Jeep TJ Axle Swap With Jeep JK Dana 44

Jeep Tj Dana 44 Axle Swap Jeep Jk Dana 44

This is a JK Rubicon Dana 44 front axle that has been converted and is ready to bolt in a TJ. It doesn't look like anything special, but it is.

This is a JK Rubicon Dana 44 front axle that has been converted and is ready to bolt in a

If you're a Jeep TJ owner with a bit of JK jealousy, you're not alone. There are so many things to like about the new JK. Thing is, there's also a lot to like about the TJ. What if you could integrate some rugged JK components onto your TJ? Now that would be cool, wouldn't it?

Well, that's exactly what the team at Burnsville Off Road in Burnsville, Minnesota, has been doing lately. They've been transplanting JK Rubicon Dana 44 axles into the TJ using their JK-to-TJ Axle Conversion Kit. Why is this a big deal? Well, the JK Rubicon Dana 44 front and rear axles offer a number of upgrades over the TJ Rubicon Dana 44 axles. Hey, not all Dana 44s are the same. In fact, the Dana 44 has been trotted out with a vast number of variations over the years and the Jeep Wrangler Dana 44s are no exception.

Compared to the front TJ Rubicon Dana 44, the JK Rubicon Dana 44 has a larger diameter pinion, more outer axle splines, and larger axle joints. The JK axle is also a high pinion and it offers a knuckle with a 4-inch-higher steering mount so you can bid farewell to that "inverted Y" TJ steering. The rear JK Rubicon Dana 44 bests the TJ Rubicon Dana 44 in pinion diameter, axleshaft spline count, and axletube diameter. In addition, the JK Rubicon Dana 44 axles provide bigger brake rotors and calipers, and they offer electric lockers instead of air-actuated lockers. Taking it a step further, when the JK Rubicon Dana 44 axles are compared to the TJ Dana 30 and the Dana 35C, the improvements are even more dramatic.

We recently had the opportunity to travel to Burnsville Off Road and observe the process of how the Burnsville team converts a pair of JK Rubicon Dana 44 axles for fitment into a TJ. Here's how it works.

Jeep Tj Dana 44 Axle Swap Axle Internals Compare

1. Here are a few JK Rubicon Dana 44 internals compared to TJ Rubicon Dana 44 internals. As you can see on the left, the JK axleshafts are longer than the TJ axleshafts. This is because the JK axlehousing is 5 inches wider than the TJ housing. We'll cover how that plays into the swap later on. Look closely at the axleshafts and you'll see that the JK axleshaft U-joint is larger than its TJ counterpart. The TJ uses a Spicer 760X and the JK uses a Chrysler-specific joint that is equal to a 1350. The ears on the JK yoke are wider and thicker, too. Further, the JK stub shaft has 30 splines, where the TJ only has 27 splines. On the right, you'll notice that the JK pinion is also larger in diameter.

2. Naturally, the JK's larger diameter pinion requires a larger pinion bearing. Here you can see the smaller TJ pinion bearing atop the JK bearing. This larger bearing will handle torque better, which will increase its life.
2. Naturally, the JK's larger diameter pinion requires a larger pinion bearing. Here you c
3. This is the new bracketry for the front axle. Burnsville uses an off-the-shelf TeraFlex kit. The kit includes a track bar/steering stabilizer mount, lower control arm mounts, shock mounts, spring pads, and sway bar brackets. There are no new upper control arm brackets because the stock JK brackets are reused. Also included in the Burnsville kit, but not shown here, is a new Burnsville-supplied track bar, tie rod, and chrome-moly drag link.
3. This is the new bracketry for the front axle. Burnsville uses an off-the-shelf TeraFlex
4. The kit for the rear axle is also from TeraFlex and contains coil spring mounts, lower control arm brackets, shock mounts, a track bar bracket, upper control arm mounts, and sway bar mounts. Slight grinding of some of the mounts is necessary to fit them to the 3-inch-diameter axletubes.
4. The kit for the rear axle is also from TeraFlex and contains coil spring mounts, lower

5. The first step in the conversion is to remove all of the factory bracketry from the front and rear axles. Here you can see some of the bracketry that was removed.
5. The first step in the conversion is to remove all of the factory bracketry from the fro
6. After all the bracketry is removed from both axle housings, they're prepped for the new bracketry by being ground smooth. This step is lengthy and tedious and usually takes about four hours on the front axle and two hours on the rear axle.
6. After all the bracketry is removed from both axle housings, they're prepped for the new
7. Here's how the front axle looked when completely prepped and ready to receive the new bracketry. Note that the only factory brackets reused are the upper control arm mounts.
7. Here's how the front axle looked when completely prepped and ready to receive the new b

Jeep Tj Dana 44 Axle Swap Tack Weld Shock Mounts

8. Positioning the new bracketry for welding is the tricky part, because these components must be placed in the correct position and angle. Improper placement or imperfect welding will result in improper fitment and the offending bracket(s) must then be cut off and repositioned. Technician Brian Ament has done scores of these conversions and he made the process look easy. First, he tack-welded the shock mounts and then the spring pads.

