Dana 30 Strength

BadMagoo

New Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Location
Wilmington, NC
(2000 TJ Sport 3.07Gears/Dana 30-35)
Since the cutoff point for a Dana 35 rear is typically 33" tires. What is the point where you need to swap out a new front axle in place of the stock Dana 30? I've been searching everywhere online and through these forums, can't find it.

In other words, will 35"s and a locker in the front snap it easily?
 
this is subject to interpretation. Or a loaded question if u will.

U want an answer.

then YES

How do u drive? In what shape are ur shafts? What kind of locker?
 
BadMagoo said:
(2000 TJ Sport 3.07Gears/Dana 30-35)
Since the cutoff point for a Dana 35 rear is typically 33" tires. What is the point where you need to swap out a new front axle in place of the stock Dana 30? I've been searching everywhere online and through these forums, can't find it.
In other words, will 35"s and a locker in the front snap it easily?
Click to expand...


you can run 35s on a locked dana 30....first off you will need to regear from 3.07s...but also driving style will play a big part in the life of your axle. I have seen alot of thrown caps in front ujoints and I have also seen them live through tellico.
 
I know people that have wheeled pretty hard with 35's and a locker for years without any major problems...

...and I know people that have snapped shafts/u-joints/driveshafts/knuckles/etc the first or second time out...

I ran my stock D30 with 33's and an LSD for about a year, and have run a HP30 out of an XJ with 36's and an ARB for the last 15 months or so...

the only "damage" I ever had in the D30 was losing a u-joint cap once...that was on the stock shafts...

I upgraded to the Alloy USA chromolly shafts about halfway through my D30 time, and haven't had any issues so far...

however, I usually keep the ARB off until completely necessary, and after I installed my Atlas, I've been running 2LO in the rear on most trails...

I've taken 3 trips to Tellico, to Devil's Playground, and about a dozen to Uwharrie...

Greg
 
My Dana 30 was toast after 2 years of weekend wheeling on 32s and a front lockrite. I have a stroker and a 5 speed manual in my XJ. The pinion bearings where getting shot and the housing was spun. I never lost a shaft or a joint amd the brakes really suck.

AARON
 
Ive got 35 x 15.50's on my d30 and its all good, ive replaced everything jsut to keep from having any issues but ive only broke one shaft, one time, and that was while i was diggin holes in reverse in order to have a barrier to use while winching.....again, spinning 35's with a stroker and 4.56's while under load from the winch, downhill......thats alot of force on the front end....and i only broke a shaft.......other than that its been great, jumped it lots, drove the crap out it, and baby'ed it....its still there
 
Not a TJ, but I'm still trying to break my D30 in my CJ. 4.10 gears, lockright, 35" BFG muds. When I put the T18 in, I kept popping the U-joints, but have since upgraded to Superior chromoly shafts. I don't have many hours on the shafts yet, but they have the bigger (same as a TJ?) 760 U-joint.
 
IT really depends on how you drive it. if you ease up rocks and be carefully you d30 will hold up. if you nail the skinny pedal all the time you can break anything.
 
in about 2 years of wheeling i have snaped 3 shafts/u-joints with a set of 36" iroks, and an ARB. for what it is it's a pretty decent axle in my book.
 
Other than going through unitized hubs about every 10-15k miles, I never had any problems out of mine. This was progression from stock to 35's, with about 20 miles on 33's and 25k miles on 35's, both with an ARB in the front. Put a new u-joint on either side once in 4 years and 60k miles, and the pinion always leaked, changed the seal, didn't leak for about a week. It never let me down. About the only thing on the jeep stock that didn't let me down. Then I found a front d60 for $300 complete and in good condition and I was left with no choice.
 
i wheeled a hp d30 for a year, with no breakage. i was running a 350, 465, 231 combo, and 4.10 gears. it had a lock-rite. nothing broke, that being said, all the shafts were twisted up pretty good when i parted it out.
 
I run a dana posi in the front w/4.56's on 34's, I broke a D/s shaft at Telico on the trail above Slickrock...........lots of wheel speed was involved though. About to switch to alloy USA shafts and a Detroit.

John
 
I've got a heavy ass ZJ and a HP30 and still have not broken anything. I've run 32's, 33's, and 35's on it and no failure yet. Just don't drive like a moron and parts seem to last ALOT longer.
 
Compare the cost of junkyard Dana 30 spares with the alternative alloy or axle swap costs and it starts looking better too. I would change to the new Spicer 760s if you have it apart.
 
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