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Swapping axles. Need advice

rookcherokee

NAXJA Forum User
Next week I'll be swapping my front and rear axles. Front with another dana 30 and rear with a 8.25 .

Are there any write ups on how to do this?

Any advice on how to make this process go smoothly?

Any help at all would be great. Thanks
 
Do you have the pickle-fork ball-joint tool? (Don't know what it's called...) You may want to pick up a couple of spare dust boots because the pickle-fork can tear them up. (You may need to use the pickle-fork if hammering the knuckle near the joint doesn't work.)

Hmm... I know you're not supposed to re-use the u-bolts, or the straps on the pinion yokes; they're considered to be disposable by most folks. (Besides, you can keep you old ones for spares!) The rear shock's upper bolts can be a PITA to remove without breaking, I'd just leave the shocks in and unbolt the bottoms. You also may want to pre-purchase the rear flex line.

HTH!

:)
 
Not supposed to reuse straps on the pinion yokes? Huh?


Buy a gallon of PB Blaster and give all of the nuts and bolts a good soaking... especially any nutserts

Do this for about a week prior to unbolting things.


Do you have the pickle-fork ball-joint tool? (Don't know what it's called...) You may want to pick up a couple of spare dust boots because the pickle-fork can tear them up. (You may need to use the pickle-fork if hammering the knuckle near the joint doesn't work.)
I've never had a problem unscrewing the castle nut, and then whacking the knuckle right near the TRE. It has always fallen out after a few blows.
 
Not supposed to reuse straps on the pinion yokes? Huh?

Just what I've been told, and read. Mind you, I'm a 'better-safe-than-sorry' kind of dweeb. :D

I've never had a problem unscrewing the castle nut, and then whacking the knuckle right near the TRE. It has always fallen out after a few blows.

When my brother and I used to work on cars, we had a couple that were a LOT of work to get out. Some worked with the whack, some only worked with the air-chisel pickle fork, some needed leverage on the tie-rod AND either the pickle fork or smacking the knuckle. Mind you, neither of us was a professional! *L*

:)
 
Just looked at my 96 and thought there were Torx bolts on the 2 upper control arms. I guess i was wrong. I recall them on a older XJ i owned and they were a bitch. If you have any have a GOOD set of Torx sockets handy. Or easy outs for when you strip them.
 
Just looked at my 96 and thought there were Torx bolts on the 2 upper control arms. I guess i was wrong. I recall them on a older XJ i owned and they were a bitch. If you have any have a GOOD set of Torx sockets handy. Or easy outs for when you strip them.


LOL.. I ran into the same problem last weekend. Got a pipe wrnch on it and it came out fine. BTW, what kind of Loctite did they use from the factory, I had blue stuff all over the upper and lower control arm bolts. That stuff is a B**** to break loose. (ie... 1/2" breaker bar with a 6 ft cheater bar)
 
if you are swapping the 97+ 8.25 into a pre-97 XJ, you need to use the pre 97 emergency brake lines on the 97+ axle.
 
buy either the gallon jug (and spray bottle) or a couple cans of PB Blaster and soak all bolts, nuts, clips, bar pins, and any other fastener that is in use on either axle. do not use it on items that require grease AND will be re-used. blaster de-wets bearings and similar parts as well as many petroleum compounds. it can neutralize the grease in items. i lost two socket wrenches because i did not wipe excess pb off the fastener before putting the wrench on it. blaster got into the bearings and wreaked havoc on it. you can spray it onto the nuts of TREs, but be sure that the spray does not get into the moving components of the end and that excess is removed. (another interesting fact- i learned that pb blaster can break the bond of asphalt while i was wrenching on a asphalt paved covered parking space).

