Locker/limited slip
Having run a front locker briefly with 33's I can assure you its tough on you, the truck and could be on your wallet. 37's would be extremely destructive. A D-44 was never meant to take such mods on a full size truck. You can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.
Custom axles don't help much because the weak area is the U-joint. High strength joints only seem to increase the carnage when they let go.
Assumes Bugs bunny voice...."nnnnnyyyyyaaaahhhhh.... could be!"
But I degress, front lockers are a whole different subject, and the OP/OT was about rear diffs.
But I degress, front lockers are a whole different subject, and the OP/OT was about rear diffs.
Last edited by dsertdog56; Nov 3, 2009 at 11:57 AM.
With a 9.25/D-44...probably a 35 and with the correct offset wheels.
The reason I mention wheel offset is because you will have faster front unit bearing and ball joint wear with wheels with less backspacing. Again I degress, but the systems tend to work together (or against each other).
The reason I mention wheel offset is because you will have faster front unit bearing and ball joint wear with wheels with less backspacing. Again I degress, but the systems tend to work together (or against each other).
Last edited by dsertdog56; Nov 3, 2009 at 11:59 AM.
For MODERATE wheeling, you could probably get away with 37s as long as you don't lock the front, and don't start smashing into rocks into rock faces gunning the skinny pedal to try and roll up over it, or getting the front end jammed and just sit there and hammer the throttle trying to get out. That's when stuff breaks.
I know 35s are the known as the all around safe bet, but it's hard to say, and it depends on your particular type of wheeling.
I see some guys running 38s on their 1500 axels, and they're all right.
Others are shearing axel shafts with their 33s.
What I would consider if I were you is having a set of 35-36" mud tires on some cheepo steel wheels, and then having a set of of 37-38 inch street tires for daily driving. Big tires are expensive, and mud tires wear out fast on the road, but a set of 37 inch street tires will last forever (ridiculously low revolutions per mile) and you can get away with bigger tires on the street cause you're not going to be stuffing them. Then you get yourself a set of TSLs for the weekend. Kind of a high initial cost, but will save you a ton overall.
Although I don't know if that advice means alot coming from me since I drive around on mud tires all the time, but it's just a suggestion.
I know 35s are the known as the all around safe bet, but it's hard to say, and it depends on your particular type of wheeling.
I see some guys running 38s on their 1500 axels, and they're all right.
Others are shearing axel shafts with their 33s.
What I would consider if I were you is having a set of 35-36" mud tires on some cheepo steel wheels, and then having a set of of 37-38 inch street tires for daily driving. Big tires are expensive, and mud tires wear out fast on the road, but a set of 37 inch street tires will last forever (ridiculously low revolutions per mile) and you can get away with bigger tires on the street cause you're not going to be stuffing them. Then you get yourself a set of TSLs for the weekend. Kind of a high initial cost, but will save you a ton overall.
Although I don't know if that advice means alot coming from me since I drive around on mud tires all the time, but it's just a suggestion.
Last edited by Cereal Killer; Nov 3, 2009 at 01:30 PM.