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35 spline Ford nine inch.

66bajabronco

New Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
16
Loc.
Louisville, Ky
I was thinking about doing a 35 spline conversion on my rearend and I was wondering if any one has done this before. If you have what all was involved in doing the conversion? What did you need to do the conversion and how much did it cost you. I am going to do a full width axle swap on my 74 project Bronco and I want to run the nine inch because it is lighter than a dana 60. Thanks for the help.
 

tabascom16

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2003
Messages
526
Loc.
Salisbury, PA
I was looking into it. For 35 spline you need a 3rd member for bigger bearings. And you need to have a big bearing axle housing for the 35 spline. Those are a few hundred extra. Do you plan on doing a lot of rock crawling or have huge tires? I know people who have pounded stock 28 spline and they are still holding up. 31 spline alloy ones are probably almost twice as strong as stock 28 spline. They would be just fine for just about everything probably. But if your into rock crawling the few extra bucks might be worth the added insurance.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
Several of us run 35 spline axles. Figure anywhere from $1000 on up to about $3000. The 35 spline axles don't fit the stock carriers and the 35 spline carriers don't fit the stock 3rd member housing.

Approx. Cost
35 spline axles - $400 pair
Carrier - (spool - $200, detroit - $600, ARB - $750)
Nodular housing, bearing support, bearing kit - $300 to $400

If you have a small bearing axle then you will also need to get a big bearing housing. I paid $200 for a heavy duty tapered housing from a big bronco that was cut down. If your going full width that shouldn't be an issue.
 

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swa0330

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
1,103
Loc.
Portland,OR
Randy's Ring and pinion quoted me $1320 for a completely built 3rd member 35 spline with an ARB and a nodular housing with a solid spacer on the pinion. That may give you another perspective as well. It's more money in the end, but probably not more than another $400. That's pretty cheap for what is essentially a guarantee that you'll never break a rear axle.
 

Buckin74

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Messages
682
Loc.
San Diego
An added thought ---------- I run the 35 spline set up, but also have a Warn Full Floater kit (Dana 60 outer wear) on mine. I like the idea of not having the axle support the rear housing and If I break an axle, it doesn't tend to walk away from the EB on me.

I can unlock to isolate the rear end if needed, Still have the weight reduction of the 9" and have the strength of the dana 60 on the outboard ends.

It hasn't failed me yet
 

76bronco4x4

New Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
23
I was looking at doing a full width d44 and 9 inch in my Bronco also and i was reading the posts and just thought i would let you know that you don't have to worry about the axle housing being a small bearing , because the full widths didn't come in a small bearing , only big bearing. Also the full width 9 inch comes stock with 31 spline axles so it depends on what your going to be doing with the Bronco you might want to consider just building it to run the 31 spline axles until you break an axle then you could buy 31 spline chromolly axles and you should be fine.
 

bandit

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
305
Loc.
Afton
In the last couple of years I spun or broke,three 28 spine axles,I bought a Big bearing 31 spline used,from K-bar S,before they went under,and recently broke that.I just bought a complete,Currie,35 spline,heavy duty housing,4.56,with an ARB...painting it right now,I don't know how it will hold up,and I'm not sure if I should have gone hi-pinion or not,but man is that a thing of beauty!Oh well my son just painted over the Currie metal tag,and pretty Currie emblems on the drums.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
68ford said:
try maeracing.com, they had good prices before.
Don't buy anything from them. The tradeoff is that they make promises they don't keep and then when they don't do what they said they were they don't even refund the difference.

When I did mine I went through them. When I ordered it they offered to assemble it as well for a good deal. I specifically told them that I would only do so if it would be a quick turn around. They promised they would ship it within a couple of days. After a week went by I called and asked about it. Then again another week later, and again a week later. Each and every time I told them that I would assemble it myself if it would take more than a day or two to get to it. After a month I told them to just ship me the parts and I would put it together myself. Even then it still took a week to get and it was short parts and I still had to call them again. They never did refund the extra amount I paid them for the assembly that they never did. In the end it would have been just as cheap for me to go through Dutchmans and I would have had it within a week instead of getting it over a month later. Needless to say I was pretty mad by then and will never buy anything from them again and will advise all others to stay away from them.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
bandit said:
Thanks for the heads up,sounds like my experience with James Duff.
What really got me ticked off is that I specifically told them time was more important since I had a run coming up. Then they didn't promise me just once but several times they promised it within a few days. At the same time I went to Dutchman to get my axles and disk brakes (part of which had to come from Randy's R&P) and I had them in 3 days. When I finally did get the parts the 35 spline Detroit Locker and several other parts came directly from Randy's R&P. That made me even more PO'ed because they had previously refused to refund my money a couple weeks earlier because they had already received the Locker which was a special order. This wasn't just a problem getting a return taken care of but rather they failed to deliver what they promised after taking my money and then kept making promises that they never followed through on. They also never (not even once) returned my calls when I left messages (About 1 a day for a week). I had to keep calling until someone actually answered. In the end I made it to the run but I was up until 2 or 3 in the morning that day out in the cold putting it together because I didn't get all of the parts until the day before. If Dutchman hadn't have done such a great job with their part of it I would have been steaming the entire time I was doing it. I just wished I would have given them all of the business instead of just part of it.
 

