D30 to D44 Swap Questions
06-20-2015, 08:08 AM
#21
JK Super Freak
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06-21-2015, 12:13 AM
#22
JK Super Freak
wow, that ebay deal seems sweet. I have my beefed up D30 with 5.13s and want to finally go to 37s, my question for everyone here is should I go for the OEM D44 the guy on ebay is selling for around 2k shipped with 5.13 gears or go Prorock 44 for around 4-5k? I really dont want to have to worry about breakage so I am really leaning towards the PR. Also, with the ebay D44, do I need anything else? it sounds like its a complete swap. thanks in advance
06-21-2015, 04:19 AM
#23
JK Super Freak
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wow, that ebay deal seems sweet. I have my beefed up D30 with 5.13s and want to finally go to 37s, my question for everyone here is should I go for the OEM D44 the guy on ebay is selling for around 2k shipped with 5.13 gears or go Prorock 44 for around 4-5k? I really dont want to have to worry about breakage so I am really leaning towards the PR. Also, with the ebay D44, do I need anything else? it sounds like its a complete swap. thanks in advance
06-21-2015, 04:33 AM
#24
JK Junkie
wow, that ebay deal seems sweet. I have my beefed up D30 with 5.13s and want to finally go to 37s, my question for everyone here is should I go for the OEM D44 the guy on ebay is selling for around 2k shipped with 5.13 gears or go Prorock 44 for around 4-5k? I really dont want to have to worry about breakage so I am really leaning towards the PR. Also, with the ebay D44, do I need anything else? it sounds like its a complete swap. thanks in advance
06-21-2015, 10:15 AM
#25
JK Jedi Master
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So you added no strength, you just made it weaker with higher numeric gearing? 
The stock d30 and d44 housings are the same basic strength. Externally, you gain nothing going to the rubi44. Same length, tube diameter, tube thickness, etc. So any and all strength mods you would want for a d30, (gussets, sleeves, skids, truss, whatever) you will also want for the d44. Internally, the rubi44 has stronger gears, upgraded shafts, better joints, and the elocker instead of an open carrier.
The PR housing itself runs around 2 grand. Fully loaded somewhere around 5. It is beefy and will not need any on those mods, but it uses the same ends as the stock axles.
If you can do the welding yourself, a stock housing can make a lot of sense. If you can't weld, add up all the costs of parts and labor. Depending on how much upgrading you want to do, buying and then fully building a rubi44 can easily get to the price of a PR, so just do a fair comparison with whatever components you think you want and see what makes sense. Could be that you skip the 44's and go straight to a 60...
The stock d30 and d44 housings are the same basic strength. Externally, you gain nothing going to the rubi44. Same length, tube diameter, tube thickness, etc. So any and all strength mods you would want for a d30, (gussets, sleeves, skids, truss, whatever) you will also want for the d44. Internally, the rubi44 has stronger gears, upgraded shafts, better joints, and the elocker instead of an open carrier.
The PR housing itself runs around 2 grand. Fully loaded somewhere around 5. It is beefy and will not need any on those mods, but it uses the same ends as the stock axles.
If you can do the welding yourself, a stock housing can make a lot of sense. If you can't weld, add up all the costs of parts and labor. Depending on how much upgrading you want to do, buying and then fully building a rubi44 can easily get to the price of a PR, so just do a fair comparison with whatever components you think you want and see what makes sense. Could be that you skip the 44's and go straight to a 60...
06-21-2015, 12:50 PM
#26
JK Super Freak
cool, I am seeing that now on the ebay ad. Thanks.
thanks for your experience, this is the kind of response I was hoping for. I am moving to seattle next month and plan to wheel my jeep much more than I have the last 3 years in hawaii (hardly anywhere to wheel anymore without getting yelled at)..and the plan to go to 37s makes me worry about my D30.
sorry should of been more specific, beefed up as in gussets and alloy usa ball joints. I cant weld so Id imagine to get a rubi D44 to where a PR44 would be strength wise is adding gussets, sleeves, and a truss? sounds like the PR in the end might be worth it. Are the RCV's really needed? those seems to really jack the PR up price wise, on NR it doesnt have any other options for axles though. I am guessing I can chomos to that instead. My jeep is my DD so I think a 44 would be all I need and as I said in my other response, I am moving and will be wheeling my jeep alot more in seattle and also planning to go 37s. I appreciate everyone's input.
