Ali Mansour
Brand Manager, 4WD & Sport Utility
Photographers:
Courtesy of the Manufacturer
Vehicle progression is what this hobby is all about. If it weren't for our thirst for the next best thing and need for bulletproof parts, we'd still have two-piece axleshafts and carburetors, and our Jeeps would be stuck and broken on the side of the trail. And while the modern Jeep has greeted us with a host of electronic nannies, a barrage of sensors, and lube-for-life transmissions, they have also given us some of the toughest OEM parts ever produced.
In 2003, the highly anticipated Jeep Wrangler Rubicon rolled onto the scene with Dana 44 axles equipped with selectable air lockers. Though the TJ Dana 44s had advantages over the anemic Dana 30 and 35, it wasn't until the 2007 release of the Jeep Wrangler JK that the Dana 44 as we knew it was all but reinvented.
Fitted with thicker axle tubes, a larger 8.8-inch ring gear, bigger disc brakes, and a new electronic locker, the next-generation Dana 44s arrived from the factory unlike any other 1/4-ton axle to hit the market. While a bolt-in version of the Dana 44 axle is currently available for the '07-present JK Wrangler, the Mopar Performance division wanted to offer this same axle upgrade to those with the '97-'06 TJ Wrangler.
Since the suspension geometry and width (among other things) are different between the two Jeeps, a JK-to-TJ conversion axle was created. This bolt-in axle upgrade for the '97-'06 Wrangler receives all the benefits of a JK axle and a host of other upgrades over the factory TJ axles. Designed to accept your factory steering linkage, suspension components, and even brake lines, the stock-width TJ axle upgrade even retains your factory 5-on-4.5-inch wheel bolt pattern.
To get a closer look at the next generation Dana 44s designed for the TJ we cruised over to the Mopar Performance dealer and axle builder Dynatrac to get the 411. Stay tuned next month as we see what it takes to bolt these Mopar Dana 44s into our '97 Wrangler and head to the dirt for a little performance evaluation.
TJ Next-Gen Dana 44 Front Axle Specs
Mopar PN# P5155256
High-pinion front Dana 44 housing
Electronic selectable locker
4.10 gears
12-inch disc brakes (compatible with most 15-inch aftermarket wheels)
2.75-inch x 0.375-wall DOM tube assemblies
3/16-inch-thick suspension brackets
Next-generation 1350 axle joints and shafts
5-on-4.5 wheel bolt pattern
Stock TJ width
Compatible with stock TJ steering linkages
1310 yoke
TJ Next-Gen Dana 44 Front Axle Specs
Mopar PN# P5155256
High-pinion front Dana 44 housing
Electronic selectable locker
4.10 gears
12-inch disc brakes (compatible with most 15-inch aftermarket wheels)
2.75-inch x 0.375-wall DOM tube assemblies
3/16-inch-thick suspension brackets
Next-generation 1350 axle joints and shafts
5-on-4.5 wheel bolt pattern
Stock TJ width
Compatible with stock TJ steering linkages
1310 yoke
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