Axle swaps, locker installations, and R&P upgrades are discussed below,
the following articles cover miscellaneous upgrades you can do to your
existing axles.
Flip Your U-Bolts:
Are you tired yet of dragging, bending, and breaking your axle
u-bolts on rocks? Well flip your u-bolts to gain ground clearance
and protect them from damge.
Dana 30 Disk Brake Conversion:
Terry Howe does a disk brake conversion of a drum brake Dana 30 for
Project Pieces and Parts. Everything you need to know to swap disks
on your '72-'76 CJ with drum brakes. This article also explains why
the Dana 30 is a good low buck axle upgrade for '45-'71 CJs.
Axle U-Bolt Yoke Upgrade:
Dan Barbieri talks about doing axle u-bolt yoke upgrades, it could save
your driveshaft.
Locker and R&P Upgrades
Many Jeeps come with high (numerically low) ring and pinion ratios from
the factory. A Jeep that cannot crawl soon becomes a broken Jeep because
the driver does not have sufficient control to go over difficult obstacles.
Changing out the ring and pinion and possibly installing a locker could be
the answer
Home R&P Swap
:
John Nutter explains how the shade tree mechanic can do ring and
pinion swaps. It doesn't have to be difficult.
Axle Swaps
Some, but not all, Jeeps were blessed with great axles from the factory.
The less fortunate may want to consider swapping in an axle from another
vehicle.
Front Dana 44 Swap:
General information on how to put a Dana 44 front axle in your Jeep.
The Dana 44 is a good blance of strength and cost for most Jeep vehicles.
Front Dana 30 Swap:
The Dana 30 is a good swap option for old Jeeps with close knuckle Dana 25s
and Dana 27s. The Dana 30 is open knuckle, some have disk brakes, and
parts are much easier to find for it.
Rear Dana 60 Swap:
General information on how to put a Dana 60 in your Jeep. The Dana 60
should be a bullet proof axle in almost any Jeep.
Rear Dana 44 Swap:
General information on how to put a Dana 44 in your Jeep. The Dana 44
is a good blance of strength and cost for most Jeep vehicles.
Rear Ford 9" Swap:
General information on how to put a Ford 9" in your Jeep. The Ford 9"
is a very versatile and common axle.
