If you have a 95 and up D30 with the 297x joints, the only thing that really makes it weaker is the ring gear being .36" smaller. That must mean a D44 is a HUGE upgrade from a D35 because it's ring gear is a whole 1" bigger. I bet the 5.13's you're running have the same if not less tooth engagement on the gear set as a D30 with 4.88's. The whole not flexing any better is a bold statement. Sure, maybe if you're running Ranger coils. When mines finished I'll gladly put it up against any TTB truck for flexing and still being able to drive normal down the road.
Well if you have a lug wrench, a 13mm and a 10mm you can pull/replace an axle shaft out of one of those in under 5 minutes. They're about the easiest front axle ever to work on.
So you're saying a D30 is almost as strong as a D35
if you find a 95+ axle. I agree. My point is this: why the hell spend all the time and money swapping a 30 in when there is
no strength or performance gain over a 35??
A 44 is not a huge upgrade over the D35, but a worthwhile one. It's not due to the ring gear size increase, but due the the fact that you get stronger hubs, brakes, and bearings, as well as wide after-market parts support like chromo shafts. But a D35 with D44 outers is just about as strong as a 44. So for me the only worthwhile upgrade would be to a 60, however I definitely see the benefits to going up to a 44. The D30 though just seems downright rediculous and a waste of time and money, no offense to anyone running it.
Do you know how nice it is to just twist a hub instead of jacking the truck up on the trail, getting all your tools out and taking out the shaft? It may only be 5 minutes but it's still a PITA compared to turning a hub and hopping back in.
Junkie, I brought up the flex issue because 90% of people have it in their minds that a solid axle flexes better than TTB, so they think a SAS will provide better performance.
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