NP 435/205 info...

[willowbilly3]

My experience with the 44 front is that they are weak for any serious bashing. Maybe Ok for a rock crawler but I broke a bunch of them just out 4 bying. I broke one in half on a little jump that I got maybe 3 feet of air, and wrung the guts out of a twice when the the front tires did a couple wheel hops under power. And I was running stock 7.50x 16s

[Clem]

Anything for jumping will be weak, even a duece and half can be snapped unless it is trussed. I am not doing any jumping. The top speed of the jeep with 4 speed and 5.89's is roughly 52-53 mph... It just isn't enough speed to get 3,500 lbs of junk into the air... I only have a four cylinder in this little pig, so there is no way I could wring the guts out of it. Nothing more than riding trails and hardcore rock crawling.

[Comet]

None the less, I would limit the d44 to 35" tires or less. You could probably get by for awhile with bigger, but eventually it will go.

[Clem]

None the less, I would limit the d44 to 35" tires or less. You could probably get by for awhile with bigger, but eventually it will go.

I am on 35's now and am stopping at 37's. That is where the grey area for the 44 begins (beyond 35's). I have a set of CTM's waiting to go into it should I snap a shaft or u-joint. I need a set of alloys for the front to do that. I am very happy with the alloys in the nine that I have. I have intentionally set out to break them and have not succeded. I haven't even twisted the splines in the spool or on the shafts...

[willowbilly3]

Clem it sounds like you know what you are doing, or at least what works for you. Personally I wouldn't even put 35s on a stock 44 front axle. I guess if it as a hobby truck and not a daily driver that might make a difference but even 35s will put excessive wear on front end components. I have even had trucks with 12x33 tires come through my shop with the front sloppy and prematurely wore out. And on pavement pounders too, not trucks that even go off road. Lots of steering boxes breaking out from the frame and that sort of thing.