All this power is good but if you can't get it to the ground efficiently ya aint got nuthin...
Anybody found a mechanical LSD that will fit in the SRT case? This electronic thang weez got aint cutin it!
JoVon :D

Javon, a LSD does not exist for our application. 'Builder Bill' has extensive posts on this subject and wound up fabbing a 9" for his rear.

All of my research has come up with an LSD built for the chargers and magnums, which sparked my interest. I contacted the company with a request to build one for our Jeep. They informed me that it would only be worth their time to do so if they could get a promisary order for a certain amount from a vendor. I sent them the names and addresses of half a dozen of the most popular venders on this forum to the manufacturer, never heard back.

My only fear is that even if a locker or LSD does comeo out for the Jeeps, the ring gear or transfer case chain won't be strong enough to handle the power.

Javon, a LSD does not exist for our application. 'Builder Bill' has extensive posts on this subject and wound up fabbing a 9" for his rear.

All of my research has come up with an LSD built for the chargers and magnums, which sparked my interest. I contacted the company with a request to build one for our Jeep. They informed me that it would only be worth their time to do so if they could get a promisary order for a certain amount from a vendor. I sent them the names and addresses of half a dozen of the most popular venders on this forum to the manufacturer, never heard back.

My only fear is that even if a locker or LSD does comeo out for the Jeeps, the ring gear or transfer case chain won't be strong enough to handle the power. Good guess on the weak ring gear, Ira blew his original out on the starting line!

Mark at Western Diff in Tuscon has recently worked with a few more guys here and has options such as ABR air lock (mine) Detroit lockers, etc, choice of axle splines (I have 35, pretty heavy duty) etc.etc.
These are all for the 9" Ford (removable 3rd member) with our axle tubes inserted into the Ford carrier.
Pretty straight forward install. Oh I had them make up an unbreakable steel drive shaft...weighs 4 lbs more than the original aluminum driveshaft assembly.
Bill

Good to hear you got your 9'' on the road Bill!!! Great job.

So when I'm ready to do the swap to the Hybrid Ford 9" Carrier/Dana Sleeves, how much is it going to cost me.


Tempted to Swap out the absolutely massive LSD rear-end in my RAM3500HD :D, that thing is friggin unbreakable.

So when I'm ready to do the swap to the Hybrid Ford 9" Carrier/Dana Sleeves, how much is it going to cost me.


Tempted to Swap out the absolutely massive LSD rear-end in my RAM3500HD :D, that thing is friggin unbreakable.
Call Mark @ Western Diff in AZ.
Somehow, they seem to care about us...amazing.
Many different options to choose from.
Use my name, that should be worth about a buck. LOL.
Bill

what's so special about this D44 that it can't be fitted with a posi unit?...

Randy's Web site has diffs for D44s... Posi, Lockers, etc. made by Yukon, Auburn, Dana, Detroit, ARB, Eaton, etc.


what the Hell .. out of all those manufacturers, nobody makes a drop in unit for the GCSRT?

what's so special about this D44 that it can't be fitted with a posi unit?...

Randy's Web site has diffs for D44s... Posi, Lockers, etc. made by Yukon, Auburn, Dana, Detroit, ARB, Eaton, etc.


what the Hell .. out of all those manufacturers, nobody makes a drop in unit for the GCSRT?

We DON'T have a typical Dana 44
I have contacted every manufacturer in the world about a posi unit for us.Do you think I would go to the trouble of a 9" Ford if I could have dropped in a posi unit? Hmmm, I still would have replaced the entire unit after Ira blew his ring and pinion out on his first pass with drag radials.:eek:

Cost me over $ 8,000
This includes:

My spare rear end that I donated to the project.
A permanent jig at Western Diff. for you guys, could be used for a 9" Ford, Dana 60 or whatever.
New empty rear carrier, hubs etc. from Chrysler (Gave Ira my spare assembly)
35 Spline Strange axles.
Heavy duty Strange nodular 3rd member, large bearing version.
ARB airlocker.
Shipping this heavy stuff back and forth across the country.Your price will be a fraction of mine. Great to pioneer this stuff, but rather expensive.

