Upgrading Axle Components

Ricodylan13

Ricodylan13

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Jan 22, 2020
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Merrick, Long Island
Hey all,

SO my 2015 JK currently has a rear axle seal leak on the passenger side. Originally I thought of just replacing the seal under warranty, but I might not be covered and I am also having a hard time finding available labor to get that work done. I'm hesitant to try a new mechanic for this work.

I am now considering going to one of my local Jeep guys to just upgrade some stuff. I know the all encompassing upgrade would be; New axle shafts, re-gearing and lockers. However, that is a hefty price tag and I know I can't afford all that right now. So I am asking if there is any benefit to just upgrading the shafts and gears and not doing lockers yet.

I'm currently driving on 35's with a 2.5" lift but I plan on moving to 37's when the time comes. This is my daily, but I do light trail rides and some overland camping. I don't need to build a rock-crawling beast but I'd like to potentially upgrade some components while the time calls for it. I know I'd be paying for labor again to have lockers installed, but maybe I can tackle that myself by the time that comes around.

Any help/tips are appreciated.
 
BLACKJKU said:
If your wanting to upgrade a D30 axle it's a better upgrade to just go to a D44 axle.
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How much could that axle replacement cost me? I know there's the option to buy a used D44 and swap that in. I'm just unsure of what else would be required to do that.

On top of that I'd still be looking to re-gear and replace the rear axle shafts because one of the seals is leaking.

Maybe it's silly to try and upgrade my axles when I just need to replace a broken seal, but I want to consider the costs to upgrade while work is being done down there.
 
BLACKJKU said:
You already have a D44 rear axle but with 37's you really should have a D44 front.

What gears do you have with the 35's?
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3.71 stock gears, I'm thinking to go 4.88.

Also, I don't plan on going to 37's in the near near future but I just want the option to run them eventually. If I can get by with an upgraded front D30 and 35's and maybe even run 37's for a little, I'll be happy.
 
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I would try and at least find a d44 take out. A lot people drop a lot on aftermarket axles and then sell their previous ones. If you don’t plan on doing harder trails then why not just stick with 35s?
 
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Just my opinion 33”-35” tires can do a lot of what the vast majority of people do off road. I had a YJ did the rubicon 3 times with 31”. Jeeps can look cool, awesome etc. with larger tires but in the long run I beleive they can cause a lot of issues with parts wearing out or breaking.
 
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Danarch said:
Just my opinion 33”-35” tires can do a lot of what the vast majority of people do off road. I had a YJ did the rubicon 3 times with 31”. Jeeps can look cool, awesome etc. with larger tires but in the long run I beleive they can cause a lot of issues with parts wearing out or breaking.
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Agree 100 percent . I'm running 33" and have only scraped skid plates three times. .Granted not the Rubicon Trail but some gnarly trails . Jeeps were engineered to operate with what they left the factory with.
There are allowances to go up maybe 1 tire size. Once you get into 35's or larger, add in a 3-4" lift .
You can raplace control arms, track bar , gears , shocks, springs, brakes etc etc. But getting that factory geometry and reliability back is very difficult .
I don't know how many threads I have read this last year where a lift is done and there are wobble,
handling or host of other problems .
Does anyone know the actual weight capability or tire size capacity of the front bearings & hub factory or aftermarket ? I've looked and wasn't able to find info on that . As if I ever was considering 35" that would be a primary concern along with adding larger rotors . As the roataimg mass on a 35 is significantly more than that of 31 or 33.
 
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Danarch said:
Just my opinion 33”-35” tires can do a lot of what the vast majority of people do off road. I had a YJ did the rubicon 3 times with 31”. Jeeps can look cool, awesome etc. with larger tires but in the long run I beleive they can cause a lot of issues with parts wearing out or breaking.
Click to expand...
I have been told you need 35 to do Rubicon trail? You did on stock 31s?
 
I had a YJ and I think stock was closer 29 or something like that. I had installed a lift and used 31” tires on it. I’d say 33” tires are decent size and so no 35” are not required. That said if you do a Jeep Jamporee they have at tire size requirement which may be a 35”.
 
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