How strong is our front Dana 35?

[GJarrett]

Auburn will be releasing their limited slip for Dana 35 "in the next 30 to 60 days" supposedly. I would like to get one when it becomes available.

The seemingly-knowledgeable 4wd parts person I just talked to believes that the Explorer front inverse Dana 35 has an aluminum housing and was concerned that utilizing an Auburn or locker up front that torqued both wheels at once would warp the aluminum housing. He was hesitant to suggest I get it once it becomes available.

Is this a valid concern?


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Gerald
"Nerves of Steel; Brain of Chipmunk"
'99 Eddie Bauer 4x4 4.0L SOHC aka "The Jeepeater"
Dead Link Removed
"What the heck is he doing out here in that thing???"

 

[tdavis]

Hmm.. that's funny, because I was just talking to several gear shops here in the Bay area.. and none was concerned about the dana 35 case having problems. Sounds like a bunch of BS from someone who just thinks 'jeep'.

Note - this doesn't mean I'm saying the 35 is super strong, just plenty strong enough for a locker/lsd in it.


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Thomas Davis
93 Mazda Navajo/5.5" superlift, 33x12.5 BFG AT/KO

 

[Ray Lobato]

Gerald my friend, I agree with Thomas. Even though there isn't much in the way of lockers and Limited slips. This thing will be quite ok. Most people around here say that because it's aluminum, it will disapate the heat better.

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC
Dead Link Removed

 

[GJarrett]

You're verifying my suspicions.

I'm hanging around with several J**pers now and reading a lot of articles on 4wheeling. They all talk and write about how great their rigs are and in the same breath regale all listeners with stories of "man this trail took two axles in our group out" and "my diffy grenaded into splintereens" and etc. It seems to be a very common experience and they almost are bragging about how bad they torpedoed their rig innards. Best tough vehicle? Something's not adding up there....

Look in any 4wd magazine and there are dozens of pages of ads for J**pers to buy stronger spare parts and mods (including, I cannot resist pointing out, the same axles we already have under our rigs Dead Link Removed).

We have a "Whoops" page, but it seems to display breakage mainly attributable to obstacle damage -- not design weakness failures -- and anyway I don't see a whole lotta whoops on it considering how much wheelin' is going on with our members. All my whoops so far -- running boards, fog lamps, bumper chrome, etc -- ain't cheap but it's cosmetic not mechanical.

I've read thousands of posts since I started surfing this board on the old offroad.com site back in late '98 and I don't remember reading tales about grenading this front differential.

I think I'll put that Auburn in when it becomes available. Which will certainly be before the 4" Ghost Lift does.

And now that I mentioned the Ghost Lift that I am not going to wait any longer on: oh yeah. I've figured out how to make that 2.5" suspension lift I posted about and I am going to do it, but won't have time before Moab. By summer's end I'll have my 1.5"+ torsion lift plus the 2.5" suspension lift plus my 1" body lift. With six and a half inches of lift (including the radius of my bigger tires) and Auburn gears front and back, "Jeepeater" will truly be worthy of the name. Dead Link Removed

And before this thread continues in "hey, give them a chance, the lift's on the way" again, you newer guys need to read the original archive about post '95 lifts. In March of '99 -over one year ago- a member was assured the lift would be forthcoming in the next month or so. Then a couple of months later our webmaster Rick got an email from their president confirming its imminent release shortly in early summer '99 when the couple of months were up. Nothing happened. Fast forward several more months. Then I SAW the completed lift on their Explorer in November and was assured it would be released later that month, "by Thanksgiving at latest". Then it was by yearend. Then it showed up in January at our run at Truckhaven and was successfully run through the mill (as far as all could tell) to work the kinks out and we were told it would be available in March. Then April. It's April, is it not? I detect a pattern here. Maybe it will be out in time for me to install it on my son's rig (he's seven years old).

You guys can keep waiting to pay $$$$ for something that still won't be released. In the meantime, in another two months or so, my '99 will be sitting high. And it will cost me about a thousand dollars less to do it myself. Then I'll really have fun when I run with the J**ps!.


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Gerald
"Nerves of Steel; Brain of Chipmunk"
'99 Eddie Bauer 4x4 4.0L SOHC aka "The Jeepeater"
Dead Link Removed
"What the heck is he doing out here in that thing???"



[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 04-18-2000).]

