1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ - Dana 44 Front Axle Install

Project Teal-J II, Intro
Project Teal-J II, Part 1
Project Teal-J II, Part 2
Project Teal-J II, Part 3
Project Teal-J II, Part 4
Project Teal-J II, Part 5
Project Teal-J II, Part 6
Project Teal-J II, Part 7
Project Teal-J II, Part 8
Project Teal-J II, Part 9
Project Teal-J II, Part 10
Project Teal-J II, Part 11
Project Teal-J II, Part 12
Project Teal-J II, Part 13
Project Teal-J II, Part 14

When our Jeep Wrangler Teal-J project was built in 1997, there were not too many upgrades available for its Dana 30 front axle. As time passed, however, the aftermarket has tackled the TJ, and as a result, there now are plenty of upgrades for every aspect of the TJ, including its front Dana 30 axle.

Unfortunately, we could not take advantage of all these upgrades, because a quick look under the front of our Project Teal-J II revealed a well-bent Dana 30, the result of years of hard abuse. So we decided it was time to upgrade our whole axle instead of simply replacing it with the same thing. But we also wanted to stay away from the expense of a completely custom axle. Instead, we vowed to find one that was an easy swap.

While this might sound like a tall order, we found an axle that fit our criteria. The Superior 44, from Superior Axle & Gear, uses a Dana 44 front housing out of the Jeep TJ Rubicon. The housing comes with all the brackets and mounts necessary for a trouble-free swap already welded into the correct locations. This makes for a super-easy swap, as it is simply a process of unbolting the original Dana 30 and bolting in the Dana 44.

You can also select whatever gear ratio you want, along with an ARB Air Locker or Detroit Locker. The Superior 44 comes shipped complete, ready to go, with gears, a locker and inner axleshafts installed. All you have to do is add the spindles, brakes and hubs from your Dana 30 and then slap it onto your rig.

While the axle comes ready to bolt in, we decided to follow along as ours was built. We went to the professionals at Coast Driveline and Gear in Ventura, California to handle the building of our axle and also the install. The install was simple, and the folks at Coast Driveline and Gear had us rolling out of their shop on the same day, making for minimal down time for our Teal-J II. Watch how easy it is to upgrade to a Superior 44 and stay tuned for more progress on Project Teal-J II.

The pros at Coast Driveline and Gear use this trick setup tool for Dana axles. It figures out how much shim to run for the proper pinion depth. This makes starting from a bare housing, with no previous shim pack to go off of, a much easier task than it otherwise would be.
The pros at Coast Driveline and Gear use this trick setup tool for Dana axles. It figures
Since we were using an ARB Air Locker, the housing had to be drilled for the air-line fitting. There is actually a hole in the housing here already for the factory air locker found in Jeep Rubicons, but it had to be enlarged.
Since we were using an ARB Air Locker, the housing had to be drilled for the air-line fitt
With the bearings and proper amount of shims in position, the pinion gear could be fitted.

Dana 30 vs. Dana 44
There seems to be some confusion about how the Dana 44 used in the Jeep Rubicon compares to the Dana 30. The main area where the Dana 44 is stronger when compared to the Dana 30 is in the ring-and-pinion. The Dana 30's ring gear has a diameter of 7.2 inches, while the Dana 44 features a ring gear with a diameter of 8.5 inches. The inner axleshafts of the Dana 44 are also stronger 30-spline units, compared to the 27-spline units found in the Dana 30. The Superior 44 also features a slightly thicker axletube than the Dana 30, but the difference is not major. Identical U-joints are found in '97-and-later Dana 30s and Dana 44s, with pre-'97 D30s featuring a smaller U-joint. With our plans calling for 37-inch tires, we decided to get as much strength as possible without building a custom axle and felt the Superior 44 was a worthwhile upgrade.

