Really? So the Rubi D44 isn't any stronger than the D30? I've been planning out my build to put on 35's and figured my D30 will likely bend with the 35's. So there wouldn't be any benefit to getting the D44 aside from the larger pumpkin for gears?

 

Correct. The housings are basically the same. Same length, tube diameter, wall thickness. They share the same C's. They even use the same outer 32sp axle shafts. The rubi axle has the bigger gears, the locker, and better inner shafts.

 

^^^^ So your options are.
-Buy a Rubi D44 and truss it.
-Buy a D44HD/J8 housing and use stock Rubi internals or custom build (what I did).
-Buy an aftermarket housing like PR44, RJ44, TF44 and custom build from stratch.

 

I'm sure their are people out there with a bent housing that could buy a factory housing from the op and reinstall their parts into the housing. It would be up to them to truss it if they like. My front housing is bent but, it's not bent that bad where it needs to be replaced yet. The hard part is trusting someone just telling you the housing is NOT bent. How do they know ? The only way to tell is to bring it to a specialist who could verify it's not bent, with actual numbers. It would be the only way I would buy this housing. Other then that, I'd buy a new, aftermarket housing first.

 

One of the most affordable options is a complete crate Rubi D44 but then you still have the thin tubes. Sleeves or truss will fix that. Building a custom Mopar D44HD/J8 will cost just a bit more then the crate Rubi D44, if you don't have to pay labor costs, but you have more tube strength then all but the hard core wheelers require.

The beauty of the complete aftermarket axles is you just roll them under and bolt them up. Downside is cost 5-6K with all the good parts.

 

Thanks!!! I'll want to know which is the best bang for the buck for someone that will put on 35's with a 2.5" lift and go trail hill climbing 3-5 times a year with some friends from work. I've been reading about PR44, but $5K-$7K seems like a lot of dough for just a front axle when you still have $10K of mods to go including a potential rear axle.

 

You should be fine with a trussed crate Rubi 44 and a stock rear 44 with chromoly shafts all around. No reason to replace your rear axle for your usage!

 

I think you would be fine with just gussets. If you willing to spend 7k on a front axle...you might as well contact Invest2m4 (Dan) at Fusion 4X4 and get front AND rear 1 tons for almost the same price as the single axle. Good luck.

 

Wow if that's all you need, don't even worry about a swap. You will have no problem running 35s on a D30 for your use. If you get more into wheeling later on then consider a swap. I've ran 35" tires on my D30 since 2008 with no issues. I swapped up to D44HD/J8 last year because I wanted a regear and locker. Remember the D30 is structural the same strength as the D44, it doesn't bend that easy.

 

I would recommend buying a complete rubi D44. Locker alone is worth it.
I don't ever recommend locking a D30