Bill

Bill I commend you on your innovation. Is that an ARB Air Locier Box I see in one of your pictures? That was my first phonecall btw to the Aussies.

When you say a "fraction", what are you guessing.. between 2-4K for us?

We DON'T have a typical Dana 44
I have contacted every manufacturer in the world about a posi unit for us.
Do you think I would go to the trouble of a 9" Ford if I could have dropped in a posi unit? Hmmm, I still would have replaced the entire unit after Ira blew his ring and pinion out on his first pass with drag radials.:eek:

Bill

I don't know the history behind this, and I realize you didn't do the research and go through all this trouble because you enjoy spending money...

I notice the WK Grand Cherokee isn't listed on Randy's Web site... on the other hand, it does list the 2006 Viper having a D44 HD.. therefore I'm assuming the D44 HD 8.5" ring/pinion w/LSD can handle up to 600hp applications ..

maybe Ira's breakage was an isloated incident .. or does it exceed 600hp?

nice work on that 9" Ford! .. I'm assuming parasitic loss is less than a Dana 60? .. there's always been that ongoing argument between us old school Hemi guys using the Dana 60 vs. Chrysler 8.75".

My 562ci Hemi car had 710 ft. lbs. torque coupled to a factory 8.75" 742 case ... no problemo with Hoosier Drag Pro D.O.T. 10" tires.. the only annoyance was the damn thing would use two lanes from a dig. :D

btw -- what's all those other components in your pics; yellow control arms, sway bar, end links, etc.?... aftermarket lowering kit? comes with the 9" Ford? you sent the stock parts out for powder coating?

sorry for all the questions ..

I think the reason the D44 doesn't fit anythying is becuase its an 8.9" ring gear, not the standard 8.5.

I don't know the history behind this, and I realize you didn't do the research and go through all this trouble because you enjoy spending money...

I notice the WK Grand Cherokee isn't listed on Randy's Web site... on the other hand, it does list the 2006 Viper having a D44 HD.. therefore I'm assuming the D44 HD 8.5" ring/pinion w/LSD can handle up to 600hp applications .. The Dana 44HD on the Viper is aluminum I believe. Anyway it is NOT the same unit.

maybe Ira's breakage was an isolated incident .. or does it exceed 600hp? Ira has a duplicate of FAST...6.1 with supercharger, although Ira had a GSM:mad:
CHRIS...are you listening ol' buddy??


nice work on that 9" Ford! .. I'm assuming parasitic loss is less than a Dana 60? .. there's always been that ongoing argument between us old school Hemi guys using the Dana 60 vs. Chrysler 8.75". Thanks! Good assumption and the fact that the 9" Ford is a pretty popular rear end and a removable 3rd member etc.

My 562ci Hemi car had 710 ft. lbs. torque coupled to a factory 8.75" 742 case ... no problemo with Hoosier Drag Pro D.O.T. 10" tires.. the only annoyance was the damn thing would use two lanes from a dig. :D Ouch...many of us have been through similar vehicles.
Bill

Bill I commend you on your innovation. Is that an ARB Air Locker Box I see in one of your pictures? That was my first phonecall btw to the Aussies.
That is indeed the ARB locker....a premium product. My request to Western Diff was to put in whatever was similar to a bracket racer putting out 1,200 to 1,500 hp. I just wanted a super dependable rear that would last through the years, possibly into the next Jeep.

