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Jeep Axles
When regearing the Jeep it is often necessary to change the gear carrier; this is because as the pinion tooth count goes down it often gets smaller, making it necessary to move the ring gear closer. Most commonly used light axles have two carriers available, a thick and a thin depending upon the application. The crossover between needing one carrier or the other is commonly referred to as the 'carrier break'
This list shows some of the common axles used with Jeeps. Although it represents many axles, it is by no means all-inclusive.
For XJ-specific axle information, see this page.
Front Axle Options
Axle |
What Jeeps have it? |
Carrier Breaks |
Miscellaneous info |
Dana27 |
Front Axle, early CJ |
3.73 & down |
3.92 & up |
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Dana30 |
Front Axle - CJ, TJ, XJ, WJ, YJ, ZJ |
3.54 & down |
3.73 & up |
CJ have passenger-side pumpkin TJ, XJ, WJ, YJ, ZJ have driver's side pumpkin
XJ 84-99 D30s are high-pinion
XJ 00-01 D30s are low-pinion
All YJ D30s are high-pinion
All TJ D30s are low-pinion
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Dana44 |
Front (low pinion) - Rubicon TJ - Rubicon LJ
Later model SJ Front |
3.73 & down |
3.92 & up |

(Above: XJ rear Dana44, front is similar) |
Other vehicles |
See the exterior section of my 'Future Mods' page for more information on axle swaps into Cherokee and Wrangler-sized Jeeps |
Rear Axle Options
Dana35 |
Rear Axle YJ (all), XJ (most 84-91, all w/ABS post-91), Most TJ |
3.31 & down |
3.55 & up |

(Above: YJ Dana 35. Note oval cover, rounded bottom portion) |
Chrysler 8.25" |
XJ rear, non-ABS post-91 91-96 models had 27-spline axleshafts.
Starting in late 96, available in non-ABS Cherokees with the heavier-duty 29-spline shafts.
My Cherokee (built after March 96) had the earlier 27-spline |
2.45 & down * |
2.56 & up |

(Above: XJ 8.25 Note the oval-shaped cover and flat cast 'lip' that differentiates the 8.25 from the Dana 35)
* Since the highest XJ gear is the 3.07 included with most manual-shift Cherokees, the numerically lower 8.25" carrier isn't seen in our applications
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Dana44 |
CJ rear thru 1975
Some 1986 CJ-7 and -8 rear
Some 1987-89 XJ Cherokee rear (most common in 1987 w/towing package, very rare in later models)
Some TJ rear
Front (low pinion) & Rear - Rubicon TJ
Common Front and Rear Swap, all models |
3.73 & down |
3.92 & up |

(Above: XJ Dana44)

(Above: 1973 CJ-5 Rear Dana44)
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Dana60 |
Common Rear-Axle Swap |
4.10 & down |
4.56 & up |
Good source - '79 F250, they have a Fullfloating D60 rear. Some early 80's Dodge pickup or vans have 35 spline Fullfloating shafts. Also, lots of early 80's Ford trucks have semi-float 60's that are 35 spline. Downside is, those axle use shafts that are retained by C-clips (c-clip eliminators can be corrected with C-clip eliminators).
Some Ford vans had a D61 - it sounds closely related but apparently isn't a very well-supported axle option. |
AMC20 |
CJ7 rear (two-piece axleshafts)
1976-83 CJ-5 rear (two-piece axleshafts)
SJ rear (one-piece axles)
MJ Comanche, with one-piece axle shafts. Available in at least the early (84-87) MJ; or possibly just the '86 Metric Tonne version.
The 1-piece axleshaft is preferred and stronger than the CJ version which is prone to failure by spinning the keyed hub. |
2.73 & down |
3.07 & up |
AMC20 under a 1986 MJ Comanche. Picture provided by Pete M from NAXJA |
Ford 8.8 |
Ford Explorer/Navajo; Mercury Mountaineer |
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95 and newer had 31 spline & disk brakes. This is a great axle to use and you can find it very easily, plus the disc brakes are a nice mod in and of themselves. '96 and newer have 4.10 gearing available. Check M.O.R.E. for parts to make this swap into any XJ, YJ, TJ, etc.
The Ford 8.8 is slightly narrower than the D35, measuring 59.75" WMS-WMS vs 61.25" for the D35-eqipped XJ (WMS is wheel-mounting surface). This means each side is going to be 3/4" narrower. While the narrower rear can mean tighter turns on trails, it also means the tires may make contact with the inner fenderwells unless you use spacers or rims with less backspacing |
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While it's extremely important to keep the front and rear ratios the same, you may notice that some front and rear ratios are off slightly but this is okay. I've heard the variance can be up to 1%, but I wouldn't recommend taking it too far. As an example, 4.10 and 4.11 are commonly used from the factory in 4-cyl Jeeps. 3.55 and 3.54 are often found as well; the reason for the minor difference is that the tooth count between ring and pinion isn't the same in different axles but it isn't a concern as far as the mismatch of numbers. .
The gear manufacturer also plays a bit part in the strength of the axle; some manufacturers build their junk in China, and quality apparently doesn't translate correctly. Here are a few thoughts on the matter:
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