welndmn

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
2,112
Like everyone else said, you need a big wallet.
Don't get a spool, I cheaped out and went with a spool, and I hate it.
 

bandit

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
305
Loc.
Afton
I'm almost ready to order those,parts,ARB,4.56 gears,axles,rebuild kit,bearings and seals.Do you recommend Dutchman or Complete offroad?What is the name of that place that screwed you.I definitely wont use them!I think I'm going with the Yukons,only because of lack of funds,do you have a problem with them or those 760 u-joints for my application?
BANDIT
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
bandit said:
I'm almost ready to order those,parts,ARB,4.56 gears,axles,rebuild kit,bearings and seals.Do you recommend Dutchman or Complete offroad?What is the name of that place that screwed you.I definitely wont use them!I think I'm going with the Yukons,only because of lack of funds,do you have a problem with them or those 760 u-joints for my application?
BANDIT
Dutchman's will probably cost a little more for the axles but they have a lifetime warranty on the 35 spline axles and have an excellent reputation both in the off road world and in the racing world. I've never actually bought anything from Complete Off Road but a lot of others here have and most of them were really happy with what they got. If I needed another set of front axles then I would probably get them from there since they have an excellent package deal going. I can't help with the u-joints since I've never needed any that would be driven for a lot of miles on the road. I loke the Super Joints but I just don't know if they would work over the long haul on the street. So far everything I've seen indicates they would be fine but without a real test I just don't know.

The place that screwed me was Mae Racing. In the end I did get all of my parts but since they pocketed the amount that was supposed to be for the assembly they never did I ended up losing out on all of the savings for their lower prices. That wouldn't even have bothered me that much if it hadn't taken so long to get.
 

68ford

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
2,710
man, had no idea, sorry for that waste. i thought it was a good deal.
 

bandit

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
305
Loc.
Afton
Thanks,I'll just go with Complete,thier prices seem best so far,the "35 splines ",I assume you're talking about a 9" rearend?I already got that covered ,I think.Theres no 35 spline D-44 axles ,right?I wonder if what I need covers a package deal,my funds are running low,even with my taxes comming back.I guess your not running a compressor,I'm not sure which one to get ,on the internet there are three ARB's,one seems exclusive for lockers the others I'm not sure what they can do.Shawn advised that his took forever to inflate tires ,and he added another.I guess I'll run those 760's,and if they go south,I'll try those Yukon supers,they're pretty reasonable compared to those megabuck Ox's and CTM's.Thanks again.
BANDIT
 

A&Mbronco

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
547
Loc.
Houston,TX
If i'm not mistaken there is a 35spl ARB for the Dana 44. I'm sure its high dollar though. Unless your running some major HP and tires alloy shafts should be fine for the front end. I'm running Yukon shafts and joints with 37's and have had no issues
 

bandit

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
305
Loc.
Afton
Correct me if I'm wrong,but I think that 35-spline you saw,is for the 9' rear,I had a 35-spline ARB,put in my new 9" rear I had built by Currie recently.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
bandit said:
Correct me if I'm wrong,but I think that 35-spline you saw,is for the 9' rear,I had a 35-spline ARB,put in my new 9" rear I had built by Currie recently.
Yes. (See thread title). 35 spline axles can be put in a Dana 44 but it isn't the simple job it is with the rearend. To fit them there needs to be changes at the knuckle as well to benefit from them. Otherwise you are still running stock outers and stock ears. When I go to 35 spline in the front it will be a 609 instead. (A 9" center with Dana 60 outers) For the parts you need Complete Off Road should be able to set you up.
 
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