Currie F9 Housing
The Currie F9 fabricated 9-inch housing is the next step forward in the evolution of the 9-inch axle. A press-formed and welded 3/16-inch steel plate housing combines with a 3/8-inch face and is way stronger than any stock 9-inch housing ever made. The first bend in the housing is at the centerline of the axletube, so unless you run your rearend with the yoke parallel to the ground, you will gain ground clearance by rotating it (up to 20 degrees). The F9 housing accepts up to 4-inch-diameter axletubes, and like all 9-inch rearends, is ultra-customizable. If you have a three-link, you can weld your brackets to this housing just like any other piece of steel. A truss can be added for the ultimate in bend resistance and it can be easily upgraded to 35-spline axleshafts for Dana 60-like strength in a much lighter and more compact package. The F9 housing for the TJ includes the heavy-duty Currie brackets, 3x0.250-inch-wall axletubes, both TJ and CJ bolt patterns, and is 61 inches wide overall. The prices below are for all new parts, but we could easily knock some coin off the bottom line by providing some junkyard parts we've got hanging around.
| Currie F9 TJ assembly |
$2,150 |
| Currie 9-Plus centersection with 4.56 gears, 31-spline ARB Air Locker |
$1,550 |
| 11-inch Drum Brake Kit |
$390 |
| Total |
$4,090 |
Pros:
•Lightweight
•Good ground clearance
•Can upgrade to larger axleshafts later if needed
•Lends itself well to custom suspensions.
Cons:
•Same low-pinion concerns as the junkyard axle
•Can be upgraded with a high-pinion center section, but that impacts the price
G2 Model 44 Axle Assembly
The Dana 44 axle assembly built by G2 and sold by 4WD Hardware is a great alternative to rebuilding the stock axle. There is no assembly needed, just swap over your brakes and bolt it in. When you place the order you can request your choice of differential and gears (from 4.10 to 5.38). Differential choices include Detroit Locker, Detroit Truetrac, Auburn limited slip, Auburn ECTED, and ARB Air Locker. Shafts are 30-spline units by default, but can be upgraded to 33- or 35-spline for minimal additional charge. Not all locker choices are available in all spline counts. The base price below includes the ARB Locker and 4.56 G2 gears already installed. This housing is basically the TJ Rubicon Dana 44 housing, but there are thicker tubes and mounting brackets available for an additional $400 (price not included below). Since our brakes are shot, we are including those costs for an apples-to-apples comparison.
| G2 assembly with ARB Air Locker, 4.56 gears, and 33-spline axleshafts |
$2,423 |
| New brakes shoes and hardware |
$75 |
| New brake drums |
$60 |
| Total |
$2,558 |
Pros:
•Lower cost than rebuild for all-new parts assembled
•Larger axleshafts than stock for almost no additional money
Cons:
•Still a TJ housing, so it is possible after abuse we'd have all the same issues we have now