 

[Ray Lobato]

Gerald,
Just don't forget to make 2 of them. Dead Link Removed

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC
Dead Link Removed

 

[GJarrett]

Ray, I had already reserved serial #2 for you. Dead Link Removed

 

[bcorff]

I'm gonna' put my order in for #3 Dead Link Removed.

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Brian Corff
Dead Link Removed
"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. Lick it once and you suck forever."

 

[Rick]

The sheared carrier is a stock limited slip from the front Dana 35. This event grenaded the aluminum case at the same time... The pinion gear is from my 8.8".

Look at what the Jeeps are grenading their axles on and that explains a lot. During the Rockcrawling championships here in Phoenix, one of the custom built rock crawlers grenaded his 2 1/2 ton military axle.

I hate to say it, but there aren't nearly as many Explorers that play as hard as the hard core Jeepers. This is why we haven't heard about the broken parts.

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 04-18-2000).]

 

[NoBoundaries]

Is this lift going to be able to be duplicated? Let us know how it works as soon as you complete it !!

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Tim Y.
1996 Explorer XLT
4.0L OHV 4x4

 

[tdavis]

Hey rick, that's the type of damage I was thinking of.

Not the "you'll twist the case" type of damage.

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Thomas Davis
93 Mazda Navajo/5.5" superlift, 33x12.5 BFG AT/KO

 

[Gigantor]

Greald,
In what post did you talk about making your custom lift. I am not one that needs this lift, im a 93. However, I would be very intrested to see how your gonna do this. Best of luck,

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Nick
'93 XLT 4 Door 4x4
Bosch Plat+4's with SplitFire Dual Core wires and a
K&N Air Filter with a Modified Air Box

 

[GJarrett]

Hi Nick.
Dead Link Removed

This thread was when I was asking the preliminary questions. I haven't updated it since then. I have done a lot of looking under the vehicle and measuring and designing what would be needed since then. I think it's a doable project, though much harder than I first envisioned.

A bonus will be that my center clearance will be greater than those on the 4" lifts because their drop brackets go straight all the way across to the lower control arms. Mine is going to arch up to the stock level of the crossmember and so my true clearance will be even higher than on both the 4" Trailmaster lift and also TC's custom Superlift mod.

Gerald
<{{{><

 

[Tyson]

Gerald, put me down for #4...pls.

Tyson

 

[Extreme4x4]

Ok, you want a Dana 35 tough story....... I got one. I can think of noone that has worked a Dana 35 harder than mine. In all the extreme rock crawling....... with all the extreme modifications....... even with a blower and a hard locker for 10's of thousands of miles....... I have been able to produce very little carnage.

The extent of my damage has been a damaged front aluminum housing...... from the piss poor bumpstop extension design of the Superlift kit (fixed with custom bumpstops), and one broken long side axle..... at the knuckle. This is it.

I have wheeled with all the big rock crawlers, many of whom have been in the Top Truck competitions, and I can tell you that I have had less problems with my front axle than they have had with their solid axle 44's. Seems kinda funny when everyone is so scared of IFS due to the extra complexity. I have also seen many STOCK Jeeps, that are open in the front, bust axle after axle. This isn't even in hardcore wheeling.

So, my diagnosis is A-OK. It is a fine axle. And stronger than what most any other manufacturer puts in stock...... in this class of vehicle.

Oh yes, I must also say that I have grenaded 4 Warn manual hubs. However, that is hardly the trucks fault. Thank god for the lifetime warranty. Dead Link Removed)

Just my .03 cents. hehe

Gloria
93 EB Explorer (highly modified)
94 F150 Lightning

 

[GJarrett]

Rick: OUCH! I guess if we play hard enough we get to pay the price too. It would make common sense that we should break more because our vehicles weigh so much more than a Wrangler (which is what made me think they are built a lot weaker than the platform we have). I'm gonna get that Auburn and we'll see what happens.

Brian, Tim, I'll keep this board updated when I start the project this summer. I want to test the idea that a 2.5" lift would not require dropping the back of the torsion bars so all models including the '95-'97s could utilize the lift. My first handmade one won't look very pretty. But if it tests out alright I do plan on duplicating the design for members here if I get enough interest to make it worthwhile/cost efficient enough to tool up a run at a shop. The actual parts should be fairly cheap but the toolup cost will kill the idea unless we get enough interest to offset that and amortize out the expense over several units.

