Dana 44 vs. 8.8

[Bratcher]

Alright guys, i really need your help on this. I am trying to decide between a dana 44 and a 8.8. I have a jeep cherokee and am building it for extreme rockcrawling.

From what i have gathered, the 8.8 31 spline shafts are stronger than dana 44 shafts. And the week link of the 8.8 is the flexing of it, but this can be solved with a stronger cover that reinforces the carrier bearing, such as sold by LPW and Moser.

Whichever i choose, ill be running 4.56 gears and a detroit locker.

Id like yalls opinion on which is a better choice as i have no experience with the 8.8, thanks, JB

 

[Extreme4x4]

Dana 44 vs 8.8

Dana 44 axles come in 2 varieties, the 27-spline, and the 30-spline. The Ford 8.8 has the 28-spline and the 31-spline. The 8.8 R&P design is very similar to the Dana 60, and is extremely stout..... the ring gear is thicker, and the pinion gear is huge. By eliminating the housing flex, it is virtually impossible to break them. Go someplace that carries the gears in stock, and look at them for yourself. The difference is rather remarkable.

Yes the 44 does not use c-clips. However, I have NEVER heard this to be a problem. I have used mine extremely hard, in hard rockcrawling (with a Detroit), and with a blower for 40,000 miles..... and with the exception of some wear in the bearing surface (all stock axles are soft), there have been absolutally no problems. Also, the 8.8 housing used for the Explorer is a much heavier duty item than the 28-spline unit used in the Rangers and Mustangs.

Yes I may be biased, however, after seeing many, many broken 44 axles on the hard rock trails in AZ...... and never a broken 8.8 axle, I think I am justified.

One other small thing. People have been using 44's for swaps so much that they can often be quite pricey. The 8.8 swap is relatively new, and the axles are plentiful, which can help. Also, if you get a 95+ version, you get rear discs as a bonus.

JMHO