• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Axle ??'s

TA2Jeep

TA2Jeep

NAXJA Forum User
Location
661 - $o*Cal
So, found out through the alignment shop that an axle tube on my '99 Dana 30 is bent. A 1.5 degree upper ball joint will fix the issue, but would it be better to just go that route or replace the whole thing?

If I decide to look at replacing the housing / entire axle, what years would fit? Does ABS come into consideration at all? For my '99 I know that we have the 2 choices on brake rotors to choose from - does that come into play at all with having to look for a very specific axle housing?


Thanks!
 
I would find a replacement to swap in. You can do the ball joint if you want. But why partially Fox something that is broken. Ultimately d30 from any xj, tj, lj fits. Where the can be issues is what will swap from yours. Rotors and unit bearings have to match. If you can find one with abs that is complete then it will have the larger joints in the axle shafts.
Renix/cad axles have different knuckles. But you can swap those if necessary.
I would avoid an lp axle as well
 
What is your budget ? Which fix is cheaper ? Which fix is less work ?

In needed, find an axle with the correct gear ratio. Swap over your existing unit hubs, brake rotors, axle shafts, and/or steering as needed or required.
 
Are you saying the Renix D-30, NON-ABS, axle always uses the smaller u-joints? Is that always the case? I need to order U-Joints for an 89 D-30 (non-abs), but I had yet to figure out which ones to order.

Johnnie Walker said:
I would find a replacement to swap in. You can do the ball joint if you want. But why partially Fox something that is broken. Ultimately d30 from any xj, tj, lj fits. Where the can be issues is what will swap from yours. Rotors and unit bearings have to match. If you can find one with abs that is complete then it will have the larger joints in the axle shafts.
Renix/cad axles have different knuckles. But you can swap those if necessary.
I would avoid an lp axle as well
Click to expand...
 
Dana 30
- 1989-95 with ABS have 5-297x u-joints.
- All 1995+ have 5-297x u-joints.
- All others have 5-260x u-joints

Measure your u-joints caps to confirm u-joint size.
 
OK - so if I understand correctly, any HP Dana 30 housing out of an XJ (or CJ / TJ too) will work for what I need. I'm just looking for a housing and was going to swap everything over. All the normal maintenance items (u joints, ball joints, unit bearings, rotors, etc) have all been recently replaced and my current axle actually has a fresh set of gears.

So throwing my shafts, gears, etc into an empty HP D30 housing from an XJ will work fine?
 
Tim_MN said:
Dana 30
- 1989-95 with ABS have 5-297x u-joints.
- All 1995+ have 5-297x u-joints.
- All others have 5-260x u-joints

Measure your u-joints caps to confirm u-joint size.
Click to expand...

LOL, I tried measuring mine while installed, so I could order them ahead of time from Rock auto. They were so rusted I got a measurement half way between the two sizes you listed, LMOA, that was a waste of time.:doh:

Are the Duralast U-joints pure junk, hit and miss junk, or are they OK for DDs but not for heavy duty off road use?
 
TA2Jeep said:
OK - so if I understand correctly, any HP Dana 30 housing out of an XJ (or CJ / TJ too) will work for what I need. I'm just looking for a housing and was going to swap everything over. All the normal maintenance items (u joints, ball joints, unit bearings, rotors, etc) have all been recently replaced and my current axle actually has a fresh set of gears.

So throwing my shafts, gears, etc into an empty HP D30 housing from an XJ will work fine?
Click to expand...

If you swap the gears to another housing you have to set the gears up again. Do you have the necessary skills and specialized tools for a gear install ?

You need a non-disco HP D30 housing from an XJ. CJ's and YJ's are leaf spring mounted and TJ/ZJ are low pinion.




Spicer u-joints are the best, the premium u-joints at NAPA can be used in a pinch, the rest are not worth bothering with. They are called dura-crap for reason.
 
check your inner c, it's probably bent and not the tube. you may be able to bend it back with some effort.
 
Tim_MN said:
Dana 30
- 1989-95 with ABS have 5-297x u-joints.
- All 1995+ have 5-297x u-joints.
- All others have 5-260x u-joints

Measure your u-joints caps to confirm u-joint size.
Click to expand...

Sorry to be a pest, but I have been shopping my usual haunts, and they are all very confusing, Rock Auto being the worst, too many choices, and autozone seems totally lost, and Advanced auto looks right but is not.

Can you make any sense out of XXXs of part numbers here, non of which seem to match 5-260x?

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1179929,parttype,2392

Looking presumably for 5-260x Dana 30 non-abs u-joints for the front axle.

And I am not crazy about the idea of spending $80 on a pair, for a part time back up stock DD:

http://www.quadratec.com/products/52302_101.htm
 
Measure caps to confirm size every time. No telling what some previous owner has swapped in.

Axleshaft ujoints are expensive - stick with Spicer only unless you have a very good reason not to. I installed a set of carquest ones last night (friend needed them NOW, could not wait for shipping) and they even felt cheesy, the seals were crap and they were not greasable. I think she'll be lucky to get even 20k miles out of them.
 
Measure the caps.

5-297x caps (ABS and 1995+) measure 1.186 or 1 - 3/16"

5-260x cap measure 1.063 or 1 - 1/16"

Cheap parts are cheap for reason.
 
Hey ecomike, have you considered grabbing some lower milage axle shafts ?. I got both front shafts for around 60$ with the 297 u joints. ran for years on my DD/crawler. Its an upgrade to a stronger shaft and now your 260 shafts are spares, and you dont have to change u joints
 
Had one hell of a hard time measuring those caps right, but ordered the spicer 5-260x u-joints, and we got one installed and one to go. Had a hard time getting the assy apart with the wheel bearing nut still on there, :nono:,
:laugh3: LOL, even the power steering and extension trick did not work, LMAO!!!! So we pulled the wheel nut off!

Thanks for the help people!!!

Also had a one hell of a time getting the old Spicers out (yes the bad U-joints were Spicer!!!) , and an even harder time getting the new ones in. Hard to grind a little spot or two and pull oon the ears a little to get the new ones in. I guess the rust, edge burrs and maybe prior hammering made the gap too tight on the ears, gap too small. Did finally get them in with out breaking anything :cheers:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Steering wheel stuck after sitting outside a few days
Replies
2
Views
1K
maxbraketorque
M
S
96 XJ rear axle ratio
Replies
3
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
W
Replacing & Availability - '92 Manual 5-speed
Replies
14
Views
3K
four_shot
four_shot
O
Routing ARB Air Lines to Rear Axle
Replies
10
Views
3K
XJlimitedx99
X
T
CavFab adjustable trackbar (UTA) + bracket
Replies
1
Views
205
RCP Phx
R
Back
Top