When you say a "fraction", what are you guessing.. between 2-4K for us? I know of at least 2 of the guys that are having Western Diff make them up 9" Fords with 31 spline (smaller and lighter than my 35 splines), therefore a smaller and lighter carrier (mine is the monster Strange Nodular, large bearing carrier), Detroit locker (mine is the ARB Locker) for about $ 4,500. I believe this includes the heavy duty steel driveshaft.
Ask away!!!
Bill

I think the reason the D44 doesn't fit anythying is becuase its an 8.9" ring gear, not the standard 8.5.
You got it correct!:)
Bill

btw -- what's all those other components in your pics; yellow control arms, sway bar, end links, etc.?... aftermarket lowering kit? comes with the 9" Ford? you sent the stock parts out for powder coating?

sorry for all the questions .. Busted...actually, those are prototype components that I am testing for the GREAT group at Bwoodys. They will do group buys as soon as they are tested by a few of us. Those guys actually give a $hit about not releasing junk to you guys. I selected them to market the SS. brake lines I have coming in shortly also.
Bill

Bill I commend you on your innovation. Is that an ARB Air Locier Box I see in one of your pictures? That was my first phonecall btw to the Aussies.

When you say a "fraction", what are you guessing.. between 2-4K for us?

Off topic I know, but how do you like that proceed tune? Was it substantial? Did you also get the exhaust?

Thanks for the tangent info.

Flex

Yeah off topic, but this diff thread isn't the first, nor will it be the last.

Proceed is worth every penny. Its not as user-friendly to install/uninstall as I thought it was going to be, not something you'll be willing to take out every single time you need service, get the exhaust and run a 94 Octane tune if you have access to 93 at the pump plus a bottle of booster in the tank.

Put it in 6th gear at 30mph and watch it govern-out at 155 without touching the shifter :D

I know of at least 2 of the guys that are having Western Diff make them up 9" Fords with 31 spline (smaller and lighter than my 35 splines), therefore a smaller and lighter carrier (mine is the monster Strange Nodular, large bearing carrier), Detroit locker (mine is the ARB Locker) for about $ 4,500. I believe this includes the heavy duty steel driveshaft.
Ask away!!!
Bill

Wow, in a way I'm hopping the rears of the WK SRT8's are a problem for everyone... especially when the larger motor comes out. I say this because you really really paid too much for your 9" and if these become a problem I just may go in to business swapping rear ends in our rigs.

You definitely went the right route. The 9" is a legendary axle and that's the very axle I'd choose if I were to do a swap. Because of unsprung weight I'd stay away from the d60 in our application. I'm also a big fan of the ARB. I run front and rear ARB's in my TJ. I may have gone with a Detroit though in our application.

I'm really in the wrong business. You paid for his jig which is cool for him but a simple jig can be created for axle shops with just a few pieces of roundbar (having the OEM axle on hand is almost cheating). Using this method takes about 30 mins and literally consists of welding the round bar to a sleeve that a bolt can go through on the OEM axle.... then cutting up a few sections of roundbar and tacking them together to get the appropriate spacing. After the jig has cooled, you remove all the bolts, then remove it.... then it's just a matter of either making the brackets or being raped (this is an estimate) $300 for some OEM brackets. You then take these new brackets, bolt them in to your jig. Center the jig on your new axle, tack them in place (after setting your pinion angle), measure everything... then burn them home.

To give you an idea of materials this is going from my latest axle build (A ford 8.8):
Junk yard axle $325 complete disk to disk.
Gear set $125
Master install kit $50 (all bearings, seals, etc)
ARB $690
Premade brackets $200 (could have made these myself, but hey was only $200)

Now for your build... I'm sure you got a new 9" housing. I'm not sure offhand what that cost...plus there are many companies that make their own version of it. I'm sure it as well as the third member probably cost around $1k-1.5k. This is including the brakes. You're also looking at around $500 for some chromo 35 spline shafts.... other than that the other components should be priced around the price I paid for my latest build. As you can see, this is why I'm amazed at how much they charged you.... Yeah, they did all the work, but an experienced builder should have had the entire build done in 4 hours.

Mike

Wow, in a way I'm hopping the rears of the WK SRT8's are a problem for everyone... especially when the larger motor comes out. I say this because you really really paid too much for your 9" and if these become a problem I just may go in to business swapping rear ends in our rigs. Haa, I thought about it also for about 10 seconds. I'm going to stick to General Contracting.

