"Uh oh" are two words any fourwheeler doesn't like to hear, let alone say. But if you drive a 4WD with the infamous Dana 35c axles, you may have heard these words muttered on the trail followed by something like "Gee, I don't think my tire should be sticking out that far."
For Jeepers looking for more strength in their axles the only choice in the past was to swap to a beefier rear end, usually either a Dana 44, Dana 60 or Ford 9". While all of these rear ends are stronger than the Dana 35, the swap is also a very expensive proposition. It usually costs between $1,500 and $3,000 and involves either narrowing and otherwise modifying the donor assembly or having a custom assembly made and also changing many other components on your Jeep such as the braking system. An axle swap is a complicated and expensive undertaking. Jeepers who want a little more strength in their rear axle but don't run 35" tires, a powerful motor, and super low transmission gearing may not actually need the strength, cost, and complexity of such extensive axle modifications. For those of you that run a mildly built Jeep and want more strength than the stock Dana 35c but don't want to get involved with an expensive axle swap, there's still hope. Superior Axle & Gear now provides new, heavy duty "Super 35" replacement axles to upgrade your Dana 35c. This affordable kit is distributed through DriveTrain Direct and comes complete with all the parts needed to replace your stock shafts with new beefy axle shafts. With a stock Dana 35c axle shaft, the weak link is it's narrow, 1.16-inch thick, 27-spline axle shaft. Superior Axle & Gear is the first company to offer a 30-spline axle shaft upgrade for the Dana 35c. This axle shaft is 1.31-inches in diameter and has rolled splines. These axle shafts are 35% stronger than factory units due to their larger diameter, the rolled splines and the heat induction hardening process used to strengthen the shafts. In addition to the shafts, the kit includes a new carrier, bearings, shims, and a special Lockright locker specifically designed by Powertrax for this new 30-spline axle shaft. To compare, a Dana 44 axle is also a 30-spline 1.31" thick axle shaft and the most common Ford 9" axles use 28-spline and 31-spline shafts. The following table provides a comparison between various axleshafts.
Ron Stobaugh of DriveTrain Direct supplied the parts and had them shipped directly to FootHill OffRoad in Auburn, California for the installation on a 1991 Jeep Wrangler. The stock D35c axles, carrier and Lockright locker were removed and the new kit installed. Follow along as we take you through the installation process:
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The Dana 35c used in most Jeeps since 1987 is only
marginally strong enough to be used for extreme off-road use with the stock tires. When
you add larger meats to your Jeep and try to tackle the tough trails, you are really
playing with fire. My Jeep is by no means a monster with 38" tires and a big
fire-breathing V8, but even with just the 4 banger and 32" tires, I managed to twist
an axleshaft on the Rubicon in 1998.