Is This the Strongest Dana 30 EVER?!? Overlander Front Axle Swap Part 5
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- We've finished the Overlander's front axle! It's been a winding road, but we're finally home. In this video I'll detail the few odds and ends that went in to completing this epic Dana 30 build and we'll review everything we've done so far to improve this little axle's reliability and strength.
Thanks for Watching!
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This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Your mileage may vary. Do not try this at home. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. For off-road use only. Slippery when wet. Batteries not included. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, cherokee XJ, wrangler TJ, wrangler JK, or any Jeep vehicle, especially the newer Fiat ones. How-to videos may be too intense for some viewers and children under 30 years of age. Please remain seated until the 4x4 ride has come to a complete stop. Studies have shown viewing these videos causes increased cancer risks in laboratory test people. I am not a professional, I have no training, I'm not even particularly good at horse whispering. Don't believe everything that you know. Please keep your hands in the vehicle at all times. Do not tap on glass. Do not eat anything that has been on the floor for more than 3 days. Keep your hands to yourself. Not to be taken internally. Reproduction strictly prohibited. Driver does not carry cash. Objects in Bleepinjeep mirrors may be farther than they appear.
09862
I work at an off road park in s Michigan. I have seen my fare share of breaks ( daily ) and in most cases, its NOT the dana 30 thats on 90% of the jeeps i see come into the park. The most common break i see on stock or semi stock rigs, is the steering arm gets bent, or breaks , and tie rods. Now having said that, while we do have rock areas, rocks are not in most of the park. Bottom line.....build it for what you do, a 60k drive train dosnt impress me, and screw the trolls. I watch guys with 1 ton military axles break stuff all the time, usually because of the 52 inch tires, but you can break ANY axle, and no where does it say if you dont run the most expensive equipment, your not cool and will never break. My jeep goes any where....it makes me smile, and if you dont like it, drive your own, because i really dont care, and at the end of the day.....my jeep will be pulling you to the parking lot
I agree. Axle longevity has way more to do with driving style than it does with axle size. Anything can be broken given enough throttle, vehicle weight, and/or tire size.
After watching this video and Reading mats reply that makes me really lean toward and HP D30 just to keep cost down and installation easier. My only concern is I have a new set of 37's waiting in the garage but no axles up to the job. I know a foolish man builds his house on sand so it's always got me thinking. I work at a local salvage yard and have quite the pick. I've see set after set of 1 tons everyday but even at my cost it would push my build back another year. But... I can have any 8.8 and HP D30 I choose for almost nothing. This video really makes me think, I never beat on my truck, more of an overland / creepy crawler Trail Wanderer kinda style. Just do some 4.56s, truss the piss out of it, sleeves, some good ball joints and call it a day. Plus what he says about making the axle shaft the fuse I agree with, or even better try to find some Wagoneer style hubs and make that the fuse, don't even have to take the wheel off to replace one.
Seth Kisselman you read my mind. Just picked up another set for wheeling trips
Do you work at Bundy hill dude? I’m not far from there 🤘
I've run 44" tires on dana 35 for over 10 years..ive broken u joints and lug nuts..and ball joints..all old equipment never shafts never blew gears. If you don't maintain your shit it breaks..i do mud and rocks.. My stuff is on TH-cam and nothing breaks..because when I'm stuck I'm stuck..no amount of. Revving will get you out..my favorite. Vehicle is a 4cyl jeep yj 4" springs, soa, 2in shackles 3" body lift..44" bloggers or cut ground hawgs..456 or 513 gears front dana 30 with long axle swap from tj.. Rear axle welded or locked..up to you..build this exact vehicle and you will laugh as hard as I do when I'm wheeling..
Way to take a real world look at your build. You said things I've been thinking in spite of all the internet 4x4 mythos out there. Well done I say.
I like the idea of beefing up the dana 30 because it still keeps the jeep light. One of the reasons why jeeps wheel so well.
Truss kit puts it in Dana 44 weight class
True but you don't have to do as much fabing beefing up a 30 vs prepping a 44 from a one tone. Plus its smaller and has a tid bit more ground clearance than the 44.
I really like this series of videos on this axle. It may have changed my mind on what I'm doing with my 90 XJ and possibly my son's 97.
cool, great to hear it!
