On a 96 Grand Cherokee 2wd 4.0
It has a model 35 with 3.55 and disc brakes.
Will a 44 direct swap.
What about the calipers and rotors.

If you get an aluminum housing d44 out of a v8 4x4 ZJ, it will bolt in and work perfectly.

I agree with Sunder, but...beware those lumy 44s are not a true 44 (44 HD same as a vette), the gears are pricey, the bearings fail prematurely and the locker options are little if at all. If you find one rebearing it and clean it well...before you install it.

SD

I wouldn't of thunk it! Maybe the aluminum deflects more under stress than the cast or forged iron does and that would be problematic? I wonder if, under normal street use, they hold up same as other 44's?
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

The two dissimilar metals cause a host of problems, unequal thermal expansion, different hardnesses cause surface inconsistencies, different stiffnesses cause unequal deformation to torque, etc. The manufacturer saved a couple of $$ on aluminum. Under normal operating conditions (highway) it's a good/cheap decision. Most people with ZJ's don't really pound them hard anyways.

The rear axle in the junk yard is in a 99 V8 4wd w disc.
This cars is my nieghbors 2wd soccer mom mobile.
The 35 is really load and when I turn one wheel , either direction the other wheel doesn't move.
I looked on all data pro and it list different brake calipers and rotor so it probably won't fit..

This rear axle your looking at won't fit as this version (1999-2004) of the Grand Cherokee was about 3-3.5 inches wider that your ZJ so the coil spring buckets along with the control arm brackets won't line up. If you want to put in a Dana 44A from a Grand Cherokee then look into finding one from a 96-98 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 as those are the only ones that came with the axle.
With regards to the problems with the old Dana 35 have you cracked open the cover to see what's jamming up the wheel? It might be something as simple as the spider gears that went out, if that's the case then it would be significantly cheaper to swap those out as opposed to a new axle. Let me know if you have any other questions. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

EDIT: Rereading your original post, since it's a 2wd vehicle that will likely never be offroad then it would probably be easier to find a another D35 from a 96-98 to swap in as opposed to a D44a, the D35 will probably be cheaper and easier to find also.

Fred R.

Thanks , great info and it will save me alot of headaches.
I'll get her a 35 if I can find a good one. Junk yards around here rarly get anthing but very high milage worn out stuff. They got a front end collision with lower miles.
Let me clarify my post,,,
The rear isn't gammed up , is is just so worn out the the oposite wheeel doesn't even rotate in the opposite wheel is rotated.
Thanks again,
Dave

Sunder, What caused the problems with the aluminum housing was the assembly method chosen by Dana. The diff aluminum center section was assembled with the gears and carrier to the proper preload, THEN, they pressed in the axle tubes which completely f'd up the carrier preload.

I used to repair these diffs with as little as 10k miles with destroyed carrier bearings. The factory fix was to disassemble, inspect and replace any parts damaged, usually only the carrier bearings, clean the housing and axle tube completely, then, when reseting the preload, only add .001" shims over zero clearance. Basically only one thousands inch preload, instead of the normal .010"

After about 2000 year model WJ's, the Dana factory started to assemble the tubes to the housing, then build the center section. Not much of a problem after that! They almost lost the Jeep axle account over all the problems!

I haven't actually tried it but a Dana 44 iron diff from a late TJ may be a near bolt in swap with the '93 -'98 ZJ!

Jim, guys the lumy housing eats bearings, pinion and carrier. It does not take being "beaten" on either.
99% of GC that I see are stock, they just fall apart at about 60-70K miles. The lumys you can set your watch by.


SD