Coast Driveline and Gear likes to use a press to fit the ring gear onto the ARB. While doing so is not necessary, Coast's technicians say it ensures that the ring gear goes onto the ARB correctly and fits snugly. After the ring gear was pressed on, its bolts were torqued to the proper specification.
Coast Driveline and Gear likes to use a press to fit the ring gear onto the ARB. While doi
With the bearings pressed on, the ARB Air Locker was then slid into the pumpkin, along with its shims. Once the bearing caps were snugged down, backlash was checked to ensure that it was within the proper spec.
With the bearings pressed on, the ARB Air Locker was then slid into the pumpkin, along wit
The next step was to route the air line and make sure that it cleared the cover. This step can be tricky, as you want to make sure the air line is not rubbing against the bearing cap, or routed in a manner where it is placing the air collar at an angle.
The next step was to route the air line and make sure that it cleared the cover. This step

With the air line properly routed, it was time to check the pattern of the gearset. It was spot on. You can see how the pinion gear is making contact in the center part of the ring gear and also in the middle of the gear, which is right where it should be.
With the air line properly routed, it was time to check the pattern of the gearset. It was
Moving to the outer ends of the axletubes, the folks at Coast Machine installed these trick axletube seals, also from Superior. Made from T6 aluminum with two inner O-rings and a larger inner seal, they keep crud from entering the axletube and causing damage.
Moving to the outer ends of the axletubes, the folks at Coast Machine installed these tric
The next step was to remove the original front Dana 30 axle from our TJ.

Another Option
If you are looking to keep your Dana 30, but want to gain some strength, a good option is Superior's Super 30 front-axle kit. It replaces the D30's 27-spline axles with 30-spline Evolution Series alloy axles. Just like all of Superior's alloy axles, these feature rolled splines and do not neck down anywhere. The kit comes with an ARB Air Locker and left and right inner and outer shafts with the U-joints installed. With the Super 30 kit in place, the only area that the Superior 44 is stronger is in the ring-and-pinion. It is another easy upgrade that adds more strength.

Next, the new Superior 44 was slid into position under the Teal-J.
With the Superior 44 slung underneath the Jeep, it was a simple matter of bolting the control arms to the new axle.
With the Superior 44 slung underneath the Jeep, it was a simple matter of bolting the cont
Along with the controls arms, the springs and shocks from our Fabtech suspension system were put back into position. The track bar was also bolted back up to finish off the axle install.
Along with the controls arms, the springs and shocks from our Fabtech suspension system we

The Superior 44 uses the stock spindle from the Dana 30, next to go into place. We decided to upgrade to the Evolution Series Super Alloy front axleshafts from Superior to gain even more strength. These shafts feature dual heat-treating for strength, along with rolled splines. They also do not neck down like the stock units do, and are said to be 35 percent stronger than stock.
The Superior 44 uses the stock spindle from the Dana 30, next to go into place. We decided
Another nice feature of the Evolution Series Super Alloy shafts is that they are machined to accept full circle clips that do a much better job of retaining the U-joint. Stock clips can walk out of position under pressure, causing the U-joint to wobble and then break, usually taking part of the shaft with it. We also used the 5-760X U-joint, which is the replacement for the 297X.
Another nice feature of the Evolution Series Super Alloy shafts is that they are machined
To finish off the axle, it is a simple matter of taking the brakes, rotors, and hubs off of your Dana 30 and putting them on the Superior Dana 44. With that done, your new front axle is complete.
To finish off the axle, it is a simple matter of taking the brakes, rotors, and hubs off o

If your original driveshaft comes equipped with a front CV at the axle, it must be replaced with a normal U-joint style, which is a good idea anyway, since it is a much stronger setup. Superior provides the yoke with the axle, and luckily, the folks at Coast Driveline and Gear also build high-quality driveshafts. They built this nice new front unit with a CV joint at the transfer case and a slipshaft with plenty of travel, along with 1310 U-joints.
If your original driveshaft comes equipped with a front CV at the axle, it must be replace
Coast's technicians then turned their driveshaft expertise onto our rear driveshaft. It was thrashed and required three new 1310 U-joints, along with a new CV ball cage.
Coast's technicians then turned their driveshaft expertise onto our rear driveshaft. It wa