I've ran a built dana 30 high pinion on 36's for 5 years and 60,000 miles on a jk with a mechanical locker. No issues. I've seen guys running 37's and 40's on them. Ive seen more 44's break than 30's.
i've run a D30 in my last 3 jeeps.....never broke one. My mud bogger even had a narrow trac D30, and it ripped the ears off the old spindle and left the axle intact. Rule#1.....dont bounce the axle....rule 2....DONT BOUNCE THE AXLE
exactly!
I would love to see a little more information and detail on your spindles and modification you did to strengthen them Thanks
I love this overlander project. Would like to see it in action 👍👍🇵🇷👍👍🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆😁
i put a spartan locker in mine a year ago works fine
No worries, I have an over built dana 30 on my jk. Looks and works good!
Offset tie-rods would be better and a Torsen Traction Dana 30, 3.73 gears. I love the Dana 30's!
thats cool man, good work
You can cryo the ring and pinion as well as add 30 spline axles and a full carrier locker. Ive seen dana 44 sized ctm u joints break before anything else in the dana 30 does so the 30 is no weak axle if its breaking dana 44 ctm's
So it's time to rebuild my d30 on my 2000xj. What brand yall have the best luck with? I'm looking at the Spicer one. Not gonna regear it just so the bearings and seals
I did a very similar build to a HP D30 a long time ago...and thought i was doing very budgetary things (included free Dana 30), but I ended up dumping $700 into it (WJ Knuckle Swap - sourced from a junkyard, built my own truss, Akebono brake upgrade from a parts recylcler, 4.56 gears, artec lower control arm mounts, upgraded to 297 u-joint shafts). At the end of the day, $700 could have got me a lot further with buying the right d44 out of a junkyard. I never ended up being able to throw it under the project I built it for and ended up having to sell it on CL and not get my money out of it. I thought I was being frugal, lesson learned build the d44 from the get go.
Str8sixfan
a dana 44 sucks just as bad the only thing better on them is the ring&pinion everything else the same
Fair enough. FWIW they do have higher spline count axle shafts. But what I meant was I could have found a D44 easier with crossover steering and a steeper gear set and worthwhile mounts than the typical litter of D30s.
Awesome work man 🙌🏼🙌🏼💪🏻💪🏻
Just about everything I've read online says don't bother locking a D30 because the gears won't last. I am still on the fence on upgrading my TJ to D44's. These videos offer a tempting alternative to the D44, but I am wary of all the comments I've seen saying don't install a locker in a D30
Mike Hartmann
my 98 tj has 4.56, arb locker with big splines and axle shafts for years now and hasn't broken. I wouldnt be surprised if it did break tho. The high pinion xj 30 makes for a better build
I've been running an OX locker in the front D30 of my YJ for over 10 years. You need to be conservative on the throttle, but if you're careful, the D30 will survive a locker. It all depends on your driving style. Just NEVER bounce it. Its the shock-loading that kills these axles.
I have a tru-trac and 4.88s in my HP30 with zero issues so far on 35's I mash all the trails in Big Bear, ca.
The gasket for that diff cover is like a two dollar part. That gasket maker goo will cause you more trouble than it's worth. All that effort, and you're week link is a gasket. Or the lack of one rather.
I like it.
Nice solid work
why didn't you do a over knuckle steering set up. I'm looking at buying the Teraflex knuckle and would like your input.
Over the knuckle (OTK) is warranted based on the parallelogram the drag link & track have. You never want them to intersect and ideally, you want the track bar & drag link to be the same length.
Do the WJ knuckle swap or Reid knuckles. WJ swap is way cheaper however. Also consider an adjustable proportioning valve.
I'm only running 4 inches of lift and I didn't have funds to replace the already new ball joints included in the JCR Offroad 1-ton steering kit, so I'm going to run these for now. Down the road, I may do the WJ knuckle swap and at that point I'll look at doing the OTK swap.
Nice! I run 37's on my Dana 30. Why install axles made for HD trucks? Too damn heavy and expensive to fix.
So your not stuck in the woods ?
why not swap WJ knuckles and relocate trackbar bracket?
Which front axle is in my 2000 wj?
Hey guys, I love all the video's! My sons 2001 xj recently overheated. We already put in a new radiator a few months ago. Any clue what we should do next?
Ryan Cobb change the thermostat and take a look at the water pump while you're there.
Alright! Confirms my thoughts. Thank You very much!!
