When building a reliable overland vehicle or expedition truck, few components matter more than the rear axle under your rig. Now that it’s in our hands, it’s time to rebuild, modify, and upgrade it to meet the unique demands of life off the grid.
Our rear axle isn’t just about moving us down the road—it has to perform in all conditions with absolute dependability. On top of that, it had to meet a few critical requirements: the right width, a heavy weight rating, and compatibility with aftermarket gears and lockers. After weighing our options, the choice became clear: we went with a Dana 80 axle. Sourcing it was another story!
While not as fast or small as his namesake Rofous Hummingbird - we designed our adventure rig to rival the path of this long-distant migrant, which boasts the longest migration of any bird for its body size
We’ve put about 10,000 miles on our 4x4 swap, which means our rebuilt Dana 80 rear axle has seen the same. It's time to check in and evaluate what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what we might change in the future.