good score on the axle!!! my vote would be to either use it as-is, or find some other hated version to cut up. please don't cut up a leaf spring HPd44 (unless re-tubing it to pass-drop). so yeah, i like swapping the gears/locker and GM knuckles out onto this axle for the J20.
that said, i'm obviously all about making a crazy custom axle. i'm also digging the lightweight mid size crawler. there is a class-1 rig that i have wheeled with a few times and it's a riot. sub-3000lbs, 4cyl/auto YJ, d30/d35, 33's, rear LSD, front lunchbox. class-1 only gets one locker, so he has cutting brakes to simulate a rear locker if he get's hung. works amazing. and very streetable! he'd follow me anywhere i went. obviously good skids n sliders.
the d60 stuff is SO much heavier, i can't vote for that. specially after watching guys compete against me crawling on 35's with a d30. the only time i ever broke the d44 in 16+ years was when my mindset went to "make it or break it". got a buddy doing something similar right now and we are building a new front axle for him. went thru a similar decision process and ultimately we landed on a 944 with all stock parts. i am cutting the knuckles off a ****ty d44 and having them bored open to 3" to fit a stock 9" housing. it's nice to have friends with mills to who will do that stuff free. he's going to stick to 31spline to keep a stock 9" center, and do custom inner shafts with GM chromo outers and yukon super joints. gm knuckles/spindles/brakes, but a ford 5x5.5 hub.
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