Great build. Odd. I have the same 1-ton kit and diff cover and it comes a hair width away without adjusting the stops. I'd let it rub a little before giving up any turning radius.
Regarding the fuse analogy everybody loves to use. If you're going to do this then you also want to make sure you don't have a 8A fuse in a 50A system. You'll be changing fuses (axles) all day long.
True, but I feel like with 32" tires its more like a 20A fuse in a 20A system. If I were running 35's I'd start to worry about blowing "fuses"
Aussie/Lokka lockers!!
Do you know you have a wasp nest in your XJ? there was a traffic jam of those going in and out!
That's funny. I had an outtake where I had to swat one off my ear. Just after completing the video, I found the nest and evicted them :)
On a lite set up and not going to big on tires the 30 will hold 4to 6 cylinder (Hot V8 ) not recommend than you will pop it carry spare shafts 🤔
Dana HP 30s are stronger than they should be , great lightweight front axle.
Sorry for my bad English.
I'm riding an XJ and I want to use 37s tires. Do these reinforcements together with RCV support this size of tires? I'll use e-locker too.
Ya and new gears
Wondering if you had any problems with your electro de-rusting effort for your steering knuckles. I have de-rusted many crusty parts on my Jeep using this method without any issues, but when I very recently tried using this method to remove rust from a heavily crusted steering knuckle of my Dana 30, it didn't work, and more or less ruined the knuckle (it was pretty far gone anyway). Near as I can tell my sacrificial anode and the knuckle were dissimilar metals. I am guessing the knuckle is an alloy of some sort, as I used the same anode for other steel Jeep parts with great success. Maybe I did something wrong here, but I can't see what that was. If anything, this is a word of caution if you are going to try and de-rust steering knuckles using the electrolysis method......
hmmmm, I've never had a problem using electrolysis on anything ferric. Are you sure the sacrificial node was not touching your part? That can short circuit the reaction and make it not work. I always use a piece of rebar as my sacrificial node and have never had a problem.
Pretty sure it wasn't touching the node. I've been using a steel bar I bought at home Depot - same bar as the other efforts and had great results with the other parts. Just these Knuckles - they came out severely and deeply pitted, including the machined surfaces that were not even rusted. Can't figure it out. Thanks for the quick reply though....
how do you torque castle nuts and get the cotter pin hole to line up?
Jason Riley luck, i imagine.
There's a torque "range" that you tighten them to. You hit the minimum torque and then tighten them to the next hole if they aren't already lined up.
+BleepinJeep I assumed, just struck me as funny. never heard or torquing a ball joint nut.
why is front steer so popular with people who regularly run into rocks with the axle? any reason not to make these rear steer?
A lot of people have front and rear steer. But you can't drive correctly with only rear steer, that would be like driving backwards everywhere you went.
BleepinJeep no rear steer as in steering linkage behind the axle instead of in front of the axle.
It requires extensive modification of the knuckles and can interfere with the front drive shaft. Most people just go with a high-steer set up that moves the tie rod up out of the way.
I suppose it would be easier with independent front. I always wondered about moving the front pinion up (most front axles have a very low pinion for some reason) maybe even like a military axle and then moving the steering to the back of the axle.
Could probably swap the spindles and use an offset linkage to clear the pinion or even use a cantilever like some coil over setups use with push rods.
An easy way would be to swap the spindles then use 2 small hydraulic cylinders, one for each wheel.
"Steering stop nuts"- not "bump stops"....
ya...you're right. You cant keep all that crap straight all the time :)
I work in IT. Don't I know it! :)
People underestimate how well a 30 can hold up...its a matter of horsepower vs. tire size. As far as the locker, I'm someone who would rather have something and not need it than need something and not have it. I'm a fan of IRO so I like the truss.
Looks good. I say build what you want the way you want it, it's your time and money.
