OP
You guys are probably right. I just can’t get my mind passed the tiny ring and pinion and small tubes, I think...
Which rear axle would you choose?
- Thread starter MichaelGH
- Start date
I voted for ECGS 489 not out of experience, but because that's the axle I decided to go with (plus they're local to me).
OP
I am starting to really lean that way myself. Everything else seems like a compromise, albeit small in a lot of instances. As I know most of the rear ends mentioned here will work. Some forever maybe, some less...maybe
OP
The Currie is most definitely a high clearance design. I have built an HD Dana 60 in the past, using an old school housing, and ground clearance was hideous with “smaller” tires. That center was huge...
The high pinion will certain help with your driveline angles and make the u-joints live a lot longer so there is that. I'm still not convinced you need more than a 44 with 33's but you know what you wheeling on more than I do. Out here, that tire size will be handled easily with a Super 35 kit and then some. The key comparison is you won't be hitting anything hard enough to tear it up with 33's because you can get them over the trails where it matters easily. The tire size dictates the difficulty level and therefore the axle requirements.
OP
That was the other half of the equation, driveline angles. The HP options would definitely kill two birds with one stone, so to speak...
Reality is it’s probably 85/15, roads/trails versus actual difficult terrain that will test all the components. Maybe I am just trying to convince myself to spend more money...
As long as you understand the need versus want factors there is nothing wrong with making the "want" happy. The two questions are very different though. It is hard for folks to answer the wrong question right. It is very easy to answer the right question wrong.
I always think of it in terms of worry factor. You won't have to worry about breaking the Currie. That peace of mind may be worth it alone. Plus if you decide 35s in the future you still won't be near any limits...what are you running in the front?
OP
True. That’s part of my thinking process as well...
The front is the TJ low pinion Dana 30. New inner & outer axle shafts, forged solid body u-joints, TORQ locker and 4.10 gears...for now
Not for nothing but to put the rear axle in perspective, the early Dodge Vipers run a Dana 44 diff. We tend to overlook what works in other but similarly stressed applications.
Except that its rather large, plus would need narrowing, an H072 or H052 is bombproof on all accounts.
Not sure I ever would have figured that out if hadn't posted up. But, his concern if you go back and read was torque output from the hemi and the small ring gear. My point was and still is we tend to overlook what is actually needed for torque. That and I already pointed out that the smaller ring gears don't like shock loads.
Again since you seem to be a bit slow on the uptake. A Super 35 is plenty for 33's. Anything over that is going to be overkill. Now that he has explained that he wants a lot of overkill that he may not necessarily need, the example of the Viper 44 will assist in that perspective.
Wow! HO72! I haven't heard that one mentioned in ages. I had a 67 Chevy C20 truck with an HO72 years back. Not sure it would be my choice in a Jeep, but cool that you mentioned it. Sorry for getting off topic. I'll shut up now.