Which rear axle now?

[1995zj]

For reference I am running D44's front and rear, front has an ARB and chromoly shafts w/ full-circle clips and I've never had any issues with that for the 37" stickies I'm running. The rear is an Isuzu Rodeo D44 spooled with stock shafts (30 spline) and I broke 1 rear shaft last June.

Alright so I just got back from a week down in Moab for EJS and had a blast as always. On Friday we decided to run Pritchett Canyon just like every other year and the one obstacle (Rock Pile) that I want to conquer yet again conquered me. Last year I almost made it, but backed down as I didn't have any spare rear shafts with me on the trail and I was being quite hard. Well this year I carried a spare shaft as I knew I'd be trying Rock Pile again and I knew my shafts had been beat on so were probably a bit weaker.

Anyways I didn't even hit the obstacle near as hard as last time I tried it but I heard the snap and knew what it was immediately, my drivers side rear shaft. So I back down out of the way so others could break their **** while I fixed mine. Took about 1 hour and I had it all back together and ready to go.....or so I thought. I start to drive and take the bypass for Rock Pile (which is now almost as hard as Rock Pile) and I hear another loud snap! This one was a bit different and my first thought was either t-case or gears. I put it in park and it rolled back a bit more that normal, then I put it back in drive and I felt the rear drive shaft spin a bit before it caught. So I knew I had also blown the gears, not sure how they both went at the same time but they did. So I pulled the rear drive shaft as I don't carry a spare ring and pinion on the trail .

So I had front wheel drive the rest of the trail which is only 1/4 mile or so, but lots of obstacles. I winched up Rock Pile and Yellow Hill and then drove it the 14 miles back to the highway. It was fun day to say the least .

Now to the question....I want to keep my 6 lug pattern as I just picked up these beadlocks and would rather not sell them. I've also checked with Dutchman and Mooser about custom alloy 1541H shafts but they said the import Dana axles that come on Isuzus' already use a different material than US Dana axles such as Jeep, Ford, Chevy, etc. This different material is stronger and their custom 1541H alloy shafts probably won't be stonger.

So here are the few options that I've thought of, and if you have any other ideas, please feel free to throw them out there

OPTION A - Keep the same axle and just keep replacing the rear shafts when they go out. (~$35 per axle shaft)

OPTION B - Keep the same axle, have custom 33 spline alloy shafts made, buy a 33 spline Detroit or ARB (spools aren't offered), and buy new gears (~$500 shafts, ~$450 33 spline Detroit, ~$300 gears)

OPTION C - Swap in a Ford 9" and have some 5-6 lug adapters made. Gear it and spool it. (~$300 axle, ~$200 adapters, ~$250 spool, ~$300 gears)

OPTION D - Swap in a Dana 60, upgrade to 35 spline shafts (the stock 30 spline are the same size as what I currently run in my D44), wheel adapters, spool and gear it. (~$100 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$400 shafts, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)

OPTION E - Swap in a 14 bolt, shave it, wheel adapters, spool and gear it.
(~$150 axle, ~$150 adapters, ~$200 spool, ~$300 gears)

 

[I Lean]

I said "other" because I'm not going to give you a straight answer.

Since you broke the gears also, that tells me you need a stronger gearset. Of your options, that leaves the 9" or the D60. The 9" has the advantage of having cheap parts (like your spool, nowhere near $250) and the simplicity of semi-float. Skip the adapters and get some 35 spline shafts, that way you can be 6 lug also.

If you choose the 60, do essentially the same thing--buy some 9"-style bearing ends, cut off the spindles and weld them on, then get some 35 spline semi-float 6 lug shafts for it. That way you can make it whatever width you want, too.

Now that I've talked to myself about it, I'd probably go with the 60. Most 9" options aren't going to be wide enough for you, and those that are won't be quite as strong as the 60 as far as bending tubes under a heavy ZJ.

 

[Bart]

X2 what Carl said.

 

[Cody]

I say 9"...for all the reasons I already said.

 

[1995zj]

Chris and Tara need to chime in here for me . I want to hear about your 9" rear!

 

[Spidey]

9" find one thats wide. truss it. and eventually swap in a mega hi9

 

[UNSTUCK]

We have the perfect D60 housing sitting on the shop floor right now. Semi float and shortend to like 63 inches. May be a little less, cant remember. Get new shafts and locker/spool, gears and your solid.

 

[jeepspeedtj]

Why go semi-float? Go full float or go home.

 

[Greg]

Why go semi-float? Go full float or go home.

Why? Full-float axles are intended for carrying heavy loads. A rockcrawler isn't going to see loads like full-float axles are intended for.

 

[jeepspeedtj]

So much easier to change out axle shafts! Good point Greg.

 

[notajeep]

Ok..... I am going to be the different one here. What about a toyota 8"? Same lugs, Easy to find, tough, but chromo shafts are avail.

 

[rondo]

My pal has run the stock yota rear axle on his buggythingy and has never had an issue with 4.88s and ARB. The front 44 has busted more shafts than i care to count on a very light vehicle with 37 mtrs. Anyway the yota axle might be an option.

a few years ago I had misconception motorsports build up a semi float dana 60 with 35 spline shafts 6 lug and it was a neat pig. i don't recall that it was too $$ either. But i think that's the route i'd take if it were mine.

i'm not a fan of the Ford 9 at all but that's been covered and i don't think we need to get into that on your topic.

