Is the DANA 35 really as bad as everyone says?

[Mudderoy]

I've been reading for years now that the DANA 35 is an explosion waiting to happen. I've read others that say I ran 54" tires on my Dana 35 for 327 years and it never even hiccuped!

So lets hear your personal experience! That means you, not what you've read, heard, etc...

If you have had a rig with a Dana 35 please state your experience. Tell us what size tires, locked or not, easy wheeling or hard. You know stuff that gives a good idea. When it blew, if it did, what happened to it?

Should be interesting to hear the truth about the Dana 35. :popcorn:

[4.3LXJ]

I'll bite on that. Non C clipped axles with 31' tires and not locker. It has been wheeled fairly hard. I do have an axle bearing noise, hate having axles that also act as a bearing race. The 4.10 ratio has been good to me. Towed 6500# 680 miles with it too.

[rguignard]

well you know mine but ill tell everyone about it that doesnt know me and my jeep :smiley-laughing021: dana 35 c clip locked with a lockrite got sick of hearing it unlock took it out and welded it up ran 31's now im on 33's drive it everyday and wheel it pretty hard (at least for here no rocks ) and im not scared of the gas :smiley-laughing021: but i do carry both axles with me just in case :thumbsup:

[cantab27]

http://www.billhughes.com/dana35c/

[cantab27]

ive been told they are weak , its not if but when they go :boohoo:
when i first got my jeep i gave it heaps ...still do but now in different situations i button off a bit ...when it brakes i will do something stronger ....
Nissan running gear ...... means i will have to run 37s :D

[4.3LXJ]

ive been told they are weak , its not if but when they go :boohoo:
when i first got my jeep i gave it heaps ...still do but now in different situations i button off a bit ...when it brakes i will do something stronger ....
Nissan running gear ...... means i will have to run 37s :D

I will be using Toyota, lots of aftermarket support for them.:D

[XJ Rat]

I have seen three Dana 35 axle shafts snap. Two should not have happened and one is a definite maybe.

The two snapping shafts;
One ,the YJ was in the left turn lane, he let the clutch out and 'snap'. 31" tires
One, a fairly new, driven mildly TJ was in a creek about 8 foot wide x 6 inches deep, no rocks and 'snap'. 27"(?) stock, very stock tires
Both of these should not have happened.

The one I can see happening, the guy was attempting a 20 foot loose climb, he did not make it the first or second attempt. The third time he used more throttle. Half way up 'snap'. 31" tires

I have heard countless other stories, but these three I was there.

Except for my latest XJ which has the 8.25 corporate axle, all my prior 4 x 4s were dana 44.......and a Toyota. Never broke an axle in any of these.

[panama red]

My first jeep was a 91 yj. with the stock 3.07 30/35 I got up to 7" of with with 35/14.50/15 swampers. I didn't go try to break it but never did have any trouble on all the local stuff I could find. Wheeled pretty good amount like that untill I tore it all apart and swapped in some wagggy 44s with 38s. I broke way more with the d44s but I also drove very hard. You just have to be aware that it can break and keep your foot out of it. Don't lock a d35, thats when you get in trouble. Now the 30/8.8 I had in my last xj never broke and that was with 4.88 gears lockers and 35-36" tires. I beat the tar out of that one.

[Mudderoy]

My first jeep was a 91 yj. with the stock 3.07 30/35 I got up to 7" of with with 35/14.50/15 swampers. I didn't go try to break it but never did have any trouble on all the local stuff I could find. Wheeled pretty good amount like that untill I tore it all apart and swapped in some wagggy 44s with 38s. I broke way more with the d44s but I also drove very hard. You just have to be aware that it can break and keep your foot out of it. Don't lock a d35, thats when you get in trouble. Now the 30/8.8 I had in my last xj never broke and that was with 4.88 gears lockers and 35-36" tires. I beat the tar out of that one.

The D30 was locked with stock axles and 35-36" tires?

[panama red]

The D30 was locked with stock axles and 35-36" tires?

yep and i rolled it, crunched every part, never broke a thing. Had to beat the door opening just to put the doors on almost everytime I went out. rockers were completly flat.

I also had 4.5" coils with 2" spacers front. 3.5" leafs, 1.5" shackle, and 2" blocks. No tcase drop, stock control arms, no vibs. Broke all the rules but it worked for me as a daily driver/weekend beater. I then traded if off for a built up badass j10. :D

[Mudderoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3QPnOiwUKk

Not my evidence, but it is visual.

[Mudderoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jobHVxA2hv8&feature=fvw

[XJ4IV]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3QPnOiwUKk

Not my evidence, but it is visual.

ummmmm so did they trail fix it or what the heck was up with the 43 point winch setup... IMO use on winch up front... and PULL... whats with the highlift? why remove the rear brakes? I mustve missed something I know you pretty much cant really go on with it like that unless you stop every 30 ft to push the axle back in but seriously was that overkill?

[XJ4IV]

and that last video... that looks like an Apex edition and I thought those were d44's?

[zr2toxj]

I bought my XJ with a Super35 in it. It has AlloyUSA shafts and an ARB locker. I run 34 LTB's. I'm not afraid to wheel it. Spent last Sat in the rocks and ledges, and it has been fine. I don't hammer the throttle.

I sure wouldn't put the money into a Super35 kit, but I figured I'd run it and see how it does. I plan to truss the housing & I think it would be fine.

[steph74]

I guess it is all scary studies.... I don't wheel yet and I have had about 300 miles on my jeep in the last 6 months mostly because I am playing with the fixing part.
I have the D35, they seem to be original (200K miles) and I don;t see why they would not be good for me... no lift and 235 tires manual
So my opinion is my jeep came with it, and I will deal with that... If I wanted performance I would pick up a different vehicle....
how can you claim that the jeep XJ is the best off road vehicle if you have changed all the parts to replace them with other make/models parts... ?

that is just my 2cts

[Mudderoy]

I guess it is all scary studies.... I don't wheel yet and I have had about 300 miles on my jeep in the last 6 months mostly because I am playing with the fixing part.
I have the D35, they seem to be original (200K miles) and I don;t see why they would not be good for me... no lift and 235 tires manual
So my opinion is my jeep came with it, and I will deal with that... If I wanted performance I would pick up a different vehicle....
how can you claim that the jeep XJ is the best off road vehicle if you have changed all the parts to replace them with other make/models parts... ?

that is just my 2cts

The XJ is very capable from the factory. The D35 was designed to be used with stock tires and minimal off road use. Just like racing or any performance enhancements you are changing the engineering and that requires study and replacement of more equipment. You are basically just moving the failure points.

So yes your Dana 35 should be fine in a stock configuration. The question was posed here for those that use a Dana 35 in a non-stock or performance enhanced situation.

Good point! Most of us make mods to our Jeeps, so we often forget that there are stock Jeepers here. :patriot:

[4.3LXJ]

Steph

In spite of all my modifications, I still have a D35. But, one important thing is that I have not done two critical things to it. First, I have not added a locker. Second, I have not run tires larger than 31" in diameter. It is a good differential if you don't exceed those limits. Unlike Jeeps that were made prior to 1985, these have a smaller rear end because even though very capable, they were not intended to be used as a dedicated trail rig, or even with modifications in mind. However you need to drive them sensibly.

[steph74]

Sorry guys I guess in my haste to get the 10th post and be able to thank others, I expressed myself poorly and in the wrong thread....

This being said I agree, they are capable and need to be driven sensibly and for heavy duty off road they need a bit of mods...

[cantab27]

its all in the right foot .....