Dana 30 vs Dana 44

[Toad]

My TJ currently has a Dana 30. Early model 3 piece ARB, 4.56 gears with Ten Factory shafts in it. It has Artec lower control arm brackets and Teraflex track bar mount. I have a Rubicon 44 with 4.88 gears and RCV shafts. Still has the stock control arm brackets and track bar mount. I am trying to decide if its worth the energy to swap the 44. I would replace the track bar mount and lower control arm brackets. I realize that I would have to regear the back end. So I have 2 options in my mind.
1. Sell the Dana 44 that I already have and wheel the Dana 30 until it pops. At that point I would order a complete new axle. I have been looking at stuff from Carbon Off Road. Heavy brackets and much bigger tubes
2 Swap the Rubicon 44 in. Replace the brackets to do the install. But I am still stuck with the thin tubes that factory 30/44 share.

 

[mbryson]

I’m not the biggest fan of the Rubicon D44. It has a bigger ring gear than the 30. If that’s what you’re breaking, then it’s a decent upgrade. The Carbon Off Road Unit sounds interesting

 

[Toad]

I kind of feel like I am really not gaining enough to justify the effort.

 

[Jinx]

@pkrfctr has a lot of experience with TJ/LJ D44s. Let’s see if we can get his attention in this thread.

 

[zmotorsports]

Personally, I don't think you'll be gaining enough if just comparing the D30 and D44 alone.

In my son's LJ that we built several years ago, we just kept the D30 and added some gussets to the C's with some good quality chromoly shafts and wheeled the hell out of it. Granted my son didn't flog on his Jeep but he wasn't afraid to use it either. It was long-armed with 4" lift and 35's and never had any issues on or off road.

I think it would depend greatly on your driving style and intended use. I've seen people break D60's so a D30 or D44 definitely wouldn't hold up. I work with a couple of guys that can F**k up a ball bearing with a rubber hammer as well so I wouldn't suggest them using a D30, but we had no issues.

Mike

 

[pkrfctr]

I never had any problems with the housing itself. Never bent a tube, never lost a bracket etc. Now carriers and lockers are a different story. I was constantly going through rubi lockers which would take out the r&p. This was with 35" tires. The other issue is with stock shafts. There isnt enough material around the ears of the yokes so the u joint caps spin and then spit out. We used to tack weld the caps which worked ok but once I went to rcv's I never had another axle issue. If your running 35's or smaller I'd throw that bad boy in. 37's I'd wait and do something else.

 

[N-Smooth]

Sell the 44 and use the money to go wheeling. I beat on my 30 with 35" stickies and it just keeps going. You can get chromos with bigger u-joints than that 44 has as well. That's what I did.

 

[LJTim]

The housing of the TJR44 is plenty tough, its the lower pinion gear set that isn't great. In fact, I would put a high pinion 30 from a XJ up against a TJR44 any day. I rallied my LJ with a locked HP30 with 37's for years, and never had one issue. However, I assume you have the stock low pinion 30, so my point isn't helping you a lot. Knowing what long term plans you have for your jeep would help ie. tire size, rear axle, etc. If you don't plan to go any larger than 37's, sell your 44, and save for a Carbon high pinion 44. But you might want to save those RCV's for the Carbon axle. I'd call them and ask what they suggest. If the spline count is the same, for sure use those shafts, but they might use thick JK gears, and I don't know that they are compatible.

 

[Bart]

The 30 is an underrated axle for sure. Unless you're breaking ring gears, the only way I would upgrade to a 44 is if it had selectable hubs.

 

[Toad]

I’m only running 35s. I doubt I would ever go any bigger. I have a hp30 sitting in the basement. I could get a new r&p and swap that in at some point. I think the 44 will be getting sold.

 

[LJTim]

I’m only running 35s. I doubt I would ever go any bigger. I have a hp30 sitting in the basement. I could get a new r&p and swap that in at some point. I think the 44 will be getting sold.

If you already own a HP30, I would go that route. Don't go any lower geared than 4.88's, add some chromolly shafts and you'll be set.

 

[Toad]

I have the HP30 sitting already. I think I will just sell this 44. Make some money off it. Keep wheeling my current front axle. If I break it then I can swap everything into that HP30.