XJ rear D44 axle end play ?

Are they suppose to have any or some axle end play ? I'm finishing up a explorer rear disc brake swap on my d44 and have some weird axle end play. First, I got the teraflex spacers and using the stock xj d44 bearing plate. I have pressed on new bearings on the axles.

After assembling the axle, I have axle end play on the right side. I measured it to be .30" Then I measured the left axle end play.. this is where It got me stopping and wondering. I have play of .28", then rotating the axle end I have no play .000". For approximately 135 degrees, I have play, then it goes away for the rest of the 225 degrees. This does not change after turning the axle around several times.

I doubled checked my install. The teraflex spacer is in the middle and riding true on the seal. The shaft is pushed in all the way.

Am I good to go or what ?

You may want to check and make sure the bearing race is fully seated.

Describe this "end play". In and out on the axle shaft, or up and down ?

I have a stock XJ d44 on the garage floor and there is barely any play in the axle shaft bearings either way. .30 is 1/3 of an inch, do you mean .030" ? A sheet of paper is .004" 7-8 sheets up paper stacked up equals .030".

If you do have any play, it should be the same with the axle shaft in any orientation. If you have play and then no play, I would assume that the bearings or the bearing race are not pressed in/on squarely (90* to the centerline of the axle shaft) resulting in the wobble you are seeing.

Tim_MN said:

Describe this "end play". In and out on the axle shaft, or up and down ?

I have a stock XJ d44 on the garage floor and there is barely any play in the axle shaft bearings either way. .30 is 1/3 of an inch, do you mean .030" ? A sheet of paper is .004" 7-8 sheets up paper stacked up equals .030".

If you do have any play, it should be the same with the axle shaft in any orientation. If you have play and then no play, I would assume that the bearings or the bearing race are not pressed in/on squarely (90* to the centerline of the axle shaft) resulting in the wobble you are seeing.

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Yes, I meant .030" not .30"

Play is in and out only.

I pulled the axle and checked the bearing, and it is pressed all the way on to the step on the axle, and the retainer is all the way down ontop of the new bearing.

Could it be a bad bearing, bent axle or housing ? Should I run it or will it generate too much heat and fail ?

To me, .030" of in and out play of the axle shaft is not unusual. My old D35 and my Chry 8.25 have about that much play and they both make a solid clonk-clonk noise as the shaft moves in and out. The XJ D44 is tight with no in and out play.

Tim_MN said:

To me, .030" of in and out play of the axle shaft is not unusual. My old D35 and my Chry 8.25 have about that much play and they both make a solid clonk-clonk noise as the shaft moves in and out. The XJ D44 is tight with no in and out play.

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Hmm.. I am now thinking maybe there should not be play like I have on the right side. My teraflex spacer is actually sitting taller than the 8.8 disc brake bracket(I removed the e-brake backing plate). So, the bearing plate is tighting down the spacer on the seal - and the plate is deflecting. Could it be that the seal needs to go in more ?

I don’t know if this is your issues but there are two different thickness’s of seals for the 44. My 44 uses the thicker one. If the thinner one is used the axle will move in and out, Not Good!

kcjeep6 said:

I don’t know if this is your issues but there are two different thickness’s of seals for the 44. My 44 uses the thicker one. If the thinner one is used the axle will move in and out, Not Good!

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Thats odd.. I cant find anywhere that theres 2 different seals for my XJ d44.

Well, I still cant figure out my problem. The seal is pushing in all the way, and seems to be even too as well.

you need to get those teraflex spacers in there far enough to eliminate the play. if they are hung cuz the hole in the backing plate is too small of a diameter then you need to open it up. i had to open up from zj backing plates a ton. the semifloating 44 shouldnt have like any side to side play. the few c clip 35's and 8.25s ive messed with had a little. i had this same problem(i didnt have the teraflex, just nothing there) and ended up using tj mounting plates on the axle shafts and redrilled them