I've seen this video pop up often and I figured i'd finally drop my Two Cents in …. its basically because how you say you get Slagged for building up a Dana 30. Every time anyone does any kind of mod to their Jeep, people are always "Rock Crawl this, Rock Crawl that … Blah, Blah, Blah." Not all of us Rock Crawl. We aren't all Rock Crawl specific. Some of us are just explorers (Overlanders is the new trendy term, I think) and just want to get into the back country. I love this idea of just beefing up the Dana 30. I love that you stuck with it … I love mine, and I love this idea. You said people are slamming you for doing this, but myself …. and it seems plenty others, like it as well. I myself would rather go this route … I have it, its there, and anything more would be a waste of money for what I plan to do. I don't need, or WANT to go buy some crazy ass axle assembly that cost more then my whole (1988 Cherokee), when there is no real need for it. That said! I want to be able to deal with whatever gets in my way, and make it home ... this looks to me like the way to go. I thoroughly agree with jrg10332's comments below, and many others. My Dana 30 is completely stock, and its been through hell for 21 years (that's how long I've had it). When it breaks, i'll beef it up with parts such as these …. or if finances allow. But for now, its thoroughly fine, and i'll put the effort and money into other things and modifications that help me get out there in the back country. I love this build thread, and love that you did it, for the rest of us that are cool with what we have …. and will just make what we have better. Good job, thank you. … everyone who slagged that you did this … probably don't wheel, i'm sure... or know the cost of things. Just watch shows with huge budgets, and shops with every possible tool and piece of machinery … and probably don't pay for ANYTHING. "On this episode of our budget build of $30,000.00 and every conceivable tool." I dig my Jeep as is, and dig the Dana 30 and 35, so i'll stick with them. No need for the other stuff.
The fuse argument has been around since the 70’s, proven over the decades not a good argument. With no locker and 35” and under tires the Dana 30 ring and pinion is not a problem even with a locker. The axle shafts are a dime a dozen and less work than the ring and pinion on the trail but still a pain in the ass. Put some good CM shafts in use it how you say you want to use it and worry about it 15-20 years down the road.
What he said ☝
Nice to hear someone else basically say what I tell people about my overlander and that is “that’s the beautiful thing about America; you don’t have to understand, agree, or like anything I do... only I do”
you should box those lower control arm brackets. mini skids. I've bent too many lower control arm brackets.
+1 for control arm skids
+1
That's not a bad idea!
totally agree
JCR Offroad has some nice beefy ones
Nice build. Appreciate the comment about running stock axle shafts to avoid damaging the ring and pinion.
Your not the only one with a built dana 30 we are running a Dana 30 trussed and sleeved with 4:88 Yukon gears ARB lockers Yukon chromemoly axle shafts in our 2014 JKU with 37in tires and so far so good and we beat on our jeep pretty hard. I think the dana 30 is a great axle.
In your honest opinion, do you think you could run 37’s if you only did overlanding with this?
I'm running 35's ten factory axles, lock right locker for about 2 yrs now ,no problems,a lot of it is how a person wheels, that Dana 30 is awesome good work 👍
Kiniferus Eby you running straight up stock Dana 30 and 35 on 35”s ????? Please explain, planning on going to 35”s from 33”s and I have Dana 30 front and 35 rear
Actually its moreover "what a person wheels"
36s ten factory shafts grizzly lockers probably drive harder than anyone ever and i have broke 2 shafts this year but i beat it hard 2 years before i broke one even busted the stock carrier with the assuie locker
Nice build! So over the brainwashed internet folks thinking every 4x4 needs 1 tons. There are axles for different purposes I believe.
That's b/c the rocks are way bigger & harder on the internet.
Jay P but it looks cool when you have somethin like a rockwell under your rig that you use to get groceries. lmao i love my dana 30, its perfect for my light 4wheeling habbits.
Yea man there isn't anything wrong with rocking a Dana 30. If you want to go hard with some 40s on rocks and what not then you may want to look else where. Otherwise there are numerous people out there doing just fine on Dana 30s. I beefed up my Rubicon Dana 44 a little bit I run 37s and I like the combo. I DO NOT rock race so as much as I would enjoy 1 tons they are just overkill. ROFL Rockwells on a the grocery getter haha.
I went a similar route. I did Reid knuckles, locking hubs, Detroit locker, & RCV's. Minus what these naysayers say. The D30 isn't all that bad. I'm running 35" KMII's and don't break stuff.
You know what I always say, if somebody wants to give you crap about what you choose to spend your money on, then they can put up the money to buy what they’re telling you you should be buying, otherwise they can shut up.
went that far might as well have done wj knuckles. the brakes are 10x better and steering is a nice upgrade as well
Mine is all that but trussed, plus it has a locker and RCVs. WJ brakes stop leaps and bounds better than the stock, with far less pedal pressure.
Crap... I didn't think of the WJ knuckle swap... Maybe I'm NOT done :)
BleepinJeep
I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!!!
I did the WJ swap. Your build is pretty solid even without it. How much more does the axle weigh now over stock? I'm guessing another 100 lbs.
jeep...done? HA!
You gave up some of your turning radius by adding those washers. Not really a big deal but you could have used off set tie rod ends and had plenty of clearance, unless your using 15 inch wheels.
Ya, using 15" wheels and I didn't want to pay to replace the already new ball joints included in the JCR kit. I'm really not loosing a whole lot of turning radius, so I'm ok with moving the stops a little.
Roll what you want for an axle. Seriously, I would bet that most guys complaining about the dana 30 don't need anything beefier themselves.
especially if they're not stupid on the skinny pedal.
And some of us do :) we abuse our junk . And Detroit locker all ways on .
Thank God I see someone using a Torque Wrench on a YT vid. Nice job guys. Like some other posters have mentioned, the Dana 30 is underrated if given a little TLC. Having said as much, I live in Colorado with some of the most technical trails in the world. Having a select-able locker in the front while driving up a wet rock canyon is key. BUT, applying full power at full steering lock will break almost any front axle or front u joint. At least anything that most people can afford and drive to work every day.
"Strong" and Dana 30 are words that go together. The ring and pinion is still tiny and all of the money thrown at a Dana 30 could've just been saved for getting a stronger axle.
I've been running a d30 built very similar to yours. I am running Spartan locker, alloy USA chromoly shafts. Been wheeling it on blacks/reds for the past 2 years and on 37" treps the last year.
What vehicle tho ?
Looking great! I am currently building myself an Iron Rock Off-road sponsored ZJ for Overland! Truly a great company! I run their premium 3.5" lift with their rear sway bar. Going to address the Axles next so this series is perfect right now! 👊🏾🦁
IRO freakin rocks!
I think it's funny when people say "you could build a Dana 60 for that". Those people have no idea how much Dana 60 parts are. Not to mention the modifications it takes to make them fit
And ... a Dana 60 is dead heavy, way too heavy.
I just built a Dana 60 for my Jeep for under $3500 (including new ujoints, seals, locker, gears, balljoints, etc), they are actually pretty cheap and stronger than the most beefed up D30 or D44. People can build what they want they want depending on their needs and budget, but it doesn't make economic sense to invest in a D30.
Well I just built a Dana 60 for $5 dollars now I’m so bad ass, I troll built Dana 30 videos in my spare time.
@@joshuaduckworth4844 pity
Nice axle build. Watch out for those mud wasps under your hood though. Lol
Iv said before and I’ll die on this hill... a built/beefed d30 is a perfectly capable axle and is even in the right circumstances a comparable to a stock d44 or even stronger, at a fraction of the cost.
Excited for your build, awesome stuff.
I have a factory stock?? dana 30 on a 95wrangler yj and have had zero trouble with it ( knock on wood ) so far! but how much damage can a 70 yo lady do??
Rock that YJ!
I love your reasoning and answer to why you justified using the d30! mine has held up perfectly with 35s and a locker for the last 6-7 years. A good strong steering setup and normal maintenance will go a long way as long as you don't completely abuse it.
I'm doing the same mods (maybe not the sleeves - not sure) for my overland XJ. Mostly hill climbs with mud and gravel here in Costa Rica to get way out in the Bush. One thing I'm doing that you should consider - WJ knuckles and big brakes. I definitely need those for these crazy roads.
love the build!!! I took an 07 jk dana 30 to swap into my WJ plan on doing the same exact thing. Thank you!
I have A Dana 30 on my 1972 jeep just purchased to rebuild . Some one remove shaft , center gear , cover and pinion. All the stuff was lost and the thing was exposed for many years. I’ve had the whole housing and knuckles cleaned and de rusted . Where can I buy all needed parts to fill the housing again ? Also some instruction ? Does anyone specialize in selling a package for completely emty housing bolts , shims and all ?
I just cant understand why the d30 has such a bad rep, I've done VERY bad things to a d30 and all I have to show for it is 2 outer u joints and ONE longside axle shaft. This is experience with 6 different jeeps with anywhere from 33" tires to one that we slapped some 37s on...and ALL the broken parts were with the 37s. That axle (and jeep)was retired with style via a rock on the gas pedal and a very large jump. Needless to say that poor Dana 30 was in 2 pieces, I dont count that in the carnage though because that was outside of the scope of what the human body can handle😂
lol, I think that the only warning that you didn't put on your disclaimer is "Not intended for human consumption."
