Well, I have a '86 on a D44/9in, Detroit and welded on 37's. How many DD their trucks welded/spooled in the rear? I really don't like it at times but the trucks loads of fun to drive and enjoy, then take a dirtroad and it is even more fun. The square rear shaft is noisy and I thought about having one biult but it'll run upwards to $400-500.

 

Locked rear on a dd sucks tires go faster the skip/bark every time you turn gets old fast off road in gravel/mud/dirt/grass ect. yea it makes a great difference and can be very beneficial in those conditions. That said get yourself either a air locker or a lunchbox locker as they are call that will allow free wheeling in turns and a total locker when you need it. I burned through a set of 35's in no time and got rid of the welded rear not worth it in the end unless you have a off road only truck.

Why do you have a square tube for the rear? I have one on the front and its great.

 

Yea I don't like it at all! I need to decide on a good locker. I recently started driving it to work so only then have I not liked it welded up. As far as the rear square shaft, same as said before, only recently started trying to enjoy it more. The rear square is fine on a daily, no real need to swap it.

 

Not sure it will help but see if you can get it(square driveline) balanced see if that helps out or see about cutting just the ends of the stock one and weld the ends from the square one to it

 

Jesus... welded rear and square shaft... take a certain breed to find that remotely enjoyable on pavement. terrible for your drivetrain too.

 

This.

I guess some don't know what they are missing.

:wabbit2:

 

Incase some missed it, I recently, like a couple weeks ago insured this beast for the street. It's been used for a crawler only, but had dirty fuel so I tagged it and have been running it on the street for the miles. They sit and they rot and bad fuel causes rust and other problems. Yes the shafts getting old and so is the welded rear. The welded rear causes nothing but wear on the rear tires, nothing else. The square I seriously doubt ever causes so much as a hiccup in anything but a slight vibration at certain speeds or while coasting. I never said I won't change these two minor things up but won't anytime real soon.

 

I had a welded rear on my rig that I only drove five minutes up the road to get to work. After a month it started clanging and making noise once I got over 20 m.p.h. And that was only with 32's. I'm still running stock axles and I bet a 9 in. is a hell of a lot more rugged, but in my opinion is deffinitely is not worth it to have a welded rear in a DD.

 

I have always ran Welded rear on Every DD i have had.. Half of them werent even lifted. 80s style chevys i use to run weld em, 90s style chevs weld em. and on my jeeps and yotas.. i never blew one nor had a hard time running them on the road everyday.. .....Just in the winter time.....!!

 

Did you ever experience excessive tire wear? Oh and the winter thing, that's no joke, I feel ya lol. I got a 2001 Dakota and in '03 I carbed it with a stroked 360. I welded the rear and if you hit ice or snow it wouldn't keep straight for nothing! It was best to not get out in it but when it was the only capable DD I had no choice. I'm sure il keep the Yota spooled for good, that 31 spline geared rear will never give if a welded Dakota rear with 700hp never did. I recently the past couple years put it in a S-10 with open rear. I won't weld it because the torque gets the single spinner turning posi. If people have a spooled/welded rear give out and break that's the owners fault, period!

 

Ya i noticed alot of tire wear... instead of 1 tire burning i got 2.. hahaha!! but it squaking around corners and what not never bothered me, cause normally ever corner i came sideways longs no cops are around. hey, kids will be kids...

 

Had a few trail-only rigs that i was cheap enouch to weld the rear on. even short trip to or between trails were horrible. Any rig you care about that will see street time should never be welded. Too much wear on your shafts and tire.
Square shafts cannot be professionally balanced, and if you take one to a shop, they'll just laugh at you, and tell you to leave. Ive kept the stock balanced shaft in until the trail head, the swapped my square one in, wheeled, then put the balanced shaft back in for the drive home. Squaries take too much of a toll on your pinion bearings, and case output shaft to make it worth it on road.
As for welding the front, I am all for it. All but one of my rigs ive welded the front spiders. just leave one hub unlocked until it gets hairy. Square shaft in the front? hell yeah! especially on a crawler. youll never need to break 20 mph in 4wd.
There are some cheap drive line and traction upgrades that are meant for the front only. Square shafts, and welded diffs are 2 of them. Keep them there if you care about your DD rig.

 

I run a welded rear and after 8 months with my new crowd and pinion i destroyed the pinion and i'm very delicate with my truck on the road and in the trails ,maybe its only the crush sleeve who had crush herself a little more but i'm shure it had a link and plus on the asphalt it rub a lot of my rear tires. So I plan to LSD my back and weld my front. So i don't recommend of welding ur rear except if its not a daily and the trails are very near and if u dont really care of ur rig.