Rear Axles
The rear axles enjoyed more options and availability over the 18-year-reign—or maybe suffered from more availability is more like it. Things were kicked off with a non-C-clip Dana 35 which morphed into a C-clip equipped Dana 35. From there the Chrysler 8.25 popped up with 27 splines, and by the dawn of OBD2 it was bumped to 29 splines. The Dana 44 was an option in the late ’80s. The antilock braking system was an option on these Jeeps, and whether or not that box was checked affected what rear axle it got. Generally the ABS-equipped Jeeps have the less desirable axles.
Dana 35
The Dana 35 is a turd, and we’ve seen ’em break with a locker and tires as small as 31 inches. We wouldn’t advise putting any money into it, but if you already have it’s not the end of the world either. If you’ve got an ’89 or earlier XJ it is likely you have the slightly better non-C-clip Dana 35 rear, whereas the ’90-and-up were running the C-clips. If you break an axle running a C-clip shaft, the tire will leave the Jeep and force you into some interesting rigging with a Hi-Lift handle and rope.
Fortunately, in the ’90s the Dana 35 for the most part only reared its ugly head in the ABS-equipped Jeeps.
Good swaps include the later Chrysler 8.25 and the sometimes hard-to-find Dana 44.
Pros:
It’s there
It has the right bolt pattern
It hasn’t broken yet
Cons:
Weak axletubes prone to bending
Some C-clips
Small 27-spline shafts
Dana 44
The Dana 44 is the unobtanium of XJ rear axles, or so many people seem to think. We run across them pretty frequently in junkyards. It is both the strongest factory axle in an XJ and the most rare, which makes the used prices artificially inflated. It was a heavy-duty towing option for the ’87-’90 model years that not many new Jeep buyers purchased.
The Dana 44 features 30-spline axleshafts and no C-clips. It also features a huge aftermarket following with just about any locker you might want. With the available trusses and chrome-moly shafts you can run 37s with it. However, the tubes aren’t all that much better than the Chrysler 8.25 and are prone to bending with lively off-road driving and bigger tires.
Good swap options are … wait a minute, have you even been listening? If you have one, run it. If you break it, you need an aftermarket assembly or a built 44.
Pros:
Non C-clip
30-spline shafts
Ridiculous amount of aftermarket support
Cons:
Somewhat rare
Tubes can bend and axleshaft seals often leak
Artificially inflated price by fellow enthusiasts
Chrysler 8.25
Chrysler stepped in somewhere around the ’90 model year with its in-house Dana 35 replacement. The axletubes and center section were somewhat stronger, but the 27-spline C-clip “wonderfulness” continued. Typically these were only found under non-ABS-equipped Jeeps. They can be identified by the flat section of differential housing that hangs below the cover as opposed to the flush cover and housing of the Dana 35.
It’s commonly accepted that the 27-spline shafts ran until ’96, but we’ve also pulled some of the later stronger 29-spline shafts out of ’96s. Regardless, by 1997 all of the 8.25 rears had the bigger-diameter 29-spline shafts and they will hold up to 35s unless you are really abusive. The 29-spline axles still have C-clips, so don’t get your hopes up there.
Good swaps are the Dana 44 or, if you can weld spring perches and shock mounts, a Ford 8.8 differential.
Pros:
Better housing and tube durability
Available 29-spline shafts
Decent locker, gearing, and aftermarket shaft options
Cons:
C-clip
27-spline shafts in many
Limited U-joint yoke options