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Don't neet to remove diff cover - am I right?

BrokenSockets

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ayr, Ontario
96 country AW4 242

Am I right that I should be able to pop the front axle/unit bearing/rotor out all in one piece to change the u-joints? My crappy repair manual says I need to open the diff cover and remove a c-clip, and remove the hub nut. I read posts here saying that's not so.

Should I be able to remove the caliper, 3 13mm bolts, and use the short extension between the axle housing and yoke trick to just pop them out?

Don't want to take apart anything I don't need to.
 
No "c" clip in the D30 front axle.

Using a Haynes/Chilton--those aren't very good.

Good luck.
 
The only exception to that is the old disco d30's. On the pass side the axle is 2 piece and the inner axle had a c clip. But it wasn't on the driver side. Don't know why it was there 'cause you didn't really need it. When I put a popright in my old rigs' d30 I left it out when I assembled it.

But as far as changing the unit bearings, ujoints you don't need to remove the cover.

You will have to remove the hub nut . I would suggest that you do that before you pull the axles out unless you have a good vise. They are sometimes a pita to remove.

If all you're going to do is u joints you don't even need to remove the hub nut
 
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...part 2

Also, if the axles have never been pulled, they may give you a little grief getting the knuckle to let go of the unit bearings. Especially in the rust belt areas. Usually a few good shots with a hammer will pop them out.

Oh yeah, ANTI SIEZE IS YOUR FRIEND!! If you use liberal amounts of this during reassembly it will come apart much easier the next time you have to take it apart.
 
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Removing the 36mm hub nut is optional. I have replaced u-joints both ways. Leaving the hub installed makes the u-joint work slightly more awkward, but speeds up the job because you do less disassembly and reassembly.
 
...part 2

Also, if the axles have never been pulled, they may give you a little grief getting the knuckle to let go of the unit bearings. Especially in the rust belt areas. Usually a few good shots with a hammer will pop them out.

I took out the top and front bolts from the unit bearing, then backed the lower rear bolt out about 1/4". I then took a 6" extension and pinned it between the end of that bolt and a bit of the body so it's a straight shot. Then had my helper turn the steering wheel to squeeze the extension, and pop, done... even in the rust belt.

Oh yeah, ANTI SIEZE IS YOUR FRIEND!! If you use liberal amounts of this during reassembly it will come apart much easier the next time you have to take it apart.

Axle grease will do just fine, and is much cheaper than anti-sieze.
 
Axle grease will do just fine, and is much cheaper than anti-sieze.

Disagree, especially if you like driving in the rain/mud holes. Regular axle grease will wash away.

Use Anti-Seize.

If you MUST use grease, use Green Grease--it is sticky as heck and won't wash away as easily as standard grease.
 
If you're going to be doing this level of work, you should get a FSM


Joking, right? If you haven't done this stuff before, get your tools out and pull it apart and figure it out. This "level" of work is like level 1a. When you want to rebuild your tranny, then pickup that FSM. People lose out on so much learning by blindly following instructions, imho.
 
Disagree, especially if you like driving in the rain/mud holes. Regular axle grease will wash away.

Use Anti-Seize.

If you MUST use grease, use Green Grease--it is sticky as heck and won't wash away as easily as standard grease.


I use good-ole GAA, rain and mud has little effect on it.
 
x200 on using anti-seize.

Do not use regular old grease unless you plan on pulling apart once a month. Use the right stuff - anti-seize. Been there done that. Anti-seize works 1000 times better. That is my personal experience.
 
Joking, right? If you haven't done this stuff before, get your tools out and pull it apart and figure it out. This "level" of work is like level 1a. When you want to rebuild your tranny, then pickup that FSM. People lose out on so much learning by blindly following instructions, imho.

:huh:

A FSM is the best resource manual available. Just because someone uses one as a reference doesn't mean you are "blindly following instructions". And it may be "level 1a" for you and I but there are lots of people out there that can use the help a FSM provides them and they won't need to ask as many questions.
 
No troubles. (tip of the hat to Joe)

Pulled the whole thing as an assembly - it was not cumbersome at all, I was using a u-joint removal tool, so I didn't need to get it into a press. That tip with the 3/8" ratchet extension is pure gold.

