im on the same boat as OP, so all this info is greatly appreciated

 

Another note for those that can't afford to upgrade to a PR or a 60, take a look at the R-SE Bombshell. I kinda dig it.

 

Likey

 

I'm looking at this as well. I was thinking of going to a junk yard and trying to find a D44 front from a Rubi to stuff under my Sahara. I am going with 37s this summer, and was going to regear and gusset, but then started considering the D44 swap. I drive it daily, and trailride about once a month, but do so lightly until it is not a daily driver. Good info here to help guide me on my decision.

 

My biggest guiding principle on this build is to get the most out of 70+ years of Jeep engineering with every dollar spent. That being said, I feel way more value per dollar can be obtained building and strengthening a D30 in step with my the rest of my rig/driving capabilities.

I run a set of BFG 32"s from a Rubicon, and am about to have ANOTHER set... which means I do not see buying tires/going up in size/re-gearing anytime soon. 2.5"= OK.

I want front and rear lockers, as well as truss and gusset protection... A D44 from a Rubi is $2,400-bare. I gotta re-gear it probably, so minimum $350+ plus bushings and install...However I can get the D30 an "E Locker' for $350, a full sleeve kit like above for around $300 and another $100 for a diff cover. So figure after labor, I am into an armored, locked and trussed D30 for $1,000 using catalog parts. The armor is $75 in steel, so after the E Locker I can see being in this under $750.
D30= OK.

 

Honestly.. Rubicon axles are NICE if you can get those cheaper id take them in a heartbeat. They are easy to install, absolutely no welding. Bolt in bolt out just make sure you have your torque wrench handy and regarding the lockers.. You can wire it yourself outside of your computer, i have not performed this myself but i have heard its pretty simple

 

You realize that the front 30 and 44 are the same housing, right? The 44 just has a larger center section to fit the gears. All of the strength upgrades you would want for the 30, you will also want for the 44, so add gussets/sleeves/truss/skids/hd mounts/etc, plus the labor, plus the gear install, onto the cost of that used rubi front.

The factory elockers seem to be a bit problem prone, and seriously expensive to replace. (you are better off swapping to a 35sp ARB with new 35sp shafts than replacing it).

The big plus is the 44 gearset, which is a huge improvement over the 30.


Depends on the person and the budget, but moving to a PR44 may make more sense than buying a rubi44 and fully building it.

 

My biggest guiding principle on this build is to get the most out of 70+ years of Jeep engineering with every dollar spent. That being said, I feel way more value per dollar can be obtained building and strengthening a D30 in step with my the rest of my rig/driving capabilities.

I run a set of BFG 32"s from a Rubicon, and am about to have ANOTHER set... which means I do not see buying tires/going up in size/re-gearing anytime soon. 2.5"= OK.

I want front and rear lockers, as well as truss and gusset protection... A D44 from a Rubi is $2,400-bare. I gotta re-gear it probably, so minimum $350+ plus bushings and install...However I can get the D30 an "E Locker' for $350, a full sleeve kit like above for around $300 and another $100 for a diff cover. So figure after labor, I am into an armored, locked and trussed D30 for $1,000 using catalog parts. The armor is $75 in steel, so after the E Locker I can see being in this under $750.
D30= OK.