Swapping the 8.25 for an 8.8

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 8:49 am

Wonder if this would be worth doing. You can get an 8.8 from a junk yard with factory 4:10 gears, so you would just have to change the ones up front. One thing i couldn't find was the width of the 8.25, the 8.8 is 59.75". Another thing is a drive shaft, the 8.8 uses 1.31" diameter 31 spline.

does the 8.5 offer enough strength and options for the KJ that swapping to an 8.8 is not even needed?
Can it even be done without throwing away more money than its worth?

bugnout · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 9:41 am

I think the 8.25 is not bad, I've heard some compare it to the D44 in strength. The two major complaints about the 8.25 is that it uses C-clips to hold the axles in and there is a limited selection of gears and lockers. The D44 has a better selection, and is comparable in strength. Don't know about the 8.8 as far as selection of gears and lockers.

The biggest hurdle I see in swapping in an 8.8 is implementing a speedo. The 8.25 uses a tone ring and has a sensor for the speedo. Not sure that the 8.8 has anyway to duplicate that.

phxtoad · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 10:35 am

Here's an idea: Give me your 8.8 for our YJ!

Glad to help.

Todd

scottg · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 11:12 am

phxtoad wrote:

Here's an idea: Give me your 8.8 for our YJ!

Glad to help.

Todd

heck, if you were in ohio, i have just sitting in my garage

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 12:04 pm

Tonw wheel pickup is the biggest problem and then there is the mounting of it so new bracketry would need to be added amongst the other ssues mentioned.

Group buy on some South American KJ D44's?? They at least have the speedo pickup in them. Wonder if we can find someone down there that can hook us up? He it isn't as expensive as the one I got.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 12:16 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

Tonw wheel pickup is the biggest problem and then there is the mounting of it so new bracketry would need to be added amongst the other ssues mentioned.

Group buy on some South American KJ D44's?? They at least have the speedo pickup in them. Wonder if we can find someone down there that can hook us up? He it isn't as expensive as the one I got.

thats probably the best route

Milner · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 12:32 pm

8.8 is not really a worthy upgrade. Still c-clip, about the same dif selection as an 8.25, and a lot of work to get the brackets on.
Slight improvement in shaft diam/spline is all....

At least a 44 opens up more dif selection and no c-clips!

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 12:39 pm

I read somewhere, don't remember where, about swapping an 8.25 with a 8.8 Ford. But that was on a Grand Cherokee. I sent off an e-mail to Chrysler Brazil asking about their front differential. They never answered.

There has to be a way to do it.

Terry

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 1:25 pm

Here is an interesting site. It is in Spanish and in Brazil: http://www.willysbr.cjb.net/

Terry

ohv_kj · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 1:39 pm

not sure about the kj ut i know alot of my club members are taking out the 35 and outting in 8.8s...the 8.8 has be known to be better/stronger then a 44...actually...as i'm building...i found a full with 44 front and bought it cheap...that being said...after i get the sas done and road proven and everything seems good...i'm going w/ full width axles 44 front and maybe a 9 inch rear or somthing comparable...unless your doing a sas swap i know the 8.25 will be fine...

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 2:19 pm

for what 98% of us do I really dont see what you would get out of switching out the 8.25 to anything else. Then you have to deal with speedo etc not really worth it in the long run

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 3:32 pm

Wonder if the 8.75 that they put in the rams has the tone ring? Im not sure what kinda gear selection they have for that axle but I would say its alot stronger since its in the rams.

Ill check out our ram and see if the rear diff has the sensor on top of it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 3:59 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Wonder if the 8.75 that they put in the rams has the tone ring? Im not sure what kinda gear selection they have for that axle but I would say its alot stronger since its in the rams.

Ill check out our ram and see if the rear diff has the sensor on top of it.

now come on you are telling me you dont have a picture of it???? :lol:

InCommando · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 5:44 pm

IMHO: the money you would spend on the swap would be better spent towards an axle upgrade in the 8.25 & calling it good. Heck, even with stock axles I don't think that any tire we can run on the KJ is going to inherently kill the 8.25 rear end.

There is no comparison of the D35 and the 8.25/D44/8.8. If I had either of those three rears, I wouldn't bother swapping them for any of the others.

Ram's used to run the 9.25...ChryCo getting cheap on us?

ChileanKJ · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 7:34 pm

I'm in Chile South America and i have never seen a KJ with D44, how can i find one? year? model?

Claudio

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 8:05 pm

InCommando wrote:

Ram's used to run the 9.25...ChryCo getting cheap on us?

I think youre right, it is a 9.25 axle.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 8:27 pm

InCommando wrote:

IMHO: the money you would spend on the swap would be better spent towards an axle upgrade in the 8.25 & calling it good. Heck, even with stock axles I don't think that any tire we can run on the KJ is going to inherently kill the 8.25 rear end.

There is no comparison of the D35 and the 8.25/D44/8.8. If I had either of those three rears, I wouldn't bother swapping them for any of the others.

Ram's used to run the 9.25...ChryCo getting cheap on us?

To bad the 9.25 by design(axles) where weaker then our 8.25's.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 9:16 pm

Are they really? Whats wrong with them?

I figured they would be pretty stout since they are in a truck that has a V-8(both 4.7 and a hemi) that can tow a heck of alot more than our Jeeps.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 9:21 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Are they really? Whats wrong with them?

I figured they would be pretty stout since they are in a truck that has a V-8(both 4.7 and a hemi) that can tow a heck of alot more than our Jeeps.

My bad,I was refering to the 9.75 rear end.

The 8.25 is right on par with the D44,except the "C" clip issue,as far as strength.Even if you did a D44 swap(or 8.8 ) you still could not go any lower then 4.10 gears.The 8.8(ones I've seen) us a speed sensor/tone ring also,not sure if it compatiable with the KJ system but can be made to though.I'd be looking to swap the D30A way before trying to replace the 8.25.

ChileanKJ · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2008 9:22 pm

if i found D44 for liberty here i can send to USA!! do i have your attention now? :lol:

Claudio

Swapping the 8.25 for an 8.8

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