Dana 44 vs 40" MTR's

[fire4j15]

Hello guys, I'm thinkin of running some 40" mtr's or 39.5" Iroks. I have a 05 jeep unlimited rubicon that I'm running. My rear Dana 44 has the stock locker and 4.88 gears has been trussed and also has superior chromoly shafts. I'm running 37" mtr's right now and have had no problems. I baby it on hard obstacles but has stood up well so far. Do you think the 40" tire size is too much?? My primary reason for a tire that big is for mud and snow wheeling this fall. Thanks for the input

 

[timpanogos]

As you decide, I have a set of 39.5 Iroks on my jeep that I MIGHT consider selling.

 

[mbryson]

Oh, those ball joints and axle shafts will be totally fine with a tire that big.

 

[Cody]

you mean your d30 with a d44 center?

Kaboom!

 

[fire4j15]

Tires

Actually my front axle is using the new ARB Dana 44 locker 35 spline 1.5" outer axle shafts. My outer stub shaft is the new bigger alloy usa 30 spline stub shaft. So for a rubicon axle it is built up pretty strong consedering what it is.

 

[Kiel]

Actually my front axle is using the new ARB Dana 44 locker 35 spline 1.5" outer axle shafts. My outer stub shaft is the new bigger alloy usa 30 spline stub shaft. So for a rubicon axle it is built up pretty strong consedering what it is.

You mean 35 spline inners right and 30 spline outers? I think your just moving the weak link from the shafts to the balljoints and knuckle, r and p etc. I think your pushing it a little far, but who knows you might be fine. Or you might go through all this time and expense to fine out your f-ed

 

[fire4j15]

Maybe I will just stay with my 37" mtrs. I don't know of another jeep rubicon that has there front axle built up with 35 spline inners and 30 spline outers but they seem to handling the 37's pretty good.

 

[Kiel]

Maybe I will just stay with my 37" mtrs. I don't know of another jeep rubicon that has there front axle built up with 35 spline inners and 30 spline outers but they seem to handling the 37's pretty good.

The problem is 35-37 on built 44's is already decently proven, but with the combo you have you have pushed the weak link to something thats gonna mess your day, otr even week real quick. Your gonna have to make up your own mind. I would never have messed with a dana 44/60 hybrid

 

[waynehartwig]

No offense, and I'm a Rubicon driver with large tires, I would have never put that money into a D44. It's almost like putting a super 35 kit in a Dana 35.

With that said, the weak links on the Rubicon D44's are the ball joints/hub bearings and rear locker. The ball joints will wear out fast. With 35's, I was replacing them about every 6 months and the unit bearing about once a year. The rear locker I broke on 2 occasions.

The only time I had 37's was with stock shafts, and that did not work. After upgrading to 4340's front and rear, I went back to 35's and had no problems. Since I wanted to have larger tires, I ended up swapping out the D44's for D60's and sold them to a guy with a 02 TJ. I never broke the 30/27 spline axles. I was not easy on it, and neither was Goat on his with the same spline axles (actually he had 33 in the rear I believe?).

I also don't understand why you have 35 spline axles in the front and 30 in the rear?

...Oh, and yes, the Rubicon has D44's under it. They are not D35/D30 axles with a D44 center. In fact, they have larger ring gear bolts than a standard D44 does. The rear axle is D44 from wheel to wheel. The front is all D44 between the knuckles; but knuckle out is the same stuff Jeep uses on D30's. Not the true D30 that the CJ has, their bastardized version that they decided to start using in the YJ's and forward.

 

[fire4j15]

Wayne, thanks for the response. I probably will be putting a 35 spline full floater kit in the rear of my jeep. But for now instead of the stock shafts I'm running superiors chromo shafts. I really don't want to put 60's in so maybe I will just have to stay with my 35" daily driver tires and my 37" off road tires and be done with it.

 

[waynehartwig]

Wayne, thanks for the response. I probably will be putting a 35 spline full floater kit in the rear of my jeep. But for now instead of the stock shafts I'm running superiors chromo shafts. I really don't want to put 60's in so maybe I will just have to stay with my 35" daily driver tires and my 37" off road tires and be done with it.

I would... I don't think you will find the shafts you have now will be the weak link...

I think if you went 40's, the ring and pinion would then become the weak link, even with 33 spline cromos.

 

[Cody]

...Oh, and yes, the Rubicon has D44's under it. They are not D35/D30 axles with a D44 center.

oh? I wonder where I can find someone to refute this....

The front is all D44 between the knuckles; but knuckle out is the same stuff Jeep uses on D30's.

wow, that was easy. didn't have to go far

Nobody ever said the rear isn't a 44. But the front is all the bad things about a d30, with a bigger ring gear and tubes.

The only time I would EVER recomend using a front 44 is if you wanted to upgrade knuckles, ball joints, and unit bearings and you never lusted for anything larger than a 37 (and only 37's if you have alloys).

 

[waynehartwig]

oh? I wonder where I can find someone to refute this....



wow, that was easy. didn't have to go far

Nobody ever said the rear isn't a 44. But the front is all the bad things about a d30, with a bigger ring gear and tubes.

The only time I would EVER recomend using a front 44 is if you wanted to upgrade knuckles, ball joints, and unit bearings and you never lusted for anything larger than a 37 (and only 37's if you have alloys).

Where is that icon... There it is!

The myth that I was refuting is that the Rubicon D44's share the same tubes as the D35, and that's not true at all.

 

[Cody]

Where is that icon... There it is!

The myth that I was refuting is that the Rubicon D44's share the same tubes as the D35, and that's not true at all.

oh. I had never heard that.

It pains me to see people invest $1000's into those rubi axles when they could have put that money into a 60 and 60/9/70/14 and sold the rubi axles to some schmo TJ/XJ/ZJ owner and probably come out ahead on the deal.

 

[krazz1e]

we all go through the steps... it's evolution.

 

[timpanogos]

too funny, "where is that emotion-con, " I'd never noticed, it's named for/after cody

 

[Cody]

Oh, I know about evolution and respect it---everyone knows how many thousands I tossed down the drain trying to use a dana 44 for reasonably difficult wheelin. Had I known then what I know now, I could have saved many many man hours and hundreds of dollars by just putting in a 60 to begin with.

So, in my own asshole way, I'm just trying to save people some time and money.

 

[Kiel]

Oh, I know about evolution and respect it---everyone knows how many thousands I tossed down the drain trying to use a dana 44 for reasonably difficult wheelin. Had I known then what I know now, I could have saved many many man hours and hundreds of dollars by just putting in a 60 to begin with.

So, in my own asshole way, I'm just trying to save people some time and money.

Your doing a good job

 

[94rodeo]

I too would go with something stronger than a 44 for the wheeling I do. I am always worried about it breaking when I am on the harder obsticles. I would also do full width for stability, but that is just because I really hate side hills.
Troy

 

[Panos]

i would just not want to put my self through all that stress for a bigger tire, unless you kow you have the beef to back it up...like a 60 its just not worth it worring about your 44 all the time. stick with the 37's as far as i see it there is no advantage here if you have to worry about your 44 all the time.