HD Axles

[brut69]

Could anyone tell me where i can find heavy duty axles for a dana 30?

 

[broncobsession]

Jeff's Bronco Graveyard...but why? Don't put any more money in the Dana30 than you have to...try to find a 44.

 

[brut69]

I agree but, my 30 does just fine other than the axles. Plus i have an OX locker and no money to buy a 44 put HD axles in it and buy a new locker. I like the ox but thats 750 smackers. I also like the challenge of running the underdog 30 that everyone thinks is crap.

 

[SaddleUp]

I agree but, my 30 does just fine other than the axles. Plus i have an OX locker and no money to buy a 44 put HD axles in it and buy a new locker. I like the ox but thats 750 smackers. I also like the challenge of running the underdog 30 that everyone thinks is crap.

Everyone thinks it is crap because it is crap. Even with hd axles it is still weak elsewhere. The OX locker will help by strengthening the carrier (I have a 2 piece carrier in the garage that was intended to be one piece) but it will still have weak knuckles. (I've personally seen at least a few D30's with the knuckles busted) No matter how much money you throw at it you can never get past that weakness.

 

[NOTPRETTY]

What saddle up said, but I understand the money thing. Still I wouldn't more money in the 30 if I could avoid it at all.

 

[Dusty]

What possessed you to drop so much dough (for the OX) into a d30? Oh well I guess its water under the bridge now but you could probably sell it and recover some of the cost toward buying one for your 44. At least you wouldn't have to buy a new shifter and cable for it. When you say "the D30 is fine for me except for the axles" well that's the whole point of upgrading to a D44. You can run true HD axles with bigger u-joints (not the stock EB ones though, they're no better than the D30 ones) , plus you get a stronger R&P as icing on the cake.

I'm another vote for dumping the D30 now before you sink any more money into it. I made the same mistake myself not too long ago, except in my case it was dumping a ton of dough into a D44 when I knew at the back of my mind that I'd have to move up to a D60 eventually, which I'm doing now.

Dusty

 

[NOTPRETTY]

Ahhhmennn to that Bro. I say...give me dana 60 or give me death!! I need one...I want one...I can't afford one...Hello Lotto!!

 

[Dans1/2cab]

Let me ask a dumb question. What are you going to take a 60 out of? Or does someone make a housing you can buy and go from there?

 

[SaddleUp]

Let me ask a dumb question. What are you going to take a 60 out of? Or does someone make a housing you can buy and go from there?

If you run full width axles then there are several options that are the right width. If not then it really doesn't take much to narrow one. Personally I'm thinking of going with a hybrid 9" with 60 knuckles so I don't lose a bunch of clearance under the front.

 

[NOTPRETTY]

Where are you buying the hybrid 9? I know a few places, but prices are all nutty.

 

[SaddleUp]

Where are you buying the hybrid 9? I know a few places, but prices are all nutty.

I haven't decided whether to buy it or build it myself yet. Don't know what crazy is but I already sunk close to $2400 into my 35 spline rear by the time I was done. (Just got the ebrakes hooked up to the Explorer disks today so it is now complete)

 

[NOTPRETTY]

Any locked 35 spline axle adds up fast. The locker, gears with install and shafts are usually 1500.00 minimum. Add disc brakes etc and 2400 is not surprising. Did you build it? As for building the 609, I would sure like to know how to do that correctly. Lining up the ends is always the key...welding is not a concern. Even so...the money for a front adds up faster and if you want a HP 609...even more....good Crane/Dedenbear c's and knuckles...more...35 spline outers with alloy shafts...more...ctms...more...

 

[HotWheels]

What about Moser axles? Aren't they suppose to be real good?

 

[broncobsession]

What about Moser axles? Aren't they suppose to be real good?

For the D30? I'm not sure who makes the ones Jeff's sells ?:? As for the D44, I think tops is Superior, then Warn, then Moser (heard their new batch are nice), then yukons, spicers, etc.

 

[Gummi Bear]

The Dana 30 is not terrible, as long as you are aware of its weaknesses, and know its condition. I know of boatloads of D30's running 35 and even 36" tires with very little breakage.

Warn, Moser, Superior, Yukon; all of these guys make excellent alloy shafts for a D30. Carrier strength is slightly less than a 44, but with a lunchbox locker, and not going overboard on the stupid pedal, they can hold up pretty well. When you go to alloy shafts, you can also put in beefier joints pretty affodably.

Upgrading to a D44 will of course buy you a lot more strength, with very little weight gain, and if you are going to wheel much at all, is the prudent option. But for a daily driver type of rig, that only sees occasional light off road use, it can be a reliable axle to have under your rig.

 

[broncobilly_69]

I stripped a section of the ring gear on my 69 with bald 31s. front end started hopping while pulling someone out of the ditch on a gravel road.

 

[SaddleUp]

Any locked 35 spline axle adds up fast. The locker, gears with install and shafts are usually 1500.00 minimum. Add disc brakes etc and 2400 is not surprising. Did you build it? As for building the 609, I would sure like to know how to do that correctly. Lining up the ends is always the key...welding is not a concern. Even so...the money for a front adds up faster and if you want a HP 609...even more....good Crane/Dedenbear c's and knuckles...more...35 spline outers with alloy shafts...more...ctms...more...

Yes, I assembled it myself. The setup I put together would easily run $3500 I think if I had it done by someone else. It's been a few years since we put together a custom frontend but if I recall right we had the tube ends machined at the center and then the center section itself machined for the tubes. From there it is just a matter of lining up the ends for the proper front alignment. Since I don't have all of the equipment available to me anymore that we had when I was working on custom 4WD's I may just get the housing done by someone else.

 

[brut69]

I still agree the 44 is better but I've been wheelin w/ the 30 for over a year on moderate trails and just broke my first original axle. That all. I'm just sayin.