Dana 30 swap info for all

[Stride505]

Hi this is my first post and I was wondering if one of you more experienced guys could make a detailed list of all parts you needed and ended having to get. I've been reading forums and rightups for the past 8 months on and off and will be continuing to read on it.in my reading I keep hearing of people off the road the for weeks-months. So I want to get everything i need/ make something's and then do it over a weekend or week. Please only positive replys and don't turn my tread into a 30 vs 44 argument.

 

[cdawall]

D30, track bar (panhard), control arms, crossmember, coils, front driveshaft (possibly), brake lines (possibly), steering.

 

[Str8sixfan]

It's hard. You have to understand how a solid axle works. Inevitably there will be little things you forget a long the way. But so much of it depends on what you start with too, in order to know where you're going...and if you're like me you can take one step back to take two steps forward

 

[bobbywalter]

where are you located?

as always......"it depends"




the basic relatives are ride height, tire size, and type of wheeling you do.

the huge primary relative, is planning. which you are doing.

and the biggest relative of how long it takes to do this, is what kind of tools you have and know how to use and what kind of junk do you have laying around to do shit like this.



for the most part for planning, it all depends on what setup you want.



ford type radius arms are easy

a leaf setup is stupid easier

jeep long arms are stupid easiest

multi link has quite a bit of work. if home made its all custom, depending on goals this can be the best setup.


these first three types of swaps are hours, not months. but that is relative to planning.


if you are close i can go through those options with you.

so axle selection is key. i am one of the few that think the d30 is ideal for general use when doing a sla truck or 2wd ttb.

i do think a guy is not thinking it through right if considering swapping a d35 out if parts for the 35 are still readily available in their area. (another relative eh? ha ha ha)

the ttb d44 has rcv shafts available so that would be my first choice to upgrade a d35 these days.

 

[buell-eyed-devil]

You say jeep long arms are stupid easiest. As opposed to stock jeep arms? I have a Bronco 2 with a v-8 and had a d30 practically given to me. Is it worth the swap? I should mention not a fan of ttb suspensions. I was looking at maybe a twin y arm type conversion

 

[Stride505]

First off I live in Yellowknife, nt Canada. I went to the local junkyard and I can get a d30 leaf or coil setup but I want to do leafs. IMO I think it's a cleaner look. I'm looking for about 6-8" of lift so was going to use Chevy 63" leafs in the back(is that right?) what should I get up front?...I'm going to do a one peice drive shaft, f-250 shock towers,the skyjacker pitarm, 4.73 gears? Is 5.13 too much for a DD?. Do I need to put arms on a leaf setup because I will be doing 70 km/h but not very often. I have access to all the tools needed at my schools shop.
Ok so the questions:
What leafs/shackles should I go with for the front and back to get 6-8" of lift?

What size steering rods should I use?

Where would I get the front drive shaft if the existing one does not fit?

Where could I get the one peice drive shaft for rear?

And finally refresh me on the things I'm missing I know I am for sure haha

 

[bobbywalter]

You say jeep long arms are stupid easiest. As opposed to stock jeep arms? I have a Bronco 2 with a v-8 and had a d30 practically given to me. Is it worth the swap? I should mention not a fan of ttb suspensions. I was looking at maybe a twin y arm type conversion

i would not even attempt to use stock jeep quad arms.

worth it is up to you for sure. i am a fan of the ttb for general use and would never shitcan a d35 for a d30 unless there were no parts at all available....and even at that i would likely just go with a ttb d44 over a d30 if i was starting with a ttb truck. from there i would go with a dana 60.

First off I live in Yellowknife, nt Canada. I went to the local junkyard and I can get a d30 leaf or coil setup but I want to do leafs. IMO I think it's a cleaner look. I'm looking for about 6-8" of lift so was going to use Chevy 63" leafs in the back(is that right?) what should I get up front?...I'm going to do a one peice drive shaft, f-250 shock towers,the skyjacker pitarm, 4.73 gears? Is 5.13 too much for a DD?. Do I need to put arms on a leaf setup because I will be doing 70 km/h but not very often. I have access to all the tools needed at my schools shop.
Ok so the questions:
What leafs/shackles should I go with for the front and back to get 6-8" of lift?

What size steering rods should I use?

Where would I get the front drive shaft if the existing one does not fit?

Where could I get the one peice drive shaft for rear?

And finally refresh me on the things I'm missing I know I am for sure haha

its really difficult to suggest anything when we dont know the intended use of the vehicle and its actual power levels and power-train setup....manual/auto and tire size for off road and street uses.



so generally...
6-8in.... at 8 in your going to be pretty tall...even 6 is high for a d30 because i am assuming you want some bigger tires. if your staying at 35 inches you should be ok i guess. 3-5 in suspension and 2 in body lift and cutting the fenders is ideal to me. but thats me

i would likely run 4 in waggy front springs up front with custom mounts obviously......and some g series spring hangers to go with the 63 in springs for 8 inches of lift. with rear shackel hanger drop and 5 in shackles....you can adjust ride height down from there easily. best bet is 2 in front waggy springs and some body lift.

get the hi steer knuckle for the d30. then you just run one link over, i would order a dom piece for the jeep wrangler application specified to your needed length range.


if your going to be using it off road in rough terrain the 2 piece rear driveshaft with a better carrier is ideal to protect the d shaft. run a cardan joint at the carrier and aim the diff at that. not sure what the lengths will be as it depends on what you choose.

front drive shaft will be whatever it is as well.. my front axle is located in a position i can use earlier superduty front shaft. 35 in at ride. most guys push the front axle forward a bit so you may be able to work it out.

 

[Stride505]

Ok well the truck is a 91 xlt 2.9l 4x4 extended cab manual. 35" tires is max I wanted to go anyways, because I want lots of travel space so maybe even 33" not sure yet. My terrain is a little bit of everything there's rocks but not hardcore rock crawling, little bit of mud and dirt but majority of the trails/areas have a lot of water. So that's my info for you guys tell me what you need to know and bobbywalter thanks for the info!

 

[bIIjr]

So here is my stupid question. I'm gonna be doing the d30 swap. if I want to stay at the same height which I think 3.5 lift what size xj springs do I use ?? I'm a former jeep owner so I know where to find the parts.