First YJ

[K.13]

Just bought myself a '95 Yj... Finally.
I used to own a '92 Xj, blew the motor and prompted me to finally get one of these things.
700 bucks well worth it. Not in the best shape though... passenger rear shock mount on the axle needs to be welded back on.. rear brake line needs to be replaced. Apart from the usual jeep rust, it's in decent shape. Underside has been undercoated, so that and the frame are still in great shape.
Quick question. First thing I want to do is A spring over conversion. How much work is it to install the conversion kit?
Oh also, What were gearing ratios were offered in the 2.5 YJ?
Also thinking of re-gearing the axles. 4:10's? 5:38's? What would be the best gearing for... lets say a 33" tire on the 2.5?

 

[cali_92]

im interested in the re-gearing 4 33"s too

 

[jfrabat]

For gearing, I'd recommend 5.13 if you can, but if you are sticking by the D30, you can only go to 4.88 (which is not that bad). As for the SOA, do a lot of research; it's not as simple as some people lead you to believe... You have to keep in mind spring warp, brake lines extendions, etc. If you want the best, IMHO, I would do spring over in the front, and spring under with lift springs to match in the rear.

 

[K.13]

Im keepin the 30's in the mean time. At some point I plan to find a better axle. A D44 or something.
As far as brake line extensions, got that covered. Im going to be replacing the rubber lines with braided stainless sometime in the near future.
Thanks for the tips on the gears.

 

[Rubiconrich]

Do not waste any money on a Dana 35. Get a Scout 2 Dana 44 rear or a Ford 8.8.
Going with 4:88's the gears will be weaker then 4:11's

 

[jfrabat]

Going with 4:88's the gears will be weaker then 4:11's

What will be weaker? The engine will feel more powerful, but more stress will be put on the axle, so the axle is more likely to break (it will have to put up with more torque). Having said that, I have alloys and ARB's in my axles (D30 and D35) with 33's and have not broken them yet (although, I do agree in not throwing good money on a D35; you are better off with a Ford 8.8 or D44).

 

[K.13]

I really don't plan on wasting much money on the D30's. Did these come with a D30 in the front like the XJ? Or are they both a D35?
Also, what can I pull a D44 out of that will be a bolt on? The 8.8, I'd have to change the leaf perches wouldn't I?

 

[jfrabat]

OK, first of all, the D30 is really not a problem; it's strong enough even up to 35's (maybe a bit larger even). Your problem is the D35 on the back. That's the weak link, really. Although there are no "bolt on" axles, a D44 from an Izusu Rodeo or Honda PAssport will work fine (lug pattern is different from the D30, though, but they do come with disc brakes and mini drum e-brakes), and a Ford 8.8 is also a fairly simple axle to bolt on there as well (if you look for the mid 90's explorer, you get disc brakes for free!).

If I were you, I would keep the D30 and put a Ford 8.8 (mid 90's explorer) on the rear and call it good.

 

[K.13]

That doesnt sound like all too bad of a plan. As a matter of fact, there's a junk explorer sitting in my p[arking lot. Aren't the 8.8's a little bit more narrow than the Dana axle?

 

[RangerRick]

The 8.8 is an awesome upgrade for the turdy5 and dirt cheap. Same wheel pattern and 31 spline shafts. If the axle comes out of a 1995-2001 4 door 2 or 4 wheel drive, guaranteed it will have disc brakes. 1991-1994 are the same dimensions but don't come with disc brakes. Common gear ratios include the 3.73 & 4.10 gears used in many 4 cylinder YJ Wranglers from the factory so potential of not having to re-gear right away is nice. Make sure you use low Hydrogen rod and have the tubes welded to the housing. This will fix the only known weakness of axle tubes spinning in the housing if the factory plugs should break loose. Sure you can find the metric ton Commanche or Cherokee D44's out there to put in your YJ but those need the spring perches moved as well and usually run $300-400 with no disc brakes.