Replaced the joints - they were a hardened black mass inside the caps.

SO - I was hoping the play in the diff yoke was due to the bad u-joints. I don't think I am that lucky. There is still some rotational play and it also has some jiggly lateral movement and a touch of in/out movement if I haul on it. When I spin the wheel the diff has a noise like a bad bearing.

What do you think I will find is needed when I open the cover tomorrow?
 
No chance to work on the XJ today, but I was wondering if there is any chance that trying to tighten the pinion nut a touch would do anything to help.

After shaking the yoke again, there really is no in/out movement, just some up & down, side to side and a bit of rotation (way less than before replacing the u-joints.) Turning the jacked up wheels gives a noise like a bad wheel bearing coming from the diff.
 
Since you already got the hub and whatnot out - the one tip I would give you is how to remove an axle nut. Easy Way #1 is to crack it loose before you jack the vehicle up, so you have the ground and the tire to hold the unit bearing still. Easy Way #2 is to put it in your largest spare tire (I use one of my old 32x12.50 BFGs for this) with a couple lugnuts on loosely, hold the tire upright, sit on the tire, and crank the hell out of it with a breaker bar. Both of these obviously only work with wheels with open hubs, stock steelies minus center caps and most steel aftermarket wheels work great.

I wouldn't tighten the pinion nut up till you know what's going on in there. Sounds like you have a shot outer pinion bearing, possibly a shot inner pinion bearing, and maybe worn carrier bearings. Won't know more till you take a look, hopefully the gears are in OK shape.
 
Also I think it's worth noting, when you reassemble, take care in feeding the axles into the axle tubes. If you damage the oil seal in this process, you'll be tearing the whole thing down again to replace the leaking axle seal(s).
 
Since you already got the hub and whatnot out - the one tip I would give you is how to remove an axle nut. Easy Way #1 is to crack it loose before you jack the vehicle up, so you have the ground and the tire to hold the unit bearing still. Easy Way #2 is to put it in your largest spare tire (I use one of my old 32x12.50 BFGs for this) with a couple lugnuts on loosely, hold the tire upright, sit on the tire, and crank the hell out of it with a breaker bar. Both of these obviously only work with wheels with open hubs, stock steelies minus center caps and most steel aftermarket wheels work great.

I wouldn't tighten the pinion nut up till you know what's going on in there. Sounds like you have a shot outer pinion bearing, possibly a shot inner pinion bearing, and maybe worn carrier bearings. Won't know more till you take a look, hopefully the gears are in OK shape.

I always seem to remember I need to crack loose the axle nut once the XJ is on stands and the wheel under my butt. I just have my helper (a VERY patient wife) mash the brake down while I hop on my 1/2" breaker bar on the nut. Torquing is the same in reverse... every once in a while I remember about that nut AFTER the brake is removed, then I get a quick lesson in remounting a caliper and rotor!
 
I've actually had decent luck removing hub nuts by inserting a 1/2" or 3/8" drive extension into the U-joint ears and turning the shaft till it's in contact with the knuckle or inner C, as well.

Why does everyone think that nut is so terrible? Even in the rust belt I can crack em loose with one arm and a 20" breaker bar. Probably could not have when I started working on my jeep two years ago though, that I'll admit.
 
I've actually had decent luck removing hub nuts by inserting a 1/2" or 3/8" drive extension into the U-joint ears and turning the shaft till it's in contact with the knuckle or inner C, as well.

Why does everyone think that nut is so terrible? Even in the rust belt I can crack em loose with one arm and a 20" breaker bar. Probably could not have when I started working on my jeep two years ago though, that I'll admit.


Proper torque is 175ft/lb. I am guessing that most XJ owners weigh less than 175lbs, which makes cracking them loose a bit difficult. My 200lb rump has NO problem though :(
 
Yeah, I am around 200 but I'm 6'4" so I have an excuse... I'd blow away otherwise.

I don't stand on the breaker bar, just put one hand on the tire and the other on the breaker bar and yank and they come undone. They really are not that bad, especially after they break free. Another easy way is to put the breaker bar parallel to the ground and lift up on it.
 
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