Blowing a 35

[RoCKSToRM]

hey, just wondering, if i do in fact blow this rear 35 before i get my new axle, what can i do to hold the rear together enough to put it in front wheel drive and get it home?

and which axle shaft is gonna try to fall out? passenger or driver?

[Texas4X4]

i think mike had some kinda crazy way rigged up, he had like a tree or somthin lol

[Jeepin Dave]

Yeah he sure did. It was pretty nasty looking but it worked. There arent to many options for holding it together to get you out. Best option is dont put a locker in it... 1st option is hope it just snaps a shaft and nothing else, so you can change the axle shaft on the trail. Sometimes they have been known to grenade the carrier and gears too.

[Jeep_N_Hog]

I sheared the ring gear bolts on mine. Sounded like a bomb went off. And I did that driving back from Q'tec, picking up my Super35 kit.

Timing is everything.

[RoCKSToRM]

you run 36's on that 35?

[Jeep_N_Hog]

Originally posted by RoCKSToRM:
you run 36's on that 35? Yup. Had 33's on the open diff when I sheared the ring gear bolts.

33's left too much room...I just couldn't have that, not to mention it was way under geared for 33's. IROK's were new when I got them and not available in any other size 'cept 36's, and I wanted them. Still got them.

[OhioYJ]

Which ever shaft breaks is the one that will try and come out. Either way if you break a shaft, you might be able to rig up something to get off the trail, if you move very, very slowly, but there's no way could drive all the way home with the axle broke. Mainly you just move it to a level spot in the trail and fix it there.

My broken 35 jerry rig, and trust me it was a bear, you'd go a few feet and adjust the jack, and straps, go a few more feet, adjust things, definitely couldn't drive it home like that.

http://www.cdmfabrication.com/bbpics/broken35.jpg

[BigMudder]

Rockstorm, who says it is gonna be an axle shaft breaking and not something else?

Sure most of the time its an axle shaft with the dana 35 but dont forget about ring and pinion.

At jeepfest a month or so back I personally witnessed a dana 35 self destruct. My gf and I were watching some guys on the rock course and heard this loud clunk from this jeep about 30 yards away. It wasnt the axle shaft breaking, he destroyed his ring an pinion.

Just dont forget about the ring and pinion

[luckeeluke]

Defintiely keep it unlocked if you can. I'm really surprised mine held up on the black trails at Rausch Creek- I'm sure the TeraLow and the front locker helped the rear D35. I'm going to use my D35 until it breaks, but I will keep it open diff for sure.

I carry a spare set of shafts and spider gears, but like others have said, none of that will do you much good if your Dana 35 decides to blow up or you mess the ring and pinon up, or bend the tubes, or mess something else up.

[Goofatyerservice]

What about an aussie in a D30 for an 01 TJ sport with 33s and 3.73s? Got a D44 rear ;)

[Mean Max]

If your happy with the gearing, I'd say go for it. The Aussie seems to be one of the best automatic lockers out there, and the D30 has a pretty good history for reliability.

Not that it's indestructible or anything, because even the strongest metal cannot withstand the weakest minds.

[Goofatyerservice]

Haha -- ya I just know the 35 is weak- and the 30 is ok- but I hadn't heard much of the 30 and a locker. I don't wheel much if at all- but when I get back into it more I might look into a locker. The gearing is fine for me right now.

[Mean Max]

I just put 33x12.50's on an '06 LJ 4.0L 6 spd. for a friend. It has 3.73's as well. Between the 6 speed & 3.73's, it drives great, and for just light duty off roading, I don't really see a need for a gear swap in that Jeep.

[luckeeluke]

Goofatyerservice: my dad just put an Aussie in his front Dana 30 in his 97 TJ. It is fine off road. It clicks and clacks a little on the road, when turning, especially to the left. There is really no load on it, so that's not a concern, but it does make some noise on a non-disconnect Dana 30 in a TJ. It's liveable and something I think he can get used to. Slow speeds it's worse/little louder.

I like having a locker in the front on the trails. I loose a little turning radius but I can steer and go forward with the locker engaged, unlike a lot of the other people in the club I'm in, who have ARBS or selectables and they have to turn them off to be able to steer and go forward.

The Aussie is nice because it functions automatically, no activation switches or nothing. Granted there are a select few times where having a locker in the front might hurt you a bit, the rest of the times that it's there make up for it, at least in my YJ leaf sprung under Jeep- really helps the front out.

[Goofatyerservice]

Thanks man!