 

[I Lean]

Ok..... I am going to be the different one here. What about a toyota 8"? Same lugs, Easy to find, tough, but chromo shafts are avail.

As much of a fan as I am of Toyota rear axles, I don't think that's his best choice right now. The Isuzu rear he has now is going to be approximately the same strength.

 

[89xj]

I say go the 14 bolt as it's got the big ring and pinion and find one out of the back of a subarbaun. I have a friend that told me some came 6 bolt lug pattern from the factory... try and get that one and it's saves you time and money. my next vote is the 9 inch for the extra pinion support and the aftermarket support it has and if your braking gears you can have another 3 rd member back at camp ready to go.

 

[I Lean]

I say go the 14 bolt as it's got the big ring and pinion and find one out of the back of a subarbaun. I have a friend that told me some came 6 bolt lug pattern from the factory... try and get that one and it's saves you time and money. my next vote is the 9 inch for the extra pinion support and the aftermarket support it has and if your braking gears you can have another 3 rd member back at camp ready to go.

That wouldn't be my first choice either, because the 6 lug semi-float "14 bolt" is a C-clip axle with nasty neck-down shafts close to the diff.

 

[Gravy]

9" semi float 35 spline 6 lug shafts.
truss. spool. gears. cheap.

 

[1995zj]

That wouldn't be my first choice either, because the 6 lug semi-float "14 bolt" is a C-clip axle with nasty neck-down shafts close to the diff.

Yeah I started thinking about the 6-lug 14 bolt that my K2500 has in the back and remembered it was a c-clip axle, so that's out of the question now.

I'm pretty much up in the air between a 14 bolt and a 9". I do however NEED to keep it 6 lug, so whether I have custom shafts made or buy adapters I need to keep that in mind too. A 14 bolt might be a bit overkill, but if I can build it for about the same cost that isn't necissarily a bad thing and just might be the way to go.

Right now I'm sitting at ~65" WMS-WMS and I want to keep my same track as my tires tuck up perfectly in my fender. The one other thing is disc brakes, I will want to convert either axle to discs so it's another thing I'm trying to keep in mind. I've heard the 9" is easier to do it on, but we did a rear conversion on my buddies 14B for ~$150 total.

 

[Greg]

Have you checked out the 14 Bolt 3rd member setup that Portal-Tek is putting together? It's pretty badass, but I'm sure the parts aren't cheap like a full 14 Bolt from a wrecking yard.

I'd say do a Ford 9" personally, 35 spline shafts, your choice of locker and truss it. You shouldn't have ring & pinion problems with the 9" and 35 spline shafts will cure all issues with stomping on the throttle for your next Rock Pile assault. That would be a good balance, considering how your Grand is built. Personally I think a 14 Bolt is overkill for an application like yours.

 

[tonloc152]

Well here it is. If you run the gm 14 bolt it comes with 35 spline shafts and a detroit is about half the price for this axle the gears are super easy to setup and about the same price as any other gearset to buy. The dana 60 rear end is every where, and can be found for about $100.00. You can cut and narrow both of them and get blank chromoly shafts from randy's ring and pinion for about 40 dollars more than a standard shaft through them. The reason I voted for the sixty is that I am building a one ton YJ right now and am going to be able to build a virtually inderstructable rear end for about 1200.00 dollars thats gears arb locker, rebuild kit, yokes, perches shafts, and brakes replaced. With the blank shafts from randys you can have them cut to length, reslpined and drilled to any pattern thus alowing you to run your recently purchased bead lockers. I'm kinda jumping around here but what I'm saying is that the 14 bolt has most of the work done for you, the 60 has the largest after market, and you can run of the shelf parts for both so they wont be hard to find parts for cheap. Bolt of the them have a MUCH larger and heavier duty ring gear. and they are every where. Ksl every day. I now where one of each can be found right now for $100.00. I am goin to be posting my current project today for pix and some info. I will be running 40's with confidence as my buddies all do and they hammer these axles in many different configurations, The only weakness they have is in the drive line u-joints as we all still have problems with when wheeling with our right foot and not the lump of goo between our ears. Blah Blah Blah sorry I kind of went off. But I have already spent thousands on different upgrades in axles (d35, d30, d44) they all eventually blow up as you trails and tires get bigger. Hope this helps Oh and one other thing both of these are full float so no more c-clips.

 

[tonloc152]

Why? Full-float axles are intended for carrying heavy loads. A rockcrawler isn't going to see loads like full-float axles are intended for.

How can you say we will never see loads like this. The constant jarring and bouncing of a tire on an axle that is intended to haul kids and friends to the beach is why we are having this discussion. Full float seperates the tube from the shaft so the tube does the holding and the shaft does the driving. All this tak of trussing is sick. Why do we need to truss the nine inch when the 60 and 14 bolt will never bend under the loads we are talking about. Anybody ever blown a c-clip and had to hobble home just to tear apart the whole axle to get it out and replaced? Full float is easier and stronger hands down.