Quick question, what size engine do you have in your trail rig?
I have a YJ that I'm putting a GM 307 into and I really don't want to put Dana 44s under it if I don't need to. I know that putting the stock Dana 30 is not a good idea but do you think that if I were to beef them up like you did they would be okay?
IMO Dana 30’s are strong. Their biggest enemies are lockers. They can be put in Dana 30’s but at that point your common sense when wheeling must be used in conjunction with locker button…. Cool build
People who bash the HPD30, often don't know what they are talking about, you can make them as bullet proof as any other axel, with the added benefit of being lighter than a 1 ton, with the same upgrades. If the 1 tons are so good, why do you have to truss, and modify them to make them strong, and the they are twice as heavy as a modified HPD30. As for lockers, I would much rather have a locker up front, and an open diff out back, a locker up front can often get you out of trouble.
I like it. I'm not sold on the validity of building a D30, when you might be able to get a brand new 44 already built for not much more money. BUT i get where you're going, and I like that you made what you had work. I dont know if it's already in the comments, but what'd all this end up costing you? I'm tempted to build the 30 in my LJ, or get a HP 30 from an XJ and build/swap that, but I'm also considering something like the G2 44 front. The cost of the G2 didnt seem much higher than the cost of all of the mods for the 30. Just wondering how that panned out for your build.
I haven't actually figured out what the total cost is to do all these mods. Guess I ought to do that so you all have an idea what you're getting into if you go this route.
I need the rear end replaced in my 2000 Cherokee. My pinion is bad plus other bearing bad. Im wanting to take out axles, housing an all out of my 2000 cherokee and replace it with another complete housing axels an all. Unbolt u bolts drop it all. What modal jeeps will inner change. I know i have a Dana 30 in the front and its good and a Dana 35 in the rear thats bad.. My rear gear ratio is 355. What other jeep rear ends will inner change and that i will be ok with my front end dana 30
Rock that Dana 30!!!!
Mine works and I've beat the crap out of it.
Colton S same. I have a 04 LJ with a front dana 30 trussed and sleeved with junk yard otk one ton steering and I wheel the shit out of it. I'm not rock bouncing it or anything. just gotta drive with more skill than skinny pedal and it's fie.
Been running my Dana 30 with 4.88s, 37’s and a Yukon duragrip for a hot minute now. No issues so far, purchased a truss and c gussets today. Figured I might as well run it till it breaks. Got 4 spare axle shafts for next to nothing at the junkyard, and I keep an extra ring and pinion when I wheel. Helluva lot cheaper than a $3500 44 that I’ll have to put gears in!
How are you doing so far? Any breakage?
@@ismaildemircijorge864 doing great, I went to a 44/60 combo to run 40’s. Never broke anything on that 30 though!
Keeping the stock carrier and installing chromos means you've moved the weak point of a D30 from the shafts (trail fixable) to the carrier (not trail fixable).
And no, this isn't the strongest D30 ever.
Hey I know You're not alone in the D30 lovers dept. I have always had good luck with mine
Love your Dana 30 build...Great job!!!
The fact that you do your own work makes you far more legitimate to upgrade that 30.
I was planning for 38s with stock axles on jeep sport. (Dana30 front, Dana44 rear)
Is it fine? Im not on off roading.
Should be fine for what you are doing, new jeeps come stock with 44’s front and rear and you can get them with 37’s stock
Strongest D30 but you run stock shafts. "Almost alloys" cap covers do nothing but ruin the shafts so you can never rebuild them. And all this work put into an axle and you didn't run a locker, or even a limited slip? What's even the point? Even if it's for overlanding, you won't get much of anywhere without traction.
I run a D30 and a ford 9" in my crawler. The only failure I've had with the 30 was a u-joint failure when the caps backed out and I've wheeled the piss out of that axle. The Almost Alloy kit completely eliminates the u-joint cap problem and with the truetrac in the 9", I rarely even use the front locker. I will probably end up putting a locker in eventually, but I really don't NEED it.
The Dana 30 is great but now your weakness is those stock brakes. Vanco or WJ are pretty much necessary.
