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Dana 30 HP questions

1K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  Long_Range 
#1 ·
Ok folks what kind of HP would you guess a dana 30 front axle can with stand, for on road use (no offroad)??

so a bit more to the story, some of you may find this to be sacrilege but hey so be it, to each their own lol

My new project is building a drag jeep, 97/01 hybrid TJ. I'm currently building up a 5.3 LS1 with a Borg S475 turbo, Ford 8.8 rear end swap. So the ford 8.8 rear has 3.73 gears as does the Dana 30 front axle, but I don't have the $$$ (at the moment) to swap in a Dana $$ front, it's all in the motor and the resto of the TJ. So curious as to if I even hook up the front drive shaft for now or just leave it off until I can afford the 44 front? Keep in mind this jeep will never see any offraod use

And a disclaimer before the Flame police show up, which I'm sure they will and i'm ok with lol. I have done the offraod mud thing already and wanna do something different. In another life I had a '00 Sahara with 4" suspension lift, 2" body lift, Warn front and rear bumpers with 8k lb winch and 35 x 14.50 thornbirds. SO been there done that and you can now flame away
 
#4 ·
Why a Jeep for drag? Unless you mean sled? But even then for either I think you're starting with the wrong base vehicle unless you're aiming for a specific class?

Many of us don't actually like the mud and prefer the rocks. It's a bit of a different world.

If you mean drag and want to build specifically for that (and I don't mean hit the track once or twice a year just to play around a bit), I think I'd go with a smaller 2X" passenger car tires and a 60 in the rear. Depending on where you're at and how competitive you want to get, expect to be constantly pushing everything to the limits and have a wallet that's okay with keeping stuff together.
 
#5 ·
Why a Jeep for drag? Because it's totally off the wall and unexpected. I like things that are different and after watching some YouTube videos of the LSXwillys, I figured **** it, why not.

I will be using 4 wheel launches at the track (a few times a month at best) and playing around in the streets.
 
#10 ·
Damn all very good points about lowering it, I was honestly hoping just to have some new coils cut to just drop it like 2" not sure if it would be that easy.

Also forgot to mention it'll be a 4l80e trans and matching transfer case (forget the # on that though) would you guys think the tcase is still gonna be a major week point?
 
#11 ·
I agree about making it 2wd and using a Cherokee beam axle.

If you really want to lower it and don't mind a boat load of custom work maybe you could do the beam axle and mount a steering rack to it?
But getting the column connected to it may be a huge challenge...
 
#12 ·
Get a 2x4 chevy trans... Forget the 4x4.. You will lift the front pretty damn easy as is.. So the front will give you more steering issues just grabbing little at time.

Watch Youtube of all the wranglers drag racing... Tthey look like a ****show and cost a billion to even compete. There is plenty of reason NOT to do it. At the end of day you have something that does not compare with a car and even if you able to hang with a few slower cars, you will still look like a tool. As the money spent to get that hunk of heavy wind resistance down the track, you could have bought a camaro or mustang and made some real points and speed...
 
#14 ·
So yeah this is pretty much what I expected to hear. You can't do this, you can't do that, run a mustang ahahaha. If I wanted another cookie cutter toy, I would have already bought one tubbed and caged. I'm not looking to run 7's, and there are plenty of wranglers running 10's without much hassle. So saying I'm gonna spend a pile of $$ and still look like a tool ...... Well you're way off base and lack vision ;) I'm gonna be into this for under or at 10k, have something unique, and pushing 600-800hp out the motor. And if it doesn't work out I have a fully built, turbo'd LS1 that I can put in anything
 
#17 ·
Say what you will.. If money is not a object then tool away.. Nothing stopping ya.. But people that give you good advice to save you money are not to be laughed at but taken into consideration that MAYBE they been there and done that stupid ****.

I raced a damn wrangler in the desert... Was it smart Fno Was it fast no... Was it fun.... If being scared to death at every turn then yeah... Wheel base and to damn tall and too weak of motor...

Have fun and when you do get it to work video and post up.. Prove us I mean ME wrong... Love when people 'do..
 
#18 ·
Guess I missed your great advice. Yes I saw the tranny comment, but looking to stay 4x. And not quite sure how your desert racing really compares to straight line asphalt, guess I'll figure that one out when it's all back together. You're also stating weak motor, what were you running ? b/c 1000-1300hp on a stock LS block has become pretty common and not that expensive. Check out sloppy mechanic if you don't believe me, and he's using junkyard parts. Hell even reusing head gaskets on occasion
 
#23 ·
I tried showing you a comparison of how I did something that was not smart and many told me it was just that. I could had a million times more TIME in the seat and not break as much if I went with a Toyota truck like every one else hence the [get a mustang or camaro comment].. 4x4 launch is not what you thinking.. Even if you can get the rear to hold the suspension will lift that front. A light front that grabs randomly will put you in wall. I know very well what a LS motor will do. But a Jeep on a drag strip is like a jet powered Semi on a drag strip, yeah its neat to watch and yeah it might be fast. But he spent a **** ton to get there.

Put some time in with suspension and how to get it to launch and wheelie bars never hurt.
 
#24 ·
For me the 4 wheel launch is the same thinking as a 4wl launch in a diesel truck. I have friends doing wild thing with Diesels (check out my buddy, espos diesel, he's doing big things with the Eco setups and the first to do so), but that's not my cup of tea, hence the LS instead of a diesel.

Also it may read different, as they're just words on a screen and hard to "read" intent. But I really wasn't taking a swipe at you, in my first post, more of "ahahahaa, I knew the joker's would be out". So my bad for that

I just really wanna do something most haven't, which is why I will never drag a mustang or Camaro and if I really wanted to go balls deep into drag I've also got a 67 Plymouth GTX that I'd use that for
 
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