So I got ahold of some axles out of my brother in laws cherokee and want to put them in my 88 wagoneer. The hard part is that my wagoneer does not use an axle disconnect to engage 4x4 and the axles I want to use are. So the way I understand it is I can either get a posi lock for the front... Or I can take his t-case and that will allow me to run the vacume assembly? Is that right or is there something else I'm missing? BTW the reason for the swap is he has 488 gears and I want them =)
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88 cherokee and wagoneer axle swap
- Thread starter 2CC4x4
- Start date
joe_peters
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Grants Pass, OryGun
You can swap out the passenger side two-piece axle for a one-piece, and make a cover plate where the vacuum motor mounts.
You can "lock" the collar on the two piece axle: http://www.jpmagazine.com/techartic...154_0904_dana_30_vacume_disconnect/index.html
You can install a Posi-Lok cable-operated system--$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Posi-Lok also makes a non-cable lock system, Part No. 1100, about 1/2 price of the cable system, but still around $85.
You can "lock" the collar on the two piece axle: http://www.jpmagazine.com/techartic...154_0904_dana_30_vacume_disconnect/index.html
You can install a Posi-Lok cable-operated system--$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Posi-Lok also makes a non-cable lock system, Part No. 1100, about 1/2 price of the cable system, but still around $85.
1 lock the colar on the 2 piece cost a total of 50 cents for the hose clamp but them you will b stuck in 4x4 all the time not bad if it's just a off roader!
2 chang it to a one piece! Not to easy and very costly!
3 go to local offroad shop and they make a cable that u can switch it back snd forth for ab 150 it works the best and I recommend it if you gonna b driving on the road!
2 chang it to a one piece! Not to easy and very costly!
3 go to local offroad shop and they make a cable that u can switch it back snd forth for ab 150 it works the best and I recommend it if you gonna b driving on the road!
XTurboJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Orem, Utah
Its really really easy to fix this problem you are having, like, almost retarded easy.
Your first option, like Joe said, is to just swap out the one piece shaft from the axle you are removing. If you can do a complete axle swap, you can swap out a shaft. The only thing with this option you will need to address are the different axle seals the two shafts require. On the disco axle it depends on gear oil from the diff to lube the locking collar and its splines, there by requiring a seal on the outermost shaft, which is much larger than the shaft you would be replacing it with. So you have a couple option there, and the easiest is just to purchase some of the after market D30 seals that sell for about $30 a piece and go on the tube just behind the joint. OR you could measure the outer diameter of the place the original seal sits and the inner diameter(that of the shaft) and find a seal that will fit the measurements, and then on top of that, you'd want to polish up the part of the shaft that will be in contact with the seal to avoid tearing it up the moment you start driving with it. You can leave the entire vacuum assembly on the axle, the fork will clear the new, smaller shaft no problem, and you won't have to worry about a delete plate of any kind.
Your second option is to just lock that collar in place where it engages both shafts. The JP article that Joe linked to gives some very good options for that. Though, i am sure you could come up with other options than they present.
A third option, is that posi-lok thing, dont even think about it, its worthless, and you can accomplish the same thing for the price of 5 feet (or less) of vacuum hose. This brings me to the next and easiest option, that still gives you a way to have 2-lo and less rolling resistance.
All you need to do with the vacuum actuator is run a vacuum line to it from your intake manifold, and figure out which port does what on the actuator itself. One port will shift the fork out, while the other will shift it in. Basically, its the same as locking the hubs, but you are moving a hose from one port to the other. I used this on my disco axle for a long time before i replaced the entire axle due to a bent pass. side tube. What people don't usually understand is that the vacuum actuator is a very strong device that will lock the axle the moment the splines line up, there is no guess work, no fiddling with a cable pull, nothing. Simply apply vacuum to the "lock" port whenever you want, and the rest becomes up to your T case. You will need a plug/cap to place on which ever port is being unused at the moment. With this method, there are no extra seals to buy, no shafts to swap, just route the vacuum line, zip tie it where it can still move with the axle, plumb it onto an existing port on your manifold/ use a t fitting with any other vacuum line, then go from there. If you really want to make a shift on the fly kinda thing you can buy a vacuum switch and hook it all up to make it so you have a switch on your dash/wherever for it. And the last thing i feel like you should know about this is that from time to time, it has been seen that the aluminum shift forks on the actuator can break, so its always a good idea to hit a junkyard and grab a trail spare or two, they are cheap, small, and easy to through in the back of your jeep so you are never left without.
