upgrade dana 30 or replace

[petersra]

I hope this has not been answered in this forum or others, but I am looking for local ideas and possibly shops.  I have a Sahara JKU, 3.21s, limited slip.  I carry alot of weight with an overland build with no axle or suspension work yet.  I have it wired for electric lockers and am getting ready to upgrade.  The rig is not going to be a rock crawler or mud buggy but does carry a RTT and is full of gear plus pulls a trailer.

I havent needed lockers yet, but am started to tour the US more and dont want to have to pull out the sat phone for being stuck.  I run 33 BFG AT KO2s.  Should I truss, gus and sleeve the Dana 30 with chromoly shafts with new carrier and locker and 4.10s? or replace with Rubicon axle, go with a Mopar J8 front, or drop some serious cash a 4WP?

For the rear, should I sleeve it while installing a 4.10 elocker?

Thank you for any guidance.

Rick

[Kanueh]

I know someone selling a fully built 30 with RCV’s.

[hps4evr]

If you can find matching jk rubicon axles that would be the easiest way to get what you want. And most affordable. While you have them loose they can be upgraded with sleeves/gussets.
Finding a matching set is not easy. But they are out there every now and again.
Your Dana 30 can be upgraded as well, your tire size isn’t a factor as Dana 30’s can handle 33’s fine. The weight you are dealing with could be a factor but I’ve seen a few Overland style jk’s With built Dana 30’s that survived fine.
Now if you want to go all out then Dynatrac, Teraflex or G2 have very good pre-built axle assemblies or at least bare housings to start a build with.
Depends on your budget and what your goals are. Time frame as well.

[w squared]

Depends on your right foot, budget, and what your goals are. Time frame as well.

Fixed it for ya, heeps.

petersra, what you need for an axle depends on what you do - and even more on how you do it. If you have an open front diff and don't spin your tires when going over obstacles, you may not even need cromoly front shafts. All in all, odds are that 33's on a Dana 30 will work just fine. If you don't beat on your rig I wouldn't get too stressed about sleeves and gussets up front - that's not where your weight sits.

If your goal is to have a bulletproof setup for overlanding - lots of miles, not getting stuck in a way that you can't recover yourself, and moderate obstacles, then what you need isn't what most "off-road" guys tend to have on their rigs. They (we?) deliberately seek out the biggest rocks just so that we can bounce off of 'em. Don't let our particular brand of sickness change your planning too much.

By the way - the LSD in your Sahara can work very well if you ride the brake pedal. I did Hell's Revenge and Poison Spider/Golden Spike/Gold Bar Rim with a Sahara driver this year....she had 34's and was open/open, and made it over obstacles with less drama than some of the guys with lockers and 37's. Knowing HOW to use your rig is often more important that WHAT your rig has bolted onto it.

If you have 33's and tow - and carry a lot of weight - I'd consider re-gearing to somewhere around 4.88's at the same time that you install that rear e-locker. Leaving the front open is probably fine for an overland rig. Maybe a truss in the rear and maybe cromo shafts....but that's very possibly overkill for 33's unless you run beadlocks and really wheel it hard.

[JackstandJohnny]

Todd why were you in moab without your rig

D30s suck when you are mean to them.  don't be mean to it and you will be good. 

todd is right though. carrying alot of weight you would like some better gearing.  for me, i'd lock it front and rear with selectable lockers. elockers or ARB. costly? yes.   but, with front and rears locked you will not have to worry about some of the things that break stuff; like heavy gas pedal.   Being locked in both ends you will find you crawl out of alot of bad stuff and don't have to be dumb on the gas pedal. 

i'm biased now though.  daily driving a JKUR has been alot nicer than any of my other wranglers over the years. but hit 3 buttons and the thing is offroad capable ready to go.. kind of cool. 

[Immortal]

I need to see this Johnny JKU in action.

[w squared]

Todd why were you in moab without your rig

It ain't like that Johnny. The day I got to Moab without my Jeep is the day that I get a rental to thrash on.

I was in my rig - she was in the group I wheeled with for a couple days. Two rigs on 40's, two rigs on 37's, me on 35's, her on 34's. She had less trouble with some of the obstacles on  Poison Spider Mesa than one of the guys that was locked on 37's...and the only time she used her winch was to recover someone else's Jeep that had flopped on Escalator.