Other than the housing, what exactly does the $5k for a prorock get you? Uses the same weak hubs and small ball joints. Ring and pinion is the same size. Sure, the locker is probably stronger. However, I had RCV shafts in my D44 and blew up the ring and pinion and the locker was fine.
So you added no strength, you just made it weaker with higher numeric gearing?
The stock d30 and d44 housings are the same basic strength. Externally, you gain nothing going to the rubi44. Same length, tube diameter, tube thickness, etc. So any and all strength mods you would want for a d30, (gussets, sleeves, skids, truss, whatever) you will also want for the d44. Internally, the rubi44 has stronger gears, upgraded shafts, better joints, and the elocker instead of an open carrier.
The PR housing itself runs around 2 grand. Fully loaded somewhere around 5. It is beefy and will not need any on those mods, but it uses the same ends as the stock axles.
If you can do the welding yourself, a stock housing can make a lot of sense. If you can't weld, add up all the costs of parts and labor. Depending on how much upgrading you want to do, buying and then fully building a rubi44 can easily get to the price of a PR, so just do a fair comparison with whatever components you think you want and see what makes sense. Could be that you skip the 44's and go straight to a 60...
The stock d30 and d44 housings are the same basic strength. Externally, you gain nothing going to the rubi44. Same length, tube diameter, tube thickness, etc. So any and all strength mods you would want for a d30, (gussets, sleeves, skids, truss, whatever) you will also want for the d44. Internally, the rubi44 has stronger gears, upgraded shafts, better joints, and the elocker instead of an open carrier.
The PR housing itself runs around 2 grand. Fully loaded somewhere around 5. It is beefy and will not need any on those mods, but it uses the same ends as the stock axles.
If you can do the welding yourself, a stock housing can make a lot of sense. If you can't weld, add up all the costs of parts and labor. Depending on how much upgrading you want to do, buying and then fully building a rubi44 can easily get to the price of a PR, so just do a fair comparison with whatever components you think you want and see what makes sense. Could be that you skip the 44's and go straight to a 60...
06-21-2015, 01:53 PM
#27
JK Jedi Master
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I have never run rcv's, so can't comment on the strength difference or the joint difference. My PR44 was ordered with alloy inners and I reused the stock 32sp outers. (just to save some money, used it to regear the rear end to match the new gears up front).
As a caveat, I got it fairly early. No other d44 options to compare to, the pr60 was very spendy in comparison, and people hadn't worked out the tone ring situation on junkyard builds. For me, at that time, a pr44 made a lot more sense than dumping money into straightening a bent d30 housing, replacing the busted gears, adding offsets or new c's, adding traction and shafts, and then fully beefing up the housing. The other option was another 4k or whatever for a pr60.
Nowadays, I would be looking at the Ultimates before any of the aftermarket 44's, and definitely before buying and then building a stock 44. (just personal opinion on that, I have very little faith in these stock housings...)
As a caveat, I got it fairly early. No other d44 options to compare to, the pr60 was very spendy in comparison, and people hadn't worked out the tone ring situation on junkyard builds. For me, at that time, a pr44 made a lot more sense than dumping money into straightening a bent d30 housing, replacing the busted gears, adding offsets or new c's, adding traction and shafts, and then fully beefing up the housing. The other option was another 4k or whatever for a pr60.
Nowadays, I would be looking at the Ultimates before any of the aftermarket 44's, and definitely before buying and then building a stock 44. (just personal opinion on that, I have very little faith in these stock housings...)