I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My plan
is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
front?

Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony

 

Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the carrier,
and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes better
sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.

"Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
plan
> is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
> D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> front?
>
> Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
> to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
>
>

 

Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the carrier,
and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes better
sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.

"Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
plan
> is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
> D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> front?
>
> Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
> to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
>
>

 

Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the carrier,
and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes better
sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.

"Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
plan
> is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
> D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> front?
>
> Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
> to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
>
>

 

Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the carrier,
and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes better
sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.

"Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
plan
> is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
> D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> front?
>
> Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
> to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
>
>

 

This doesn;t sound very cost effective, you'd only be able to salvage the
differential at best. Frankly, while the front D30 on SWB Jeeps may not be
the sexiest front axle, it has a lot of advantages, low weight, ground
clearance, etc. For most applications it can be strengthened quite
effectively.

The weak point isn't the D30s differential. The axle shafts & u-joints
(particularly the 260s on YJs) are what snaps and these can be upgraded
using Warn or Superior axle upgrades.

If it was my (non-Rubi) D30 & D44 equipped TJ I'd install Superiors "Super
44" kit in the rear (bigger axle shafts & Detroit) and then build the front
axle using Warn's hardened axle shafts and their premium hub kit. Regear to
match your tire size.


"Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
news:W8qdneQGgdnGeDDdRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the
carrier,
> and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
> etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes
better
> sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.
>
> "Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
> news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> > I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
> plan
> > is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the
rear
> > D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> > front?
> >
> > Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is
sure
> > to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tony
> >
> >
>
>

 

This doesn;t sound very cost effective, you'd only be able to salvage the
differential at best. Frankly, while the front D30 on SWB Jeeps may not be
the sexiest front axle, it has a lot of advantages, low weight, ground
clearance, etc. For most applications it can be strengthened quite
effectively.

The weak point isn't the D30s differential. The axle shafts & u-joints
(particularly the 260s on YJs) are what snaps and these can be upgraded
using Warn or Superior axle upgrades.

If it was my (non-Rubi) D30 & D44 equipped TJ I'd install Superiors "Super
44" kit in the rear (bigger axle shafts & Detroit) and then build the front
axle using Warn's hardened axle shafts and their premium hub kit. Regear to
match your tire size.


"Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
news:W8qdneQGgdnGeDDdRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the
carrier,
> and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
> etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes
better
> sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.
>
> "Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
> news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> > I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
> plan
> > is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the
rear
> > D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> > front?
> >
> > Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is
sure
> > to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tony
> >
> >
>
>

 

This doesn;t sound very cost effective, you'd only be able to salvage the
differential at best. Frankly, while the front D30 on SWB Jeeps may not be
the sexiest front axle, it has a lot of advantages, low weight, ground
clearance, etc. For most applications it can be strengthened quite
effectively.

The weak point isn't the D30s differential. The axle shafts & u-joints
(particularly the 260s on YJs) are what snaps and these can be upgraded
using Warn or Superior axle upgrades.

If it was my (non-Rubi) D30 & D44 equipped TJ I'd install Superiors "Super
44" kit in the rear (bigger axle shafts & Detroit) and then build the front
axle using Warn's hardened axle shafts and their premium hub kit. Regear to
match your tire size.


"Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
news:W8qdneQGgdnGeDDdRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the
carrier,
> and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
> etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes
better
> sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.
>
> "Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
> news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> > I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
> plan
> > is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the
rear
> > D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> > front?
> >
> > Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is
sure
> > to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tony
> >
> >
>
>

 

This doesn;t sound very cost effective, you'd only be able to salvage the
differential at best. Frankly, while the front D30 on SWB Jeeps may not be
the sexiest front axle, it has a lot of advantages, low weight, ground
clearance, etc. For most applications it can be strengthened quite
effectively.

The weak point isn't the D30s differential. The axle shafts & u-joints
(particularly the 260s on YJs) are what snaps and these can be upgraded
using Warn or Superior axle upgrades.

If it was my (non-Rubi) D30 & D44 equipped TJ I'd install Superiors "Super
44" kit in the rear (bigger axle shafts & Detroit) and then build the front
axle using Warn's hardened axle shafts and their premium hub kit. Regear to
match your tire size.


"Matt Macchiarolo" <matt@nospamplease.com> wrote in message
news:W8qdneQGgdnGeDDdRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> Maybe the only thing that can be swapped to the front would be the
carrier,
> and that is a big maybe. You;d have to replace the gears, axlehousing,
> etc....labor and individual parts would make it very expensive.Makes
better
> sense to get a whole new axle assembly for the front.
>
> "Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message
> news:7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> > I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My
> plan
> > is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the
rear
> > D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> > front?
> >
> > Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is
sure
> > to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tony
> >
> >
>
>

 

I once thought that would be cool, too. But that was because I wanted
my rear D44 up front and to put something like a Ford 9-inch in the
rear.

I think the amount of work (if it is even possible) you're talking
about is more than its worth. Also, I'm pretty sure the axle tubes are
different sized, as well (in diameter). So you couldn't reuse the
front tubes with the 44 pumpkin. And you can use the tubes from the
rear, since the rear pumpkin is centered and the front is offset on
the driver-side. So you'd have to source some front D44 axle tubes,
anyway. And unless you got some out of a TJ, you'd also have to get
all the suspension mounts, etc. welded onto those tubes. You'd also
need to buy new D44 front axleshafts, as well (or again, find some
from a TJ with a front D44, which resricts you to either a junked
Rubicon or a custom built front D44 from another TJ.) What you're
proposing is just a huge can of worms, and I can't see how it would be
cost-effective.

And, in your case, I especially would not do this. If you want a D44
front AND rear, and you already have one in the rear, you'd probably
stand a chance of getting away CHEAPER with getting a locker installed
in the rear, and buying a 44 for the front. Don't mess with trying to
move a perfectly fine rear 44 around.

Do you already have the gears done? If not, you're gonna have to pay
someone to crack open that 44 and change out the gears (unless you
know how to do it yourself), anyway, and it costs nothing more in
labor to get a locker dropped in at the same time.

Just my $0.02.

/Bob

"Tony M" <reddog01@metacrawler.com> wrote in message news:<7Bgrc.7429$dq4.339@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...
> I have the factory D44 lsd in back and would like to get a locker. My plan
> is, if possible, to get a new D44 in back with a locker, and put the rear
> D44 I have now up front. Can a rear differential be made to work in the
> front?
>
> Ideal situation: 2 D44 electracs or air-actuated lockers, but that is sure
> to get a little pricy. Any diff upgrade suggestions are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony