How are the X Dana 44s and the Dana 30s in the front holding up with the 5.7 hemi?

doesn't the GC with the hemi have the same axles? I have friends who say the Hemi will destroy the D44 the first tiime I stomp on it.

Another Question, My X is a 6 speed, and I am planning on getting a Rubi Transfer case. How do the transfer cases work with the Hemi engine and trans? The Auto vs Stick thing is a problem for a transfer case swap, how does the transfer case fit into the hemi Swap?

 

Last I knew they only have hemi kits for automatics right now and are testing the manual one.

As for the axels, I could see the 44 getting torn up if youre too hard on it and the weight of the hemi along with the torque would DESTROY the d30 for suuuureeee

 

Well 2 years on and my locked 30 is holding up just fine. I've killed an inner shaft and a couple of u-joints.

 

Yes. If that's all I ever broke, I'd be the happiest wheeler on the planet. Axle shafts and u-joints have to be the easiest things to fix. And u-joints are cheap. What part would you plan on breaking?

 

so is everyone putting D60s under the hemi JKs?

 

Get in contact with the companis doing the hemi swaps i talked to screamin lizard customs and they said the d30 was holding up just fine under the hemi...just a suggestion

 

There are plenty of guys here who have real world experience with this, so rather than vendors, I would rather hear from real world guys...

 

the vendors are in the business of telling you whatever you want to hear so you'll buy their product. regardless of being a vendor or not, there will always be someone who'll tell you: "i've wheeled my D30 with 54" Boggers and never had any breakage". doesn't mean you should do it too.

 

The rear stock D44 is tougher than I would have thought a year ago. It has been 13k miles since the V-8 went in and the stock drive shaft and rear end are holding up. While I try to behave, the Rubi has been launched hard from a stop more than once. That is very hard on any vehicle, especially with traction control enabled as it hooks well since the tires do not smoke.

Do that often even with a Dana 60, and if the axle won't break, something somewhere else will eventually. You have just moved the weak link...to the chain driven t-case or drive shaft or....etc. In my hot rods of old I have toughened the drive train to the point of breaking motor and tranny mounts. The only thing that kept the engine from flopping over was the headers slamming up against the frame.

As for the front axle, I do not do much rock crawl type offroading, so when I play I am usually in 4-hi in mud, snow, or sand. No damage so far, but if I ever catch sudden traction on a spinning wheel there will be breakage, and I will have earned it. Also, I am only on stock 32's and I suspect crawling a bigger tire vertically up over rocks in 4-lo offers ample opportunity to break something, with even the 3.8. It is logical then that if you are not careful you can do it easier with a hemi.

I do not really want the weight of dana 60's, and does a 60 in front increase turning radius?

I can see myself putting stronger axle shafts in the back and stronger drive shafts, and maybe a Pro-Rock 44 in the front. Although personally, I would rather break an axle shaft than the axle gears, T-case, or something else. Because, eventually I will break something. Just part of playing.

Street or offroad, if you hook up the tires you either go forward, or that energy is going somewhere.

So IMO there are too many variables to say what will hold up. It depends on gearing, tire size, your use of the skinny pedal, and the type of on/off road you do.

And to some extent, luck.

 

I've got a little over 20k miles on mine since the swap. No problems at all.