BRAVO!!! Finally someone who understands me. The setup you've described is basically what I do; although, my front Dana 30 was destroyed by a tow truck towing the vehicle backwards. I ordered a new Dana 30 with Truss, from East Coast Axle. No locker. Limited Slip Dana 44 in the back. I've been looking for a Dana 44 Clutch replacement video; because, it's the biggest task I want to tackle, in the next month, in time for some winter desert driving. Plus, my 5.9 ZJ came with Quadratrac; where, the ABS/ESC uses the brakes to prevent too much wheel slippage. I decided I want to keep the ABS; because, it is remaining a street vehicle; plus, with my last ZJ, my ABS saved a kids life when I was able to steer it to center up with his front tire. Both SUVs totaled; but, with minor injuries. Without ABS, it would have been really really bad.
Looks great but why didn´t you put the tied rod over the steering arms?
I have a d30 ARB locker IN SHED FS. Thanks
Dana 30 life
Ballin!
I am with you. I have the HP30 and bought a locker on black Friday for $600. I have an e-locker with 30 spine axles but I will run 27 spline outers - so I if anything breaks it will be the outer and not the gears - what do you think I am going overland also.
Loving the build so far. Great work. What size tires are you going with? 31s? I'm going back and forth between Coopers ST MAXX and the AT3s. I see you have the AT3s mounted.
Michael Stone I know you weren't asking me but I'll weigh in anyway. ST MAXX is the better tire but honestly, the AT3 typically costs a lot less and will serve most people's purposes both off-road and on. As an added bonus, if you do get stuck you can pretend it's the "cheap tires'" fault. Lol
I'll use these 31x10.5's for now because I have them on hand, but I'm planning on 32x11.50's. I'm building it to easily clear 33's though...just incase I change my mind.
Thanks for the video man!
I built up my stock TJ front Dana 30 with upgrade to 4.56 gears and aftermarket exterior axle seals. I powder coated the axle housing, powder coated the front calipers, installed slotted rotors and new ball joints. Maybe I should of done the same on a Dana 44 retrofit, but like you the axle was there and I had other things to spend limited funds on. oh yes, it also had a Detroit True Locker already in it. I don't take the TJ 4 wheeling off road, but can say it's 4 wheel off road capable.
Great video, great information and nice build. Building my "RUSTY NUT" 2000 WJ now. You got me thinking about another whole can of worms now.
The guys who drive like shit and break their axels are the loudest
No, it's not the strongest D30 ever built. not with stock axle shafts. tube inserts and "almost" alloy ends are good upgrades. as well, the truss will help. but those axles are still the weak link. But you know that already. Keep us posted on how it holds up.
If the Dana 30 works for you i say go for it. I swapped for Dana 60s front and rear though on my '97 Ram. A bit overkill but the cool factor is worth it to me. Also if you had manual hub locks they act as a fuse and will be your break point. It's easiest and quickest to replace a hub lock than anything else. You can even still drive.
Hey BleepingJeep, how it has been with the re-inforced dana 30? would you recommended after 2 years of usage ? 🧐 am considering dana30 reinforcement . Thank you
It's kind of like picking the best-looking turd in the bowl. Well, at least you will be able to steer with that one-ton steering when that unsupported 7.5 ring and pinion that goes snapa-dee-do-da dance. well at least you didn't waste money on a locker
Nice job. I have a bent axle shaft right now and want to do a gear swap shortly. I don't care to upgrade my D30 because I don't wheel a whole lot any way but I do run 35s because I like the look haha
I did everything you did except the 1 tonne steering. I did Eaton TruTrac limited slip diff lockers front and rear... Also, left axle shafts stock. I changed the front driveshaft from stock.
I don't have much of an issue with the Dana 30 under my JK Wrangler. has 35's and 5:13 gears and it's never broken on me yet over 8 years, and I'm definitely not nice to it.
Don't tow a trailer on sand with it. I've seen them snap crown teeth and the metal between the crown and bearing shear. A Dana 44 would be less work I think. Also, You build the vehicle for your needs, but what if someone you lend the vehicle to hops in and trys to use it for needs greater than what you planned for.
My drunk buddy one night decided to take out my jeep and thrash it after I dropped the rear drive shaft that day. The next morning I was scratching my head because my jeep wasn't where I parked it. I was concerned that he trashed the rear only being front wheel drive, drunk, and putting a beat down on my jeep. Negative, that stock dana 30 took some serious abuse and made me a believer.
no need for washers to space the stop. just wind the nut in a few turns.
All that money put into that lousy 30 could have been spent on a ford 60 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️