1977 Jeep Comanche, axles?

mo-james

New member
I have a chance to buy a Jeep comanche cheap but I am not sure if the axles would be a good upgrade to my cj7, I am currently installing a 383 stroker so I am going to need something with some strength, can you guys tell me the +/- of these axles, If not what axles should I be looking for?
thanks
8) James
 

As long as that bad boy didn't have quadratrac under it, you're good to go. The Qtrac rear axle was offset to the passenger side to match the Tcase.

The front perches on your D30 are 27.5" apart, the perches on that D44 front are 31.25" apart. You can't move the perches on the axle inward because the passenger side perch will end up on top of the differential. So, you have to move the mounts on the frame out to match the axle. There are some kits available to help do this, but just stare at it long enough and you'll figure it out. I'm sure you can find some pics on the net. I could post a picture of my brackets if you need.


The D44s are okay. I'd recommend using a locker that replaced the factory carrier or a limited slip, and a good quality R&P gearset. The carriers aren't very stout and the 8.5" ring gear isn't the strongest in the world. It's great with moderate power, but when you start hitting it hard it can give you problems. The Superior Super44 setup upgrades to a Detroit or ARB locker and high quality 33 spline shafts at the same time. The next step is to either go custom or run 3/4-1 ton stuff. Why take the weight penalty of the heavier axles when you can make a D44 live? After you get the front setup for the D44, if it won't live.....any fullsize D60 except Dodge will bolt right up, and a rear swap is just moving the perches.
 

How do I tell if it is a SJ?

It is a 1977 and he claims according to his books it has dana 40's
 
I was wrong, Its a cherokee chief not a comanchee

It is a cherokee cheif not a comanche if that matters
 
Yes, that matters. It's possible they are front and rear D44's, should definately be a D44 front. Rear could also be a HDAMC20 or a D44 with offset diff if it's a Quadratrac 4wd system.

Some Cherokee Chief's are widetrack if they have the oversize fender flares, and are likely too wide for a good CJ swap.
 

I was thinking it was a J10 pickup, and comanche was a trim level option. The Cherokee Chief is widetrack and like Bounty said, it's a bit wider than the standard SJ stuff. I think you would end up with around a 63" wms to wms measurement, where the basic SJ D44s were about 58.5" wide. A YJ is like 60" from the factory.....

It's more than likely Quadratrac.
 
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