full floater kit

[pirate_over50]

Just thought I would drop a line or two in the mod section about the mod I did for my D35c. Yea it's not the greatest axle and I wheeled Moab and the Rubicon trail and was light footed. D35c has held up so far. But I did find a full floater kit for it used and installed it last year. Install is fairly easy. I didn't take pics but can advise if someone starts to put one in. Axles are stronger than stock and if I do break one.......at least the wheel wont come out. Mike

[Paul E]

Can you describe what a floater kit is? I have heard the term, but don't really know what it is. I'd love to learn about it since I have the 35 in back too.

[pirate_over50]

Floating axles eliminate the axle shaft having to support the weight of the vehicle as well as hold the wheels on. Because of the high yield strength of the WARN axle, you'll also find the largest spline count possible, limited only by the differential. The internal splined wheel hubs eliminate bolts and are guaranteed never to loosen. Warn Industries also includes spring loaded lipseals in the wheel hubs and spindles. O-ring seals are used on the hub lock interface. Disk Brake Brackets are available that are specifically designed to work with the WARN Floating Axle kits.
Taken off their web site. Easiest way for me to answer. It is still a D35c, but with stronger axles and if the axle does break, I not going to lose a wheel.

[Don]

Approximately, what does this cost for a TJ? What makes the Super 35 better or worse mod than a full floater? I think the Super 35 kit is about one grand.... ouch.

[pirate_over50]

The main advantage of a full floater kit is if you break an axle it will stay in and allow you to get off the trail. The Super 35 is a great kit, but still relies on the c-clips. I happen to find my full floater on JU and got it with shipping for 350.00. Kit was less than a year old and was in great shape. Fellow jeeper just upgraded to a 60 rear in and I just happen to be at the right site, right time.

[Dave Taylor]

All a Super35 will do, is replace your stock D35 c-cliped 27 splined shafts with larger splined, stronger allowed c-cliped shafts.

If anything breaks, your wheel goes bouncing down the road; and you are permantly in 3-wheel drive (and probably have severe damage to any components on the side that lost the wheel, from undesired crunching, scraping, and dragging against tera-firma.

If you want to stick with the D35, the full-floater option, along with getting a spare set of stock shafts(@ $50 from any Jeep Want-Adds Forum) is the safest way to go.

I am in the process of doing a rear-end swap; and punting my D35c for a Beefy 31sp Ford 8.8 rearend (stronger than a 30sp D44 or 30sp D60 in lightweight rigs) with disc-brakes.

If I had chosen to stay with the Dana 35; I would consider the following steps to upgrade it:

1)Full Floater Upgrade(no lost wheel)
@ $300-600 used-to new
2)Disk Brake Upgrade(no lost wheel)
@ $300-600 used-to new
3)spare stock shafts(lost wheel but cheap axle replacement)
@ $50 used
4)Super 35 upgrade(lost wheel still, if you break it)
@ $1000 kit, includes Detroit or ARB