tryn to ID. gears

[my88wgn]

ok i took some # off my wags. both ratio's were same ( 3:31's) however the rears are very different.the pumpkin on the 85 is just that, round, like a pmpkn w/12 bolts. the other 3 pmpkns. aren't.how can i find outwhat kind of diff's i have??? :confused:

[ September 20, 2003, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: our88wgn ]

[my88wgn]

O BTW couldn'T find any # on rear of 85.

[andy d]

must be a real early 85. the round rear axle is an amc -20. they were sposed to end in 84. as long as it has the same gears as your front you're set.

[my88wgn]

why the difference in the shape from front to rear. my 88 housing is larger in dia. how can i find out what they are??? also the 85 seems to have more shnuts than the 88. the ratio's came from the 2 fronts.

[Bob Barry]

Jeep used the AMC20 housing (torx-head bolts, O-ring seal on round cover, looks like a metal basketball) in the back until mid-'86 or so. They returned to using the rear D44 halfway through 1986, so your '88 would have the same axle front and rear.

To confuse things further, an '83-'84 (or maybe early '85) would have a vacuum-disconnect front D44 which used a unique, larger housing and cover, with the vacuum-motor for the disonnect attached to it.

[my88wgn]

so in short i have 3 d44's & 1 amc20???

[Bob Barry]

That's what they should have. Things can be swapped, though, but yeah, that should be right.

[my88wgn]

thank-you Mr.Barry ;) now i can shop for a lower gear. :cool: