Best, "easiest" front axle swap for a YJ?

[Craig]

Just wondering what would be the easiest axle to swap into the front of my YJ? Looking for something that'll hold up to a 35" tire and take a good amount of abuse. Looking for something that needs as little mods to it as possible. Preferabley something of equal width as the stock YJ axle or as close to it as possible. I've got a Ford 8.8" for the rear out of an Explorer. What about the front end out of an Explorer...are they any good?

[Snitty]

44

[Junkpile]

What's wrong with the D30? Well, I don't really need an answer to that. If you aren't going to lock it and throw gobs of power or ultra-low gearing to it, I'd try my best to run that YJ front. A set of Warn axles and a 297x joint upgrade makes that one mean little SOB. If it will live, it is the axle your Jeep will be most capable with because it is lighter than any other axle that could provide equal or greater strength. It can handle 35s all day.

[Snitty]

that could be an option as well... besides.. the front axle will never see as much torque as the rear ever does... only about half

[Joopin]

I kept my D30... and I have 36x14.5"s on her. No problems yet! I decided to stay with it for now cause I heard it will most likely last under moderate wheeling. Like snitty said, it only sees half the power plus the gearing is a reverse cut. The only thing is that they are they are the first axle to hit stuff! I'm stickin with mine till ti breaks.

[Bounty__Hunter]

'95+ D30 has the larger stronger 297x axle ujoints if you can score a used set, or upgrade to Warn or other aftermarket shafts. The D30 should last from what I've seen.

Otherwise the D44 from an SJ with driver's side diff is about the same width as the YJ D30. You can have the hubs machined to the 5x4.5" lug pattern, or use spacers that change the lug pattern.

[hi_c]

Stick with the 30. It's got a hi pinion. You can swap those joints, but personally, I wait til something breaks before I replace it. When it does break, get an axle from a TJ donor with the matching gear ratio. Hopefully, you're running 4.10 gears with those 35's.

C

[Snitty]

are the Ujoint ears on the 95+ stronger than the ones on the previous 30's

[Junkpile]

No, they just carry the larger joints. A case can be made that they are marginally stronger because the biginning of the ear is wider and less likely to fail at that point, but they usually don't fail at that point.