Stick with stock axles or swap for a Dana 44 on a daily driver?

I see this argument all the time in here and I keep noticing people jumping straight to swapping axles before even knowing what they really need. I drive a 1999 Cherokee with 33s and a lunchbox locker in the rear D35, and I've had no issues for 2 years of light wheeling and work commutes around Nashville. But then you got guys saying if you don't swap to a Dana 44 or a Ford 8.8 you're just asking for a broken shaft on the trail. I think it comes down to how hard you actually wheel and how much you're willing to spend, cause a decent 44 setup runs like $1,200 used and then you gotta weld on brackets and regear. What do you all think, are stock axles fine for 33s and mild trails or am I just lucky so far?

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coleman.seth2mo ago

Nah, you're just lucky so far.

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reesepatel2mo ago

You ever have one of those days where everything lines up perfectly and you just know it won't last? Last week I hit three green lights in a row on my way to work, found a parking spot right out front, and the coffee machine actually worked. Felt like I won the lottery. But @coleman.seth probably knows the score, cause the next day my tire went flat and I spilled that same coffee all over my shirt. So yeah, maybe luck is just borrowing time before the universe balances the books.

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