Time for an axle upgrade on my 97 Ranger

Blackdog · Sep 29, 2007

I have a 97 4x4 Ranger with a 6" duff stage 3 lift and 33" MTR's. It has the Dana 28 front and 7.5 rear axles. It's got the automatic hubs too. Everytime I wheel the auto hubs really make alot on noise and although my 4:10 gears are ok I really don't have the power to use overdrive.

I have a set of axles laying in the shop that I want to swap in. They are the Dana 35 and a 8.8. (373 gears) They came from a 4.0 94 Ranger.

I really wanted to go all out with ABR's and 31 spline axles but the cost is too high for me at this time. So I'm planning on just installing new 4:88 gears and than putting Warn manual in the front. The lockers and axles will have to wait.

So the shopping list is like this: 4:88 gears about $300, install kits $200, Warn hubs $200. I'm guessing at these prices. Does this plan sound reasonable? What Im I missing?

Thanks

Bent Bolt · Sep 30, 2007

Blackdog said:
I have a 97 4x4 Ranger with a 6" duff stage 3 lift and 33" MTR's. It has the Dana 28 front and 7.5 rear axles. It's got the automatic hubs too. Everytime I wheel the auto hubs really make alot on noise and although my 4:10 gears are ok I really don't have the power to use overdrive.

I have a set of axles laying in the shop that I want to swap in. They are the Dana 35 and a 8.8. (373 gears) They came from a 4.0 94 Ranger.

I really wanted to go all out with ABR's and 31 spline axles but the cost is too high for me at this time. So I'm planning on just installing new 4:88 gears and than putting Warn manual in the front. The lockers and axles will have to wait.

So the shopping list is like this: 4:88 gears about $300, install kits $200, Warn hubs $200. I'm guessing at these prices. Does this plan sound reasonable? What Im I missing?

Thanks

I do believe that a 97 should have the D35 already.

rickcdewitt · Sep 30, 2007

it should be a 35 but even if it is a 28 hybrid i would save the knuckles and better 97 brakes on your truck.also if you get the master bearing kit for the front it will be about 200$ by itself.

Jspafford · Sep 30, 2007

Unless someone swapped in a Dana 28, your truck came from the factory with a Dana 35.

4x4junkie · Sep 30, 2007

It's either a D35, or the D28/35 "hybrid" axle (although I do believe Spicer simply called it a D28 though).

Good quality gears are about $200 per set. Install kits go from $40 or so for "mini" kits (basically just a shim set) to $100 or so for "master" kits (includes all new bearings & seals).

Warn hubs are $130-160, depending on if you get the standard Ranger hubs, or the Jeep hubs.

If you do infact have the hybrid frontend, I would swap just the center chunk from that '94 axle. Reason being you have better brakes on your '97 axle.

The rear can be a direct swap though.

As for the lockers... I would do everything possible to do them at the same time as the gears (can you borrow some funds maybe?). You're going to incur almost the same amount of labor costs all over again to install them later, whereas if you do it with the gear install, there will be NO additional labor at all (other than plumbing the air fittings if you go ARB).

AllanD · Sep 30, 2007

All you need to swap in from the 1994 4.0 D35 axle is the center "pig" and the
innermost shaft on either side.

Everything else on your front axle is already D35.

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Blackdog · Oct 1, 2007

My center front pig does not have the ribs on the case so I think it's the 28. OK, so the front I just need to swap the pig and inner shafts.

Do you recall the jeep hub part #?

Ya, I know it would be beat to do the lockers and gears at the same time. I'm still trying to sell some crap around here to do that. I'm undecided still on what type of lockers to get, I might just go with a Detroit in the back and call it good.

Start adding the price of lockers, gears, axles etc and you get around 2K real fast.

rickcdewitt · Oct 1, 2007

yeah the price makes you start thinking about fabritech's d44 swap kit or other straight axles.

Time for an axle upgrade on my 97 Ranger

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