So by all means, swap that axle, keep your T case, and just figure out what method you want to use to either take advantage of what you have or remove it completely.
Your first option, like Joe said, is to just swap out the one piece shaft from the axle you are removing. If you can do a complete axle swap, you can swap out a shaft. The only thing with this option you will need to address are the different axle seals the two shafts require. On the disco axle it depends on gear oil from the diff to lube the locking collar and its splines, there by requiring a seal on the outermost shaft, which is much larger than the shaft you would be replacing it with. So you have a couple option there, and the easiest is just to purchase some of the after market D30 seals that sell for about $30 a piece and go on the tube just behind the joint. OR you could measure the outer diameter of the place the original seal sits and the inner diameter(that of the shaft) and find a seal that will fit the measurements, and then on top of that, you'd want to polish up the part of the shaft that will be in contact with the seal to avoid tearing it up the moment you start driving with it. You can leave the entire vacuum assembly on the axle, the fork will clear the new, smaller shaft no problem, and you won't have to worry about a delete plate of any kind.
Your second option is to just lock that collar in place where it engages both shafts. The JP article that Joe linked to gives some very good options for that. Though, i am sure you could come up with other options than they present.
A third option, is that posi-lok thing, dont even think about it, its worthless, and you can accomplish the same thing for the price of 5 feet (or less) of vacuum hose. This brings me to the next and easiest option, that still gives you a way to have 2-lo and less rolling resistance.
All you need to do with the vacuum actuator is run a vacuum line to it from your intake manifold, and figure out which port does what on the actuator itself. One port will shift the fork out, while the other will shift it in. Basically, its the same as locking the hubs, but you are moving a hose from one port to the other. I used this on my disco axle for a long time before i replaced the entire axle due to a bent pass. side tube. What people don't usually understand is that the vacuum actuator is a very strong device that will lock the axle the moment the splines line up, there is no guess work, no fiddling with a cable pull, nothing. Simply apply vacuum to the "lock" port whenever you want, and the rest becomes up to your T case. You will need a plug/cap to place on which ever port is being unused at the moment. With this method, there are no extra seals to buy, no shafts to swap, just route the vacuum line, zip tie it where it can still move with the axle, plumb it onto an existing port on your manifold/ use a t fitting with any other vacuum line, then go from there. If you really want to make a shift on the fly kinda thing you can buy a vacuum switch and hook it all up to make it so you have a switch on your dash/wherever for it. And the last thing i feel like you should know about this is that from time to time, it has been seen that the aluminum shift forks on the actuator can break, so its always a good idea to hit a junkyard and grab a trail spare or two, they are cheap, small, and easy to through in the back of your jeep so you are never left without.
So by all means, swap that axle, keep your T case, and just figure out what method you want to use to either take advantage of what you have or remove it completely.
Locking the fork over makes it no different than every D30 that ever came with a full time Jeep, or every XJ made after about 1993. It will not hurt on road handling, and the loss of fuel mileage is debatable.
If it were mine I would shim the mode fork over and just lock the axle shafts together and leave it, that is until the small u joints in the axle die.
With 4.88s you'll be putting serious torque through the axle shafts, early disconnect axles had smaller 260 joints, later D30s and all of the early ones with ABS had 297 series joints.
In the long term you would be better to find some later model 297 shafts, and use them in your early housing. You'll need a different seal and a block off plate.
Last I knew Rusty's had a complete kit to do it, or you can search here and get the P/N for the seal and make a block off plate from an old license plate or something. It's been done plenty of times by early XJ owners wanted stronger axleshafts.