be prepared to go to your local nut and bolt store. the most common bolts to break are the rear upper shock bolts so dont force them. the will most likely stick and not want to turn. if the bolts "stick" or will give, bind, and squeak then STOP!! this is a sure sign that the bolt is about to break if you keep forcing it. it is caused by debris (rust, dirt, gunk, road grime etc) clogging the threads of the bolt like a wedge. the binding is the clogged threads, the give is the debris breaking free and the squeak is from the friction. the best course of action, may sound crazy to some people, but re-tighten the bolt a little. this allows some of the debris on the threads that was loosened to fall free of the threads. then try to loosen it some more. once you get a good amount of resistance, re tighten. repeat as needed. it takes forever and a half to remove the bolt, but far less time than having to drill out the broken bolt, tap and get a new bolt.

you may have to rotate the front axle to get the upper control arm bolts in after the lower control arms are attached. some have had luck with a jack or a ratchet strap (i broke the strap). but i have found a friend with a pipe wrench on the axle tube to be a great help. the upper control arm bolts (axle side) may require a hammer and punch to get out.

if your reusing your old e brake cables then you will have to partially disassemble the drum brakes to remove and reattach the cables. a digital camera can help with getting the reassembly correct as will working on one side at a time and using the other side as a reference.

dont be intimidated about swapping (or even just pulling) your axles. when your done you will say 'damn, that was easier than i thought.'
 
Hmm... I know you're not supposed to re-use the u-bolts, or the straps on the pinion yokes; they're considered to be disposable by most folks. (Besides, you can keep you old ones for spares!) The rear shock's upper bolts can be a PITA to remove without breaking, I'd just leave the shocks in and unbolt the bottoms. You also may want to pre-purchase the rear flex line.

HTH!

:)
This is 150% true - Various sources I've seen say to replace the bolts/straps, but almost everyone I've ever talked to doesn't bother. I'm probably going to reuse my old ones till I get around to making an order somewhere that carries them, though I've been known to recommend people replace them... "do as I say, not as I do!" Also, fully agreeing on the rear shock bolts, though MoparManiac told me that he has great luck with em even in the rust belt by using an oxy-mapp torch to heat them up before trying to turn them.

Also - I am the lazy, paranoid sort, so when I replaced my springs I just took a cutoff wheel to my spring/axle U-bolts and replaced em, they were so rusty I was worried I would break one trying to unbolt it or that they would break on the road afterwards. It also took me approx 5 minutes to disconnect the old bolts that way and required zero PB-blaster and no cheater bar :)

Good luck!

EDIT: haha yeah stewie is also right... PB blaster wrecks stuff including asphalt, found that out the wrong way... my landlord isn't too happy with me :anon:
 
Just something to think about if you are using a complete (disc to disc) Dana 30... when I changed my D30 to an older one, the brake calipers didn't fit on the older steering knuckles. I ended up having to use the original steering knuckes so I cold fit my brake calipers. If you need to do this, have a sledge hammer handy to knock the steering knuckles off.
 
might as well re-gear, lock, and polish those axles
(theres allways other stuff you SHOULD do at the same time)

unless your jeep has emigrated from back east, i think most of the comments in this thread regarding pb blaster are over reactions from people back east.

having the right assortment of sockets(including torx bits) is waay more important.
 
If I have issues with any Torx bolt I will weld a regular nut on the end and then use a normal tool not a stupid PITA sunken head POS!!!
No anger here just smarter than the designer!.
I've seen blue on my threads.
Stukboy
 
might as well re-gear, lock, and polish those axles
(theres allways other stuff you SHOULD do at the same time)

unless your jeep has emigrated from back east, i think most of the comments in this thread regarding pb blaster are over reactions from people back east.

having the right assortment of sockets(including torx bits) is waay more important.

I second this, I just spray the nuts and bolts twice price to tear down and get a breaker bar...if it still doesn't budge...consider options to cutting IMO. Like the torx on the UCAs for me would NOT come out, so I said screw it and cut them since I wasn't going to use them anymore.

Then again, both my rigs are NW rigs so they just need persuasion is all.

~Scott
 
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