I am not sure what the OP is getting to, but I am running JE Reel 1350 driveshafts front and rear with 5.38 gearing and so far, no issues at all.
What is the concern?
I think is concern is making the R&P the weak point the the setup rather than a u-joint or shaft. I don't believe this would be an issue in his case, but I think this is what he is getting at.
You nailed it on the head. That's my predicament! I've been running the 5.38's for 3 years without issue (knock on wood). It didn't take long for me to wish I had gone to 5.13's for future considerations (like the one I'm in now), although the 5.38's have served me well. I don't want to regear just to upgrade my driveshafts. I also don't want to downgrade the strength of the driveshaft either.
It sounds like the 1310 may be the safest (read: cheapest) for now with the expectation for failure until I upgrade axles. Axle replacement may be well into the future though as they have held up well with their own upgrades.
I personally would NOT recommend 1310's PERIOD. They are cheaper for a reason and depending on how you play, they'll break well before you would ever break a 5.38 pinion. I would STILL recommend a 1350.
Even with a 44 and 410 gears? Running 35s.
The one and ONLY u-joint a JK comes with from the factory is on the front drive shaft and at the pinion flange. This joint is a 1330. In other words, it's BIGGER and STRONGER than a 1310 and it was designed for use with 32" tires. Do you really want to run a WEAKER u-joint and yokes with a bigger set of tires?
That's really interesting to me. I'd heard to run a 1310 so my driveshaft (easy to replace, not super expensive) is the weakest part of the system.
But you're saying to run a 1350 and that will still be the case, it just won't break as easily.
Well, I don't know where you "heard" that from but you're more than welcome to trust what they have to say. Me, what would I know.
What I'm saying is that I don't understand why anyone would want something to break more easily than a factory drive shaft. Ideally, I personally don't want anything to break and to the best of my ability, I try to build my Jeeps accordingly.
Thanks Eddie. Just clarifying your point. I agree: ideally nothing breaks. Just making sure I'm understanding you correctly. When running 37s on D44s with 5.13 gears and 1350 driveshaft, what's the weakest point? Thinking the two contenders are the pinion or the driveshaft. Thinking about it wrong?
Thanks for helping a newbie understand.
37's on Dana 44's running 5.13 gears and driven by a 1350 shaft is a pretty strong setup. You're more likely to break a front drive shaft u-joint or bend a rear axle flange then to break either the shaft or ring & pinion. It's a setup that I prefer and one that's worked well for me in the past.
Even with a 44 and 410 gears? Running 35s.