Axle Swap Qs

Disclaimer: This may have a few questions about stuff other than an axle swap, so bear with me.

The 2000 4dr sport i just purchased for $1700 has some messed up stuff going on with the axles... BUT it came with a 4inch (I think) RE lift with LCA drop brackets, an air-comressor, and an acceptable stereo system.

Front:
The top of front tire on the drivers side leans in towards the car and the tire is worn out very unevenly. I want to swap in a D30 out of a 95ish 4cyl with a manual for 4.10 gearing... Is this a good choice? I'm going for low cost and an easy swap.

Rear:
The rear is a Chrysler 8.25 (I like this axle) and it makes a bunch of noise and will lock up and skip and bark my tires in tight turns and it makes horrible noises and there's a big thud coming from back there when I put the transmission into gear. I'd like to keep this axle, but swap in 4.10s... Were there still 4cyl's in 98+ with an 8.25 that will have 4.10s? Am I better of swapping in the whole axle or just swapping gears?

Other useful info:
I just bought a set of 5 32x11.5 R15 BFG A/Ts and 4 PCW wheels for $400. I love these wheels becuase the tires stick out about 1.5-2inches now. I can pick up complete axles from a local junk yard for $100 a pop, so an axle swap seems like a good choice.

Thanks for Looking. :rof:

First off your front tire leaning in sounds like ball joints are toast. You could swap in a whole D30 and save the cost of gear set up but a JY axle may need ball joints to. Not a bad idea anyways IMO.

Swap the rear and be done with it too.

Have you checked the rear - is there a lunchbox locker in there already that is causing the tires to chirp on tight turns?

the_weirdo said:

Have you checked the rear - is there a lunchbox locker in there already that is causing the tires to chirp on tight turns?

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x2 --^

also check the driveline angles in regards to the rear thump when going into gear (this happens on my dad's 98 which is in need of a SYE)

Dana 30 inner c's are easy to bend also. Its possible it could have been aired out and bent the axles. I would swap axles. I mean I did swap axles and that fixed it for me

It locks up and chirps unevenly and at weird times, unlike a lunchbox... It feels like the spiders are messed up.

It already has a hack n' tap SYE and a new driveshaft and the angle looks fine to me...

I don't want a low pinion axle so the front is being swapped out for an older one, I want to find a 95-97 with the 4cyl and a manual for 4.10 gearing... Does a 98+ with a 4cyl and manual have a 4.10 geared 8.25?

I may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure 8.25's didn't come with 4.10 gear ratio, again someone correct me if I'm wrong.

What you could do for the rear is find an 8.8 rear axle out of a Ford exploder they came from the factory with 4.10's, amongst other ratios, and you can also find one with factory disk brakes and a LSD, and not to mention 31 splines which is more than a Dana 44. It takes a bit of work to get them under a Cherokee such as new spring perches and shock mounts, but it's a very popular swap for cherokees and there's plenty of write-ups.

rweaver138 said:

I may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure 8.25's didn't come with 4.10 gear ratio, again someone correct me if I'm wrong.

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You're wrong!!!


Its already kinda hard to find a 27 spline 4.10's 8.25, it'll be even harder to find a 29 spline one. But they're out there.

foxwar71 said:

You're wrong!!!

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DAMN!! :bawl:

rweaver138 said:

DAMN!! :bawl:

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HAHA!!! :moon:

Here are some pictures taken with my old crappy camera...

My Jeep


Driver's Side


Normal Passenger Side


Messed Up Driver's Side


My Cool Sliders


Drive-Shaft Angle


SYE


My Air Compressor


Please excuse the crappy picture quality - my camera is old and it's raining off/on.

Enjoy! :laugh3:

Nice find. I'd be willing to bet there's a locker in the rear of some sort. Keep in mind that the locker only LOCKS when there is force applied to it. If you coast around a turn it should spin freely but if you stomp the gas while going around a corner it will lock and chirp the tires...

I understand how a ratchet locker works, but it only does it only locks up when I'm at full lock, and it just abruptly stops if I don't give it power through a sharp turn...

My guess is the spider gears are messed up... I'll post pics when I crack open the diff in the next few days. :thumbup:

Maybe I should proof-read more often... That post was full of horrible and incromprehensive grammar.

The 2.5 got rare in the years after the HO. I have seen one 97+ with a 2.5L so finding an 8.25 with .10 gears will be next to impossible. Anyone know if the 8.25 in the Liberty got 4.10's? The next easiest thing would be to just re-gear the rear. Then I'd say the next option is the Ford 8.8. I love that color, I recently spied a 2 door around town that looks like that. What is that color called? Patriot Blue?

I think you have a lunchbox locker in the rear. If the spiders were messed up enough to make the tires chirp they would be rapidly self destructing.

I don't drive it and I don't plan on driving it until I do something about the axles... they make scary noises

I need to buy some gear oil and then crack this baby open...

Ghost said:

What is that color called? Patriot Blue?

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I'm not sure about XJs, but this color on JKs is called 'Midnight Blue'

Thanks for all of the input :yap:

My vote is some sort of locker in the rear.
Stukboy

Sounds like a dry lsd or no friction modifier

This sucks... I'm 16 and I have to ask to use the garage and tools... Hopefully I can check it out before the weekend...

Maybe I can bribe my dad by helping him install his new Smittybuilt XRC flares on his JK. :confused1