I think you really need to know what your plans are. I know, and am sure, that I will never go over a 35" tire. I dont see a need to here on the east coast. If I was going to Moab or Johnsons Valley every summer for 2 weeks, then I might think otherwise. For a 35" tire, the 8.8 is a great axle. It can handle anything you throw at it, the C-Clip is not much of an issue if you get disc brakes, and they are EVERYWHERE. The cost you pay for the bigger axles is not necessarily in cost, but in clearance. You loose a bunch with the size of the pumpkin. Now if you are running 37's, and swapping out the front axle and going full out crawler, then those bigger axles are worth the price. For a budget/mild build, the 8.8 is a great compromise between the turdy5 and the full out 60's....Just my understanding though. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I will have far less then 1500 into my 8.8 and it will be 4 linked, some of thats because i can weld, and some because ive come across deals and what not. I also dont see running a 60/70/14bolt in the rear with anything less then 39s any advantage. It may be stronger but you add a lot more weight, lose ground clearance and the overall build on one is way more money. I had a geared and locked TJ 44 in the rear of mine and i sold it in favor of an 8.8, mainly because i couldnt see cutting off brackets and regearing a perfectly good axle when i could start from scratch and have a bigger ring gear, 31 spline shafts, disc brakes and thicker axle tubes. If the C-Clips are that big of a concern to you then you can eliminate them, but i just have never heard of anyone breaking them so i will gladly beat the piss out of them until i find a weak point (granted i have a 2.5 but it does scream a lot). Ive seen a v8 f150 on 37s wail on his 8.8 bouncing the rev limiter like it was nothing.
I never saw where you said what type of wheeling or what size tires youd run. A hp44 can be had for cheap and if you swap in dana 50 gears (jana 54 is what they call them) you can have a stout axle, but you'll still have relatively weak outers compared to a 60. You can build a pretty stout hp44 for as bout as much as you can buy a stock junkyard 60, and be lighter. If moneys not an object to you, 609's are sick or custom 60 front with 40 spline ford 9 rear would be bad as well, but your gonna be spending as much on axles as you probably spent on buying your jeep.
I never saw where you said what type of wheeling or what size tires youd run. A hp44 can be had for cheap and if you swap in dana 50 gears (jana 54 is what they call them) you can have a stout axle, but you'll still have relatively weak outers compared to a 60. You can build a pretty stout hp44 for as bout as much as you can buy a stock junkyard 60, and be lighter. If moneys not an object to you, 609's are sick or custom 60 front with 40 spline ford 9 rear would be bad as well, but your gonna be spending as much on axles as you probably spent on buying your jeep.
I'll correct ya alittle I don't proclaim to know it all but just alittle. You can wheel more in Moab than you can on the east coast by along shot on 35's. Where do you wheel not to need more than a 35? I mean if your in a full blown buggy on 35's is one thing. In a full bodied short armed jeep is another. I said the same thing when I had 35's,36's,37's,38's and now I have 40's. And if you choose to build a full rear end don't pick a 60.
I am leaning more and more toward the 8.8 for the rear. I can weld also and would really like to get my hands dirty on this. I really appreciate the education. I know there is a lot of opinion when it comes to this. So ... here's mine. When I hear someone say that "you shouldn't get one of these because my buddy had one and broke it 3 times" ... doesn't mean a whole lot to me. When you keep building stronger and stronger axles and keep blowing them out ... it's time to look in the driver's seat and not at the equipment. You can't expect your rig to compensate for stupidity (this is not directed at anyone that has commented on this thread so don't take offense). I am convinced that there is no such thing as a bulletproof setup. If there was, it would be the only axle/configuration ever sold.
With my 2 cents out there. Let me show some more ignorance. If I decided to go 8.8. What about the front? Can you get another 8.8 and make it steerable? Or can you get them that way? Or should I even look in that direction?
With my 2 cents out there. Let me show some more ignorance. If I decided to go 8.8. What about the front? Can you get another 8.8 and make it steerable? Or can you get them that way? Or should I even look in that direction?
That is why I said we needed to know what his plans were. I don't think he is planning on mud pit wheeling...if he is, then he has a lot more work than just axles. He needs high RPM high Horsepower, neither the 4.0 is well suited for. Again, this is just my understanding based on the limited exposure and reading....I could be very wrong, and if I am, I like to be corrected.
IMO, 35's are the absolute minimum. Judging by the wheeling I've done. For "trail riding" maybe 33's are fine. For hardcore wheeling, 37's or larger. I've been on many trails with 37's, tons of flex, full width axles, and a heavy right foot and would have given anything to have bigger axles and tires. But I've never wished I had smaller. Being over built is never a bad thing. I've broken way to much stuff 100's of miles away from home to feel confident with "marginal" or "should be fine". I'm done with that stage. That's why a 60 and 14 bolt are in my near future. Yeah sure, one ton axles and 37's may be a PIA on the trail with weight and ground clearance, but when you drive 100's of miles away from home to go wheeling, wouldn't you rather be overbuilt? That SHOULD be the goal for any street driven rig owner.
True....Again, this is why we need to know what he wants to do. If he is up for hard wheeling, the the entire build changes. If he is a daily Drive doing trails like Bumpus and most of gulches (again, there are some exceptions there as well), Exit 33, power lines, etc, I believe 35's are the best of both worlds. I'm happy with 33's. They have taken me everywhere I have wanted to go...that being said, since i am on a D35, I am limited to what I will even try. When the 8.8 goes in, I will be much more adventurous, and may find that there are places I want to go that require bigger than 35's.
Word of advice. Go strong, go wide. A full width axle is anything over 65" from WMS to WMS. Stock Jeep axles and even wagoneer axles are in the 58" - 63(?) range. No improvement in stability in other words. A 9"/44 combination is between 65" and 68" WMS. One ton axles are 68"-69.5".
Mine are 68" wide with 35'-37's and 5" of lift and I love it. Stupid stable. I've been at that spec for several years now and I've crept right thru places where narrower/less stable rigs have ended up on there roof or wrapped around trees causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
If you like big rocks and hill climbs like you say, at any given point you will get off camber, sideways, and in some really crazy prediciments where you can roll your rig at any given moment. The wider your track width, the more stable your rig is. It's as simple as that. More weight to the ground contributes to more stability to boot. More turning radius means less lift is required.... the list goes on. The very few downsides to having full width axles is nothing that a little driving skill can't make up for.
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Here's a comparison: mine on the left, Cole's on the right. Same lift height, same fender trimming, same tire width and wheel back spacing. Differences are just as noticeable on TJ's.
Mine are 68" wide with 35'-37's and 5" of lift and I love it. Stupid stable. I've been at that spec for several years now and I've crept right thru places where narrower/less stable rigs have ended up on there roof or wrapped around trees causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
If you like big rocks and hill climbs like you say, at any given point you will get off camber, sideways, and in some really crazy prediciments where you can roll your rig at any given moment. The wider your track width, the more stable your rig is. It's as simple as that. More weight to the ground contributes to more stability to boot. More turning radius means less lift is required.... the list goes on. The very few downsides to having full width axles is nothing that a little driving skill can't make up for.
:Here's a comparison: mine on the left, Cole's on the right. Same lift height, same fender trimming, same tire width and wheel back spacing. Differences are just as noticeable on TJ's.
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