9. Next up, the lower control arm brackets were tack-welded in position.
10. The track bar mount was the final piece to be tack-welded in place. Ament says that on average, it takes about an hour to place and tack-weld the bracketry to the front axle.
10. The track bar mount was the final piece to be tack-welded in place. Ament says that on
11. It takes another hour to perform the final welding on the new bracketry. After everything cools off, the axle is cleaned and then painted black. At that point, it's ready to be installed in the TJ.
11. It takes another hour to perform the final welding on the new bracketry. After everyth

Jeep Tj Dana 44 Axle Swap Front Axle Install

12. Here you can see a converted front axle installed in a TJ Unlimited. This particular axle is a Dana 30 out of a JK. Which leads us to another point. The JK-to-TJ Axle Conversion Kit can also be used to fit the JK Dana 30 under a TJ. The conversion is identical. This particular axle was used for a couple of reasons. First, the rig was being converted to a diesel powerplant and the engine management system requires input from the ABS sensors found in the JK axle. Second, the owner wanted to run an ARB Air Locker and the JK Rubicon Dana 44 cannot currently be fitted with any locker other than the factory electric unit. Burnsville owner Dan McKeag says this is due to the design of the carrier bearings.

13. A shorter drag link is required. This vehicle had a drag link that had been cut and sleeved (shown), but the kit now comes with a chrome-moly drag link as standard equipment. When it comes to track bars, a stock JK unit is standard and an adjustable aftermarket unit is optional.

14. If the axle is being fitted into a '97-'02 TJ, a longer JK pitman arm will be needed to get full lock-to-lock steering. This step isn't required on newer TJ's because they use a fast-ratio Mercedes steering box.
14. If the axle is being fitted into a '97-'02 TJ, a longer JK pitman arm will be needed t
15. Here you can see one of the front sway bar mounts. Normally, they aren't fitted until the axle is installed due to the many different types of sway bar disconnects being used by customers.
15. Here you can see one of the front sway bar mounts. Normally, they aren't fitted until
17. The spring perches are tack-welded into place on the axletubes first.

18. Next up are the upper and lower control arm brackets.
19. The track bar bracket is the last item to be positioned.
20. The actual welding on the rear axle goes a bit quicker than the front axle because there's less bracketry.
20. The actual welding on the rear axle goes a bit quicker than the front axle because the

21. After all of the bracketry is welded on, the welds are smoothed, the axle is painted and then it's ready to be installed.
21. After all of the bracketry is welded on, the welds are smoothed, the axle is painted a
22. Here you can see a JK Rubicon Dana 44 installed in a TJ. New driveshafts will have to be made, and Burnsville uses Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts. Since the JK Rubicon axles utilize electric lockers, making them function is as easy as feeding them 12-volt power and installing the switches.
22. Here you can see a JK Rubicon Dana 44 installed in a TJ. New driveshafts will have to
23. Because the JK axles are 5 inches wider than the TJ axles, the wheel/tire combination will protrude from the fenderwells, but as you can see, it's nothing major. This TJ is running stock JK wheels on stock-sized tires. The JK axles use a 5 on 5 bolt pattern, instead of the 5 on 4 bolt pattern of the TJ.
23. Because the JK axles are 5 inches wider than the TJ axles, the wheel/tire combination

24. Here's another example of a converted JK Rubicon Dana 44. This axle is in a YJ, and has coilovers, JK TeraFlex long-arms, a chrome-moly tie rod and drag link, and PSC hydraulic-assist steering.
24. Here's another example of a converted JK Rubicon Dana 44. This axle is in a YJ, and ha
25. This '03 TJ Rubicon has a JK Rubicon Dana 44; stock JK drag link, tie rod, and track bar; coilovers; Timbren bumpstops; and Rubicon Express long-arm control arms.
25. This '03 TJ Rubicon has a JK Rubicon Dana 44; stock JK drag link, tie rod, and track b

Bottom Line
So you're probably wondering what kind of costs are involved for this swap. Well, there are several options. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can walk out with a front axle kit for $845. You'll need to add about $50 for the JK pitman arm if your rig is a '97-'02. The bracket kit to fit the rear JK Dana 44 under your TJ is $300. You'll also need to plan to spend approximately $450 each for new driveshafts. If you want to bring a pair of JK axles to the boys at Burnsville, have them remove all of the factory bracketry, and install all of the new bracketry so you can install the axles and steering yourself, plan on approximately $1,495 for the front axle and approximately $650 for the rear axle. Once again, you'll need those driveshaft modifications. If you just want to drop your TJ at Burnsville and have them do all the work so you can drive out with a pair of fully functioning JK Rubicon Dana 44's under your TJ, it'll cost you approximately $4,095 for the front axle and approximately $3,325 for the rear axle. No matter which option you choose, you'll need to plan to procure wheels with the 5 on 5 lug pattern.