Ok, so i have a mostly stock 2012 Unlimited Rubicon that i am going to put 37's on. Im putting the C gussets on this next week and when i get tires im going to regear to 5.13 (sorta still debating on that or 4.88 still need to read more i guess), but what im having trouble understanding is the whole sleeving idea. What exactly is the point of sleeving? Would it be better to just buy 2 new axle shafts or is it to keep the front d44 from bending? Thanks alot Guys

 

Just a note, if you decide to sleeve, I would do that before putting on the gussets. The heat from welding might impact the shape if your axle tube and make life that much harder when you go to install the sleeves.

 

It helps from bending. There are weld in an pound in. The pound in nitros allow a 35 spline axle shaft to fit in. Axle shafts are a completely different area.

 

The axle tubes in the front housing are 2.5" in diameter and are fairly thin walled. The sleeves go inside the axle tubes to act as reinforcements. They prevent the axle tubes from bending as easy. Generally speaking, in a jeep that is mostly a pavement pounder with light trail duty you'd probably be ok without sleeves but if you do any serious trail running or hall balls across the desert then I'd recommend either sleeves or a truss or both.

 

Front and rear are both 1/4 wall i believe

 

I would use the weld in sleeves over the pound in (even if they are welded at the end) because almost all the failures I have seen in person or posted are due to torque or twisting of the axle tube, and the weld in will resist more torque because the inner sleeve, being welded, becomes part of the entire assembly, while a pound in sleeve is still free to rotate separately...just MO.

 

And a pic to help with visualizing it.

The left (stock JK) is both the d30 and d44.


The two aftermarket companies shown went with larger outer diameter but same tube thickness (Teraflex), and both larger outer diameter and increased wall thickness (Dynatrac).

For the stock tubes, just add inner thickness corresponding to the sleeve thickness. As noted above, adding thick inner sleeves may negate the use of 35sp shafts.

You could also look at outer sleeves (clamshells) that are welded around the outside of the housing, and trusses. Get quotes for all the options and decide which, if any, is best for you.

 

I'm thinking of this also. Are you saying that the pound in are better than the weld in's?

 

There are exterior sleeves for the front axle that are welded on. This will allow an RCV shaft.

 

Depending on what you want to do... Id personally got weld in. Another the to consider is the extreme pain in the ass it would be to actually get 35 spline axle shafts in a front dana 44 any way... I bet next to no one has done that...