I am seriously considering a rear axle upgrade to an 8.8 with 4.10s, and a non disconnect D30 also with 4.10s. Currently I have a disconnect D30 w/ 3.07 and a D35 with the same. I will be doing this swap hopefully in the next year or so. So, I want to get full use out of what I have.
So the question is, how long will a D35 last with moderate wheeling, limited road time, a Renix 4.0, AX15, 3.07, and welded spiders?
It will move out of the driveway. Since I opperate mostly out of a truck, my Jeep has become more of a toy. I can't and will not be able to wheel every weekend. So over the next year it will probably see a real day of offroading 10 times. When I do drive it on the road it will be to town or to Redbird(each a 15 min trip). Long hauls it will be on the trailer.
I am more or less just wanting to get traction on the cheap, and want to see what a welded diff will do to help. I know it will cause excess tire wear, effects cornering, and increases my risk of breaking other things.
But I THINK that I can live with it for one year and hopefully the D35 will too...
Axle condition will not matter when done, as I see a weak D35 with 3.07s has low resale value.
If the axle blows up day one, I would be in a pickle. If the axle lasts 8-12 months, I will consider it money (break cleaner, welding wire/gas, and gear lube) well spent. It the axle lasts 12+ months, I might be able to spend axle ugrade money elsewhere.
Please any add and facts, opinions, or educated guess on how long it will last.
1) You'll know it's a "weak-point" and you'll wheel like it's the week point anyways knowing in the back of your mind you are woried about breaking a shaft.
2) The added benefit of having it welded in my opinion is not worth it. Spend the time while wheeling getting to know your rig better and what it can/can't do. Spend time getting to know how to wheel your specific rig better and how to choose better lines.
3) Your in trouble if you break it; why do something knowing that you'll most likely going to end up breaking something?
4) Wheeling with an open diff (front & rear) makes you become a better wheeler. You'll thank yourself down the road and appreciate the mods you do in the future more.
Case in point is my MJ. Yes I built my MJ to be a cheap weekend wheeling rig for me; but thats not the only point why I built it. I built it in a storage shed, with basic hand tools, and on a very limited budget to PROOVE that you don't need a lot of money, a lot of space, or a lot of fancy tools to have a very capable trail-only rig. I wheeled it with open diffs front/rear (d30 & d35) on 35" tires for 2 years prior to upgrading. I NEVER got stuck, I never thought about breaking anything, and I never had to choose to go another way on the trail cause I know what my rig could do. I also spent that time wheeling improving what I do on the trail, and improving the products (yes I used it as a test bed for many of our MJ products as well). Most of the time I spent pulling others out of situations that they got themselves in. Everyone who's wheeled with me in my MJ can attest that it's a very capable rig; heck I have been known to pull out $40K JK Rubicon's . I guess what I'm getting at is doing a "hodge-podge" mod by welding the rear D35 is not an "end-all" answer to improving your wheeling. Honestly I think that you'll end up hating it and wish you never did it to begin with. I can't tell you how many spider gear sets we've sold to guys who are replacing welded gears cause they hate it...
I agree with Lead. Figure out what your rig can do with open diffs. My Bronco was my first rig with a locker and a spool. It could go through and up every thing I pointed it at. However I actually have more fun with my stock axles in my XJ. I'd plan on using what I have till I break it, than do the upgrades.
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