trail roads (nothing too aggressive).

I was planning on regearing when I get the 33s to 4.56 or 4.88. I knew the carriers I had wouldn't work with those gears so I was planning to add some Trutrac LSDs in the front and rear and Super 35 kit for the rear.

I found a used set of complete Dana 30/Dana 35 with 4.10s in the area. They are open diffs. They are only asking $300 for the set.

So should I consider getting these and swapping out the whole axle assemblies as a quick fix to my gearing? or is it a waste of $300 and time?

Regearing/adding new LSDs/Super 35 kit will no doubt cost me upwards of $3k, if not more in my area.

 

[AMS417]

Cheaper than a regear if they are in good shape. You might be able to sell your axles for the same and end up even money. I would still consider the Super kit for the 35. Or just run the stock 35 until something happens, if ever.

 

[Chris]

For that price it's a pretty darn good deal if they are in good condition.

Of course if you plan to do lockers at some point anyways, you'll have to pay the same you would for a re-gear, so if you did both at the same time, you really wouldn't be losing any money.

With the used axles, if you decide you want to put selectable lockers in them, they'll charge you the same as they would for a re-gear, so if you want to go that route, I would say then it doesn't make sense to get these axles.

 

[Irun]

Keep in mind that $300 will turn into $600 or more. Brakes, brake hardware, seals, bearings and who knows what else may need replacing. I'd just hold off and save to do it right!

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Personally, I'd go for it. I waited 2 years to put together the funds for a regear and selectable locker and meanwhile was miserable driving around in the mountains on crappy gearing (and I was on 3.73's, not 3.07s!). I would have gladly paid $300 to get good gearing and then come back for lockers later and saved that 2 years of misery, even if it didn't save me a dime in the long run.

I think it WILL save you a little, because gears and install kits for two axles will run you at least $450, so you're saving the difference in parts even if you still have to pay for the same labor for the lockers.

Even if the axles you're buying are crap outside the pumpkin, you have axles that you can swap parts over from, as long as the gears, pinion bearings and carrier bearings are good. When I did my HP30 swap I only used the housing...everything else came out of my TJ Dana 30. Then I parted out the HP30's brakes, shafts, and knuckles, and the Dana 30 housing with gears and carrier and ended up about even.

 

[Axeman]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose this would be more of a temporary fix. The 4.10s would buy me some time, but ultimately the carriers wouldn't matter since I would be replacing them with LSDs, along with gears and axles. So my current Dana 30/Dana 35 housings would be fine down the road. As a temp fix, how big a job is it to swap out front and rear axle housings? I know it kind of depends on the condition of them and whether I need to replace brakes/bearings/balljoints and what not. The owner of the axles bought them used to put in their jeep before they sold it. They couldn't tell me much as far as mileage.

 

[Fonz54]

Keep in mind that $300 will turn into $600 or more. Brakes, brake hardware, seals, bearings and who knows what else may need replacing. I'd just hold off and save to do it right!

I am presently in that position now with the Dana 44 I purchased. I did not go into it blindly (just one eye closed) but once I pulled the cover on the diff I found one of the spider gears pretty chewed up. But you are right - brakes, cables control arms or bushings, regear, etc I am estimating close to $2K in parts. But you know what? In the end it will all be worth it.

 

[hosejockey61]

Keep in mind that $300 will turn into $600 or more. Brakes, brake hardware, seals, bearings and who knows what else may need replacing. I'd just hold off and save to do it right!

Just swap over existing stuff. No need for new.

 

[Irun]

Just swap over existing stuff. No need for new.

It's never that easy!

 

[hosejockey61]

It's never that easy!

Yes it is.....

 

[Goatman]

I have 4.10s in my 06 Rubi on 32's and have no problem with acceleration or needing to downshift at speed. So I would think your 33s should be happy with 4.10s too. And that would be a much cheaper way to go. Buy the set, toss the rear in. Pull the front DS and find out if 4.10s will work for you. It'll only take a day to swap axles in and out.

 

[Axeman]

This was the picture they sent me of the axles:

I was hoping they would be a little less "weathered" than this. I am thinking I may pass on these and wait to get the work done right with the actual gearing I need and the Super 35 kit. The only real option with these would be to swap the gears and carriers over, which I have read is not a fun thing to do with used gears....

 

[Goatman]

That's what 2 year old parts look like to us Northern boys. A bit of sandblasting is all they need. Perhaps a quick(ish) scrub with a wire brush.