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Anyone destroy a front d44 with alloys

305 views 2 replies 1 participant last post by  **DONOTDELETE** 
G
#1 ·
I am going through my axle swap(front and rear), and I want to know if anyone has any serious problems with a front d44 with alloys and a full case locker. Everything you read suggests that a 44 wont hold up to tires larger than 36's. The only part I have ever seen let go on a 44 front, are the u-joints(tire up to 38's/all v8's). But, I have seen just as many u-joints go on the 60's. I want to hear the voice of experience.What do all of you think. And if you have not owned or wheeled repeatedly with someone with 36's and 38's please dont quote the magazines to me.

 
#2 ·
With 36x12.50 SX, I grenaded the stock, shafts, and U joints(with standard retainer clips) fairly regularly. The exploding joints, would ruin the axle shaft and stub shaft yokes everytime(at least to the point of elongation),but usualy to the point of FUBAR.
With the 36" SX, and Moser shafts, and full circle clips, the failure at the joints cut about in half. But I also destroyed one Moser shaft, at the base of the Yoke on the passenger side. The 297-X U joints would ruin the axle or stub shaft yokes about 1/2 the time.
With 38.50x14.50 SX, The failure rate went up to a point that I couldnt keep my spares rotated with warranteed Moser shafts, and the stock shafts and joints, would fail on a daily basis, when running tough rock trails aggressively.
I have been running Warn Cromo 1430 inners, and outers for the last month, in conjunction with CTM joints, and I can not seem to find a way to break them. they have been through one rock crawling competition, several days of aggressive rock crawling, and a couple of very aggressive snow runs.
I am planning to run a set of 5-760 joints in another set of Warns I just aqquired, to see how they will hold up. but unless the CTMs ever fail, its gonna be hard for them to get in the game.
By the way, my set up is a YJ weighing in at aprox. 3800 lbs, 5.0 300HP/340ft/Lb, 140:1 ratio, 105 wb. The front axle is a Grand waggy D44 with 4.56 gears, ARB and high steer/hydraulic ram steering set up. The 38.50 SX's are mounted on 15x10 beadlocks with 3" backspacing. I usually run at about 5 psi. I use every available resource when I want to make a climb, so I am more than willing to ask the 5.0 to find a way to the top, if the kinder gentler approach is not getting it.
In short I would recomend the Warns over Moser, and almost too a man, the guys I wheel with say the same.
Full circle clips with correct thickness(sloppy full circle clips are no better than the standard clips, maybe worse).
General consensus from D44, guys I wheel with, is that the new 5-760 joints are noticeably stronger than the 297-X joints.
CTM Joints with Warns axles are a very tough combo.
Hope this helps in your decision making.

Jeff
89 YJ
Adversity is imminent, versatility is mandatory, misery is optional.
 
G
#3 ·
Thats exactly what I was looking for.I am just trying to make the final decisions before dropping the big money down. I appreciate the response, especially since I have seen how you wheel and know a little about your rig.The wheeling around my neck of the woods is a little different, and the 44's with mosers hold up pretty well. The problem I was coming to was that I wanted to be able to wheel wherever I wanted.

 
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