Who has broken a Dana 35?

[metalmacguyver]

i actually broke mine today. i havent had my bronco but a few months and i havent yet had the time or money to maintain and replace. i have the electric t-case and the auto hubs. i thought the hubs were unlocked and pulled out on pavement with the wheel cranked. snapped without hesitation. i am running 30x9.5-15. i am now going to buy the spicer 760s and new shafts and manual hubs to avoid future problems.

Do you still have the D28 or did you swap out to the D35? (easiest way to tell is if you have 10 or 12 bolts holding the differential to the beam, 10 = D35, 12 = D28)

 

[4x4junkie]

Probably just depends on where your definition of Wal-Mart wheeling becomes non-Wal-Mart (some guys need Rockwells on a tube-buggy in order to get off the parking lot )

D44s are hardly an upgrade in strength though, solid or not.
Its my opinion that if your style of wheeling is breaking a properly set up D35, it time to move up to 1-tons. This is mainly because a fully-upgraded D44 costs about the same anyway, and would be barely as strong as a bone-stock D60.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

There are numerous members who have larger than 34" tires on their Dana 35 and wheel it constantly.

Myself being one of them...I've had my 36's for over a year now with alot of wheeling trips on them without a single failure. My swampers are a heavy heavy tire and I constantly play in the rocks and tight trails with alot of chewing up rock faces/ledges etc. Before that I ran my 35" radial MT's for about 3 years without any problems. I've upgraded to the 760X u joints with full snap rings. I'm not running the jeep hubs either, just the Warn replacement hubs. so for 4 years worth of wheeling and only having to do routine maintenance on a 35" or larger tire I can't really complain about the durability of the D35.

 

[Will]

Yeah, I agree with Junkie--the next upgrade is a D60. There is no weakness in it being a semi-IFS suspension. The only additional part is the center joint. That joint doesn't see the angles of an outer steer joint. Unless you haven't clearanced it, that one won't break. The outers break the same as any other 760X will--you have the wheel cranked and use too much power.

The weakness in it is in its complexity--it's more difficult to set it up, both to be durable and to be steerable and roadworthy.

 

[stevenf]

So Im going to want 760x u-joints. Should I use the explorer driveshafts or keep the stock driveshafts?

 

[4x4junkie]

You can keep your driveshafts (well, the front one anyway, the rear dual-CV one on a BII is junk). The front one normally has to be shortened an inch for the D35's longer pinion if you're swapping from a D28 though.

 

[stevenf]

So Im looking at altering the length of both front and rear drive shafts? What tips do you guys have on measuring for the new ones. I would hate to have one made at a driveline shop only to be a few centimeters to short.

 

[86ford]

So Im looking at altering the length of both front and rear drive shafts? What tips do you guys have on measuring for the new ones. I would hate to have one made at a driveline shop only to be a few centimeters to short.

have them made. take in your rear POS shaft and a exploder shaft along with your stock front shaft. tell them to make the explorer shaft to replace your tulip rear and have an inch cut out if you are lifted (suspension lift) and 1.5 inches if you arent. you should have a driveline company make the primary shafts so they are balanced but make your spares in the garage and model them after the ones the shop made.

86

 

[86ford]

I've broken several..but heres a SECRET....D44 uses the SAME u-joint!!


760 joints are a GREAT upgrade for the cost...I just tack my caps in (3 in a triangle around the top)..and try not to have any full turn and bound up motion...that will bust them quick...

get alloys or go solid axle.....sorry...anything else just doesnt hold up to bigger than 34in tires and non-walmart wheelin...

tony i will give you a report after i have had my d35 in over a year. i mite only be running 33s for now but trust me i will prove if 33s are the limit for having a reliable d35 or not.

86

 

[stevenf]

What the heck is a Tulip rear? Please explain in retard detail. I am new at this.

 

[86ford]

What the heck is a Tulip rear? Please explain in retard detail. I am new at this.

tulip is one way of saying it has a rear driveshaft that is composed of 2 CV joints that resemble a CV joint on a front wheel drive car. they do not deal with lift very well if at all not to mention most of them are destroyed by now. best way i know to help you figure out if you have a tulip rear shaft AKA a CV shaft is to look for u-joints. most if not all 86 and up b2s had the CV aka tulip style rear shaft.

86

 

[stevenf]

The rear driveshaft on it is a replacement from a few years back. It has U-joints on both ends and the shaft itself has a shock bult it which expands I guess. The shaft and U-joints are greasable. The front shaft does not have this expandable shaft. Both shafts are about 2" tubing.....

 

[86ford]

you are good to go then. you will only have to cut around an inch out of the front shaft and swap the yoke that bolts up to the rearend to the larger 8.8 bolt pattern.

86

 

[stevenf]

It doesnt have a yoke, it has a flange. Are you saying the 8.8 flange is a different bolt pattern then the 7.5 flange? Do I need the U-joint piece from the explorer shaft to fit the 8.8 flange?

 

[stevenf]

Also, On the 8.8 there was this like 10lb contraption bolted off to the side of the pumpkin. Three bolts held it on. It has two metal circle disk bolted to the end of it. What the heck is this thing?