Dana 30 Axle Upgrade - Rubicon your Dana!

We chose Superior Axle & Gear inner axles for the project in deference to better metallurgical properties, dual heat treatment, rolled splines, and Superior's exclusive Torque-Equalizing Diameter Profiles.

The beef is easy to see. Large-diameter axles, sturdier yokes and U-joints, and much larger stub axles were the result of our housing swap and hub conversion.

We used a Warn 5-on-5-1/2-inch hub conversion kit to rid ourselves of the unitary bearings on the Comanche. The hub conversion provides maintainable bearings, and the bolt pattern selection allows the use of the bulletproof Warn internal-style hub. The kit is truly complete with all components, bearings, joints, and seals provided. The only procurement requirement is CJ-style rotors and some rotor machining.

The heart of the hub conversion kit is the special Warn spindles that bolt to the reused knuckles.

The Warn hub conversion kit requires CJ-style rotors be machined down to a size that works with the existing XJ/MJ calipers. The hub, a spacer, and the rotor are then assembled and the new studs pressed into place.

The assembly of the bearings and hub is identical to any other spindle-style hub. The Warn 1/2-ton internal-mount-style hub on the 5-on-5-1/2-inch conversion provides a big strength increase over the hub used with the stock 5-on-4-1/2-inch pattern.

The replacement of the rear axles was required due to the change in wheel bolt pattern. The change to the Superior axles is a simple swap with handtools and a press. The Superior axles provide the availability of either bolt pattern in addition to the stronger alloy material.

The new 16-inch Mickey Thompson Classic II alloy wheels provide a durable, high-strength wheel well suited to the rigors of our mixed-use driving. They also provide the required clearance for a previous high-steer arm upgrade and an upgraded, contemporary "look" to our 20-year-old ride.

The Mickey Thompson ATZs we chose are the P-metric equivalent of a 33-inch-diameter tire. They are pleasingly quiet on the pavement and look to be a traction contender in the dirt and rocks. Look for a complete test of these tires in the coming months as we subject them to real-world trail and road conditions.

Wiring up the new ELocker was a snap. Everything needed was included, but we chose to replace the provided switch with a custom toggle/LED to match the switch we were already using for the rear locker.

Back on the ground and complete! Our Rubicon 44 housing looks almost stock in this application because it is almost stock. In spite of our many enhancements, this project truly fell into the simple bolt-in category. As a replacement for the stock Dana 30 in most applications, the installation would be even simpler.