Gerald

[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 04-18-2000).]

 

[Rick]

I'll still take a Dana 44 over the 35 whether it's a solid axle or TTB. The aluminum 35 was built to reduce the weight of the Explorer and to increase fuel economy. It would have saved Ford millions in development to just drop in the steel 44 TTB center section from the full size Broncos and pickups. The reason they didn't take that route was because their goal was to trim weight, not to build a bullet proof front end.

Maybe you could enter your Explorer in one of the upcoming Rock Crawling Championships and see how it holds up. Who know, it could become a trend. First the Scorpions next the Explorers, king (er... queen) of the rock gardens.

------------------
Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com
www.4x4central.com
Ricks Explorer

 

[mrjones98e]

Hey I have always had the same concern with my front end , I have had very good luck with mine Knock on wood , but I am going to test the aubern out also when it comes out , jarret , email me some plans on the lift, I also have had similar ideas on the subject , but I dont see how the torsion bars dont have to be dropped, but I may not be looking at things like you , I also am in the process of making a three inch body lift from a earlier truck fit on my 98, hopefully it will work, I have notched my brush gaurd attatchment plates so the brush gaurd will come up three inches along with the bumpers and still be as strong as it is now, I will email you the design. When is the aubern supposed to be out and how much is it going to cost put my name on the list for your lift if yours works before mine, Dead Link Removed, well see ya

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Ryan Jones
98 eddie baurer 4x4
2 inch lift
32x11.50 buckshots
manik brush gaurd and go rhino tail light gaurds
hella black majik driving light
Surco 45x60 safari rack
jbl door speakers and kicker fifteen

92 explorer with two inches of lift
30x9.50 mud kings

mrjones98e@hotmail.com
http://msnhomepages.talkcity/BoxStreatBlvd/mrjones98e/

 

[Extreme4x4]

Rick, my post was in no way meant as a jab against you. I was just stating my personal experience with the people I have wheeled with.

That said, I have also not said that the Dana 35 is in any way stronger than the 44, just that it is not the weakling that many make it out to be. Lets be frank here..... anything can be broken. Under the correct circumstances, and with enough throttle, even the 2.5 ton Rockwells will break (as was proven in the rockcrawling championships). However, for the average joe (no offense to anyone named Joe), the Dana 35 IFS will be plenty strong.

If my 35 had given us problems (as we feared, from all the doubting Thomas's (no offense to anyone named Thomas)), we would have thrown it away a long time ago.

Enter the Rockcrawling Championships...... HELL NO !!!!! I like my truck more than that, and I have nothing to prove. I am not my X husband, thank you very much.

I just like to be different. Building a well functioning IFS was different..... and still is. Its fun, it works, and its still together. Everyone has different ideas, that is why we all build our trucks the way we want. Noones ideas are wrong...... just different.

Of course I realize that the rock buggies will wheel harder than I would ever subject my truck to, but many of the breakages have been in non extreme situations.

As I have always said, a good 4wd is not bought....... it is built.

Gloria
93 EB Explorer (highly modified and RUNNING)
94 F150 Lightning

 

[Rick]

Agreed Dead Link Removed

 

[Andy97XLT]

I hate to jump the gun, but put me down for a lift kit. My '97 is just itching to reach for the sky!!
I only got about 1.5" o' lift in the front from the t-bar lift cuz my driver side t-bar support bracket is bent to hell. I think I'm going to replace both brackets and the cross member over the summer and maybe throw in the heavy t-bars as well.
I hate my Dana 35. I'm going on my second drive shaft because water or something keeps leaking into the housing and trashing the bearings. The first time this happened, the grease was literally deterriorated into dirt. I want to seal where the shaft enters the diff really tightly but don't know how. I am also VERY interested in getting that front plate assembly that TC has..the one that drops down from the dropped cross-member assembly and also attaches underneath the diff. That would have saved me a re-seal job on the front diff a while ago...
Sorry to divert from the main topic of the lift..anyways..heck yeah, I want one! I'm also an Mechanical Engineering student at Virgina Tech and might be able to help out with some technical drawings (i.e. CAD...Mechanical Desktop..) or taking chassis/assembly measurements.


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Happy Wheelin,

Andy Statland
'97 XLT 4.0L OHV 4Dr 4x4
Warrior Twist