You definitely went the right route. The 9" is a legendary axle and that's the very axle I'd choose if I were to do a swap. Because of unsprung weight I'd stay away from the d60 in our application. I'm also a big fan of the ARB. I run front and rear ARB's in my TJ. I may have gone with a Detroit though in our application. I'm happy with my decision on the ARB. I do see where some prefer the Detroit Locker due to the cost and weight differences. Again, not going to out guess myself on the ARB.

I'm really in the wrong business. You paid for his jig which is cool for him but a simple jig can be created for axle shops with just a few pieces of roundbar (having the OEM axle on hand is almost cheating). Using this method takes about 30 mins and literally consists of welding the round bar to a sleeve that a bolt can go through on the OEM axle.... then cutting up a few sections of roundbar and tacking them together to get the appropriate spacing. After the jig has cooled, you remove all the bolts, then remove it.... then it's just a matter of either making the brackets or being raped (this is an estimate) $300 for some OEM brackets. You then take these new brackets, bolt them in to your jig. Center the jig on your new axle, tack them in place (after setting your pinion angle), measure everything... then burn them home. If you own a shop and have the time, yes you could certainly do this.

Now for your build... I'm sure you got a new 9" housing. I'm not sure offhand what that cost...plus there are many companies that make their own version of it. I'm sure it as well as the third member probably cost around $1k-1.5k. This is including the brakes. You're also looking at around $500 for some chromo 35 spline shafts.... other than that the other components should be priced around the price I paid for my latest build. As you can see, this is why I'm amazed at how much they charged you.... Yeah, they did all the work, but an experienced builder should have had the entire build done in 4 hours.
I did have a new Jeep housing, new hubs, new e-brake and dust shields.

Ok here could be a more economical approach:
Use your existing housing and components. Make jig. Remove the axle tubes.
Weld the tubes into a new 9" Ford housing.
Remove the ABS reluctors from your axles, they are simply held on with the lug studs. Install the ABS reluctors on your new custom made Strange 31 or 35 spline axles. Better be exact on your dimensions to Strange.
Order a 3rd member with the posi of your choice from Jegs or equivalent.Absolutely, if I had a shop, I could do this.
Well, I don't have a shop and my General Contracting company in Charlotte is extremely busy. It took me 4 days to install the Ford assembly and various components, working a half hour here, a half hour there.
Bottom line, I don't have the time or place to fabricate an assembly like this. At least 3 of my superintendents could have fabricated this up, but again, they are working 60-80 hours a week and don't have the spare time.

No regrets going with Western Diff.

Bill

Enough with your diffential-speak!

Just send me the completed axel assmebly with installation instructions :)

Bill is Western going to keep the Jig there or are you going to bring it home sometime?

Enough with your diffential-speak!

Just send me the completed axle assembly with installation instructions :) Actually, no instructions necessary!
Remove tires, calipers, rotors.
Unbolt both ends of your driveshaft.
Disconnect the e-brake cables.
Unbolt the axle side of the control arms.
Unbolt shocks and remove springs.
Lower old unit out.
Raise the new unit in place, reverse instructions.
Put 3-4 quarts of "#4" or better quality rear end lube in. NO SYNTHETIC for break-in!!I bet I could do it with a helper in 3 hours.:)
Bill

Bill is Western going to keep the Jig there or are you going to bring it home sometime? Jeff,
I told them to keep the jig there for the guys.
I would swap original assemblies with you if it saved you time.
With your shop, it would make sense to build your own, if time allowed. We all have to make a living don't we?
Bill

Yeah off topic, but this diff thread isn't the first, nor will it be the last.

Proceed is worth every penny. Its not as user-friendly to install/uninstall as I thought it was going to be, not something you'll be willing to take out every single time you need service, get the exhaust and run a 94 Octane tune if you have access to 93 at the pump plus a bottle of booster in the tank.

Put it in 6th gear at 30mph and watch it govern-out at 155 without touching the shifter :D
Thanks for da info

Flex