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YellowSub2000
11-11-2009, 07:22 AM
I am in the process of swapping my Stock 20 year old D35 with a 6 year old D35 from my old TJ TJ with all the upgrades possible (Disc Brakes, Alloy Shafts, 4.56 Gears, Locker). Since this is going to be a total swap, and brackets need to be made. I have a friend that is doing the fabrication of the brackets for me. Any one have any ideas, or experience of things they wish the brackets had?

For instance. My Leaf Spring Perches are going to be 2 1/2" wide x 6" long at 1/4" thick. I don't think they are going anywhere. To make it stronger I might weld 1" triangles at three points on each side of each perch (Might be overkill though)

Any ideas on the Shock mounts? The original design seems pretty simple.

Mudderoy
11-11-2009, 09:09 AM
I am in the process of swapping my Stock 20 year old D35 with a 6 year old D35 from my old TJ TJ with all the upgrades possible (Disc Brakes, Alloy Shafts, 4.56 Gears, Locker). Since this is going to be a total swap, and brackets need to be made. I have a friend that is doing the fabrication of the brackets for me. Any one have any ideas, or experience of things they wish the brackets had?

For instance. My Leaf Spring Perches are going to be 2 1/2" wide x 6" long at 1/4" thick. I don't think they are going anywhere. To make it stronger I might weld 1" triangles at three points on each side of each perch (Might be overkill though)

Any ideas on the Shock mounts? The original design seems pretty simple.

Are you sure you want to stay with a D35? I'm guessing you know all the horror stories, but I'd rather risk offending you and ask the question then to hear later "Why didn't you warn me!?!?!?" :smiley-laughing021:

muddeprived
11-11-2009, 11:29 AM
Seriously spend $200 for a 8.25 rear axle and be done with it. No brackets to worry about, no welding, no breaking, just bolt in and go play.


edit: I read your other post. Seems like you want that axle because it's been re-geared. I can understand why you want it now.

4.3LXJ
11-11-2009, 12:17 PM
If you are going to do this, you do need to gusset those spring perches or they will be able to rip out with only a top weld to hold them. That is why stock spring perches weld around the axle.

Second is a little trick that is handy and can save you time and money. Mount the axle in the XJ and make sure your pinion angle is what you want it to be. Tack it, then lower it and finish welding.

YellowSub2000
11-11-2009, 02:49 PM
The perches I am making go half way around the axle tube, so I'm good there.

I am certainly not new to wheeling, used to have a TJ. My axle setup has never given me problems before. So since I already have mine setup, I'll keep it. No reason to spend the money to get a bigger axle, new lockers, new shafts, new gears, etc.. Besides, I don't think the 8.25 comes with Disc Brakes.

Thank you for the input.

Mudderoy
11-11-2009, 03:30 PM
The perches I am making go half way around the axle tube, so I'm good there.

I am certainly not new to wheeling, used to have a TJ. My axle setup has never given me problems before. So since I already have mine setup, I'll keep it. No reason to spend the money to get a bigger axle, new lockers, new shafts, new gears, etc.. Besides, I don't think the 8.25 comes with Disc Brakes.

Thank you for the input.

Understood. I missed the locker, etc...

The 8.25 does not, however it's a easy upgrade via a ZJ D35. lol

YellowSub2000
11-12-2009, 07:07 AM
Are the ZJ D35 Disc Brakes compatible with the 8.25? That's what I have on my D35, but a friend of mine wants to convert his. Although he has the 8.25.

Mudderoy
11-12-2009, 09:04 AM
Are the ZJ D35 Disc Brakes compatible with the 8.25? That's what I have on my D35, but a friend of mine wants to convert his. Although he has the 8.25.

I'd have to double check, but if memory serves yes, that is the common disc brake upgrade for XJ's running the Chrysler 8.25. You get the discs rotors etc... from the donor ZJ (well I remember it's a Grand) and the rotors are a little too small in the center so you have to take off just a bit so it will fit on the 8.25 axle. I believe the installation requires removing the axles.

The emergency brake cables have to be redone to work with the new set up.

I need to go find that write up again.

Voldemort
11-13-2009, 01:29 AM
Yea the ZJ discs are almost a direct bolt on all that has to be done is a little grinding on the center to get it to slide on and a little work getting the e-brake to fit. I would still rather have a old 8.25 with drums than the best D35! I would defiantly never purposely swap one in. IMO. But I hope it does better for you than the Many I have annihilated.

YellowSub2000
11-13-2009, 06:43 AM
It's been great for the past 2 years. This will be the third Jeep it will have been in.

Mudderoy
11-13-2009, 09:32 AM
It's been great for the past 2 years. This will be the third Jeep it will have been in.

I've read that D35's do fine, or they fail badly. You've already invested a lot of money into the D35 you have so it would be hard to reinvest all that into another axle. Besides you haven't had a problem with the D35, so why change now.

4.3LXJ
11-13-2009, 10:22 AM
A D35 can be OK, please don't shoot me, :smiley-scared002: The thing is that people were used to other older Jeeps having an over built rear end or comparing them to others like a Toyota that also has been over built. The real problem is that when you start putting larger tires on it and throw a locker in, it just isn't designed for that. I truly do miss my D44s in my old Jeep though.

Every vehicle ever produced has one or more weak points. The old Chevy straight axle pickups had decent axles in them, but get them air born and kiss the front end good bye. Toyotas have weak birfields. CJ5s had D25 and 27s in them that were weak. The list goes on. It is just something we have to compensate for if we want a true performance vehicle.

Mudderoy
11-13-2009, 10:31 AM
A D35 can be OK, please don't shoot me, :smiley-scared002: The thing is that people were used to other older Jeeps having an over built rear end or comparing them to others like a Toyota that also has been over built. The real problem is that when you start putting larger tires on it and throw a locker in, it just isn't designed for that. I truly do miss my D44s in my old Jeep though.

Every vehicle ever produced has one or more weak points. The old Chevy straight axle pickups had decent axles in them, but get them air born and kiss the front end good bye. Toyotas have weak birfields. CJ5s had D25 and 27s in them that were weak. The list goes on. It is just something we have to compensate for if we want a true performance vehicle.

That is an excellent point. A engineer's responsibility is to design something to do a job. Driving a D35 on the road, or even easy off road should be fine. It's the additional stress that, what? Maybe 10% of us really stress or vehicles? So looking at it from that point, the engineers did an excellent job putting something on an off road vehicle that does the job it was intended for.

Voldemort
11-13-2009, 10:47 AM
Yea if you do not plan on off roading or using tires larger than stock than the d35 should be fine. But you know what they say "If you polish a turd, all you end up with is a shiny piece of shit" I'm sorry I just have never had any good experiences with that axle so IMO it is the most useless axle every made.

4.3LXJ
11-13-2009, 10:58 AM
Mine has been OK for me, but then again I didn't put a licker in it. That seems to be the big downfall.

Voldemort
11-13-2009, 11:09 AM
Mine has been OK for me, but then again I didn't put a licker in it. That seems to be the big downfall.

I have never been able to go for more than a day offroading with one on tires bigger than 31"?