So I am am debating to upgrade my d30 with sleeves and gusset or get a d44? I am on a budget so is anything wrong with just upgrading d30? What do you all think to run 37s after re gear sleeve and gusset? Anything else?

 

^^^X2^^^

I am about to do the same and would like to know as well...

 

I'm having the same debate. I already have the 37's and a spare D30 so I'm interested to see what everyone recommends.

 

From what I understand you'd have the same gusset/no gusset issue with a D44.

I too am on a budget, but for me I couldn't imagine the little extras of upgrading to a D44 versus just sleeving my D30. For a 44 you'd need new gears, a new carrier, and a bunch of labor. Undoubtably the 44 is stronger, I am just questioning the ROI.

A lot also probably has to do with how big you plan on going. Me, I like my 35s. The Jeep will have to be long since paid off (and I have extra cash) before I could afford larger tires

 

Guys, if you use the Advanced Search function and type in a few keywords, there have been several lengthy discussions on this topic already.

I have built my D30 front about as much as you can build one... RCVs, Pro Steers, gussets, sleeves, LCA skids, nodular iron diff cover, solid steel Krawler tie-rod, JKS track bar brace... and despite the cost of a few of these mods, I still spent considerably less than a ProRock 44.

I wheel the hardest trails I can put a tire on in Colorado and Utah, but I'm on 35s and I don't plan on going any bigger.

You're asking for trouble putting 37s on a Dana 30.

 

MKjeep runs 37's on his rig on a D30 with no issues though, and its been a while since he did it too, maybe he will chime in here soon

 

From what I've read the Dana30 should be sufficiently strong itself, especially for 35s. The weak point in both axles are the Cs and shafts. I'd recommend gusseting your Cs and replacing the stock shafts with Chromoly shafts. I'm not sure if the stock shafts and Cs are the same on both axles, but having destroyed my own shafts and C, I've researched extensively otherwise. This is covered in the newb sticky of the Modified JK Tech forum under driveline or suspension, I believe. You could sleeve it too and be done with it, having a fairly bombproof axle. I could be wrong though, but that's my novice opinion and understanding.

 

I ve got a 09 d44 front from rubicon with no guts i was planning on upgrading my sahara. I might consider selling.

 

Wheel the 30, the 44 has many of the same weak points, except for the ring and pinion. IMO its a waste of money to upgrade to a 44 then have to much of the same type of upgrades (gussets, skids, possibly sleeves and shafts) and really only have a larger R&P. I wheel my 30 pretty good as-is with stock 3.21s that suck ass and no locker. If I wasn't confident in it, I wouldn't be going to the shop tomorrow to throw in 5.13s and a locker, but I am. My only upgrades are as listed. I have been cosnidering possibly going with cromo shafts in the future, but I kind of like my weak point being the shafts. I can't see ever bending the housing, I use more finesse than gas. And my next step is going to be 37s.

 

Agreed.

An empty JK D44 front housing isn't worth much money. Might as well make the investment in a ProRock housing since you'd be facing a fairly expensive parts list to "fill" the JK housing anyway.

But Joneszj, the 'Next Gen' Dana 30 in the front end of our '07+ Wranglers might more stout than you're giving it credit for. The R&P/carrier are both substantially larger than the last (TJ) variant, it's a high pinion design and seems to respond well to the standard up-armor that even guys with Rubicons should be doing: gussets, sleeves and a track bar brace.

You don't have to spend as much as I did on RCVs, but I believe a set of good chromo shafts with circle clip u-joints instead of the crap that comes from the factory would be a good investment, particularly given the fact your driving style is less hillbilly and more technical.

My 30 is built, locked, and I'm on 35s, but I think I'm going to destroy my stock steering box long before I hurt anything on the axle...