Question about WJ swap

Devilfrog · May 24, 2012

So I'm amassing the parts to do the front. And due to other issues I'm going to rolling on my wife's 08 JK Sahara wheels for a while (WHOAH BLING BOOIII!). But it'll at least give an idea on how 32's will work while I do the shake down runs ... And get me to work.
So that got me to thinking .... Can I convert to the JK bolt pattern when I swap the WJ knuckles on? The WJ hub should work in the front right?
Then I just have to sort out the rear ... Hoping the rear brakes will swap for disc's and I would just need to deal with the axleshaft differences.
Am I thinking clearly here?
I have to buy new 16" wheels anyway ... And I can convert my trailer and have one bolt pattern in my driveway.
Can it really be that simple?
Will the XJ shaft fit the WJ hub?
If so the front swap should actually be way easier. The rear will be an issue for the previously sated issue ... As long as the backplates will bolt to the C8.25 (what was the stock WJ rear axle?)

Devilfrog · May 25, 2012

And just to clarify ... The JK 18" wheel thing is a temporary solution, I'll be using a set of adapters for now ... And that's what started this line of thinking. Just needed wheels to get me to work.
Like I said, I have to buy new wheels (16") either way, bolt pattern is not something I'm particular about. 5on5, or 5on4.5 is all fine to me. I do plan to do the ZJ rear disc as well so I was just thinking it might have been simpler to just change to the newer bolt pattern as it happens.

XJRocket · May 28, 2012

Doing the same here. I got a lead on a mopar part number for a WJ stub axle that has a ujoint from overseas. That way there would be no spacer needed, and the wj hub and everything could be used. As far as bolt patterns go, the WJ and the JK are the same pattern already.

Voteban · May 29, 2012

Pretty sure WJs came with an 8.25 or a D44, right?

VAhasnoWAVES · May 29, 2012

D35 or D44a

Voteban · May 29, 2012

VAhasnoWAVES said:
D35 or D44a

I stand corrected, what's the newer jeep that comes with an 8.25 / discs? KJ / Liberty?

VAhasnoWAVES · May 29, 2012

libby i can say for sure.

cant speak for patriot or commander.

JK is all dana i believe.

Devilfrog · May 29, 2012

Yeah, JK are D44 front and rear ... at least my Wife's 4dr Sahara is.

Customizer1000 · May 29, 2012

Not all are, all jk have a 44 rear, most have a 30 front, all rubis have 44 f/r

clean4drxj · May 30, 2012

JK 30/44> XJ TJ 30/44

Vanimal · May 30, 2012

how is a jk 44 better than a xj 44? other than it being wider, which not everyone is going to agree is better.

alex22 · May 30, 2012

Devilfrog said:
Will the XJ shaft fit the WJ hub?

I was thinking the same, but after lots of searching I saw a post on here that said the XJ shaft will go into the WJ bearing, but there is not enough room to get the washer under the axle nut. He said that the WJ outer shafts are longer.

Does anybody have a WJ shaft around that they could measure for a definite answer?

~Alex

XJRocket · May 30, 2012

alex22 said:
I was thinking the same, but after lots of searching I saw a post on here that said the XJ shaft will go into the WJ bearing, but there is not enough room to get the washer under the axle nut. He said that the WJ outer shafts are longer.

Does anybody have a WJ shaft around that they could measure for a definite answer?

~Alex

I know the xj shaft is shorter. No one in this country will be able to measure, as all xjs in this country had CVs. The export rigs had ujoint shafts. That is the art number I got.

Mopar PN 5012503AA

http://www.jeep4x4center.com/outer-shaft-5012503aa.html

Vanimal · May 30, 2012

XJRocket said:
I know the xj shaft is shorter. No one in this country will be able to measure, as all xjs in this country had CVs. The export rigs had ujoint shafts. That is the art number I got.

Mopar PN 5012503AA

http://www.jeep4x4center.com/outer-shaft-5012503aa.html

uhhh mine had stock u joints as do A LOT of other ones i've seen.

XJRocket · May 30, 2012

Vanimal said:
uhhh mine had stock u joints as do A LOT of other ones i've seen.

Huh. That is bizarre. I heard rumors that some 99s may of had them but never confirmed that. What year was yours?

Vanimal · May 30, 2012

91.
i've had 3 axles with u joints here at some point, all stock shafts.
i've never actually seen a cv joint in an xj, they've all been u joints.

VAhasnoWAVES · May 30, 2012

Vanimal said:
how is a jk 44 better than a xj 44? other than it being wider, which not everyone is going to agree is better.

bigger ring gear... isnt the carrier 32 spline as well?

and its a wrangler axle... so every part you could ever want is already been thought of, made, and sitting on the showroom floor of every offroad shop...

SurfRodder · Aug 15, 2012

XJRocket said:
I know the xj shaft is shorter. No one in this country will be able to measure, as all WJs in this country had CVs. The export rigs had ujoint shafts. That is the art number I got.

Mopar PN 5012503AA

http://www.jeep4x4center.com/outer-shaft-5012503aa.html

fixed...

garr · Aug 15, 2012

You could have the rear shafts drilled for the new bolt pattern; also many aftermarket shafts come drilled for both patterns (Check with Yukon or whoever you purchase the shafts from to be certain).

I hope the overseas WJ front U Joint shafts work, for XJ owners who want to retain a stock bolt pattern it is easy to drill the WJ unit bearings to work with stock XJ wheels,
The WJ Unit bearings are huge compared to XJ units, providing a nice upgrade
Not needing to weld spacers on to the WJ hubs is a big plus for the average guy.

yossarian19 · Dec 31, 2013

Resurrection, but...
I think the JK 27 spline stub shaft will work. It's 0.19" longer. I haven't gotten my hands on all of this to verify, but the JK stub looks to me like the winner for going 5x5 on Dana 30 knuckles.

Question about WJ swap

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