D30 297X Joints...What years & options

What years of cherokees or tj's have the high pinion and the 297X joints? Earlier years with ABS came with 297 joints, but I don't know which years. Mine doesn't have ABS. Is there anything on an ABS axle that is incompatible with a non-ABS Jeep? Or can I remove whatever extra stuff it comes with? TIA.

This would help me too. Spent too long on my tiny ujoints, need to be as strong as possible as cheap as possible. Been running 36's on small factory ujoints, broke 3 in three years, finally noticed some significant wear in the current junk yard replacements and replaced them with the strongest oem size ones I could find. Am on the look out for stronger axles/joints.

TJ's are LP w/297's,YJ's are also LP!

editted;my bad!

My brother has a 2000 TJ that came with an LP30 axle unless I looked at it wrong. The two look pretty similar, but I'm pretty sure it was LP.

Here's the response I got on pirate:

XJ were HP until 00, when they switched to the TJ 30. But like everything DC does, there are probably a few 00's with HP's and 99's with LP's.

297's were used globally in TJ's and XJ's after 95 and prior to 95 all ABS XJ's alledgedly had 297's.

ABS is no big deal, all it is is a tone ring on the axle shaft that doesn't interfere with anything and probably a bracket somewhere to hold the ABS sensor. I have ABS ZJ shafts in my non-ABS XJ with the tone rings still attached - they fit just fine.

Are 297x joints available for disconnect 30s, or do I need to go to non-disco to get them? Thanks.

Phil Weeks said:

Are 297x joints available for disconnect 30s, or do I need to go to non-disco to get them? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Yes.

Ask for the passenger side (LHD) outer axle shaft and stub for a 1995 YJ, with 297X u-joints.

The drivers side axles and stubs (disconnect or non-disconnect) are all the same, so any 96 or later axle shaft and stub should have the 297X u-joint.

Drivetrain Direct (as with most Dana-Spicer axle suppliers) have the cross reference handy and will get you what your want.

thanks Ed. Would I need to get spare hub bearings also, or can those swap between the old and new?

I'm pretty sure they're interchangeable.

Phil Weeks said:

thanks Ed. Would I need to get spare hub bearings also, or can those swap between the old and new?

Click to expand...

The shafts & stubs are all the same length, and swap to both knuckle/hub/rotor configurations (and possibly three, if the TJ & 00-up XJ style low pinion D30 knuckle is truly different) .

It's always a good idea to have spares, of the same set as on your XJ.

Disconnects okay?

First, let me just say wow! -- Ed Stevens. It was good to see your name. I was on the old XJ-List in '97-'99 and you were burning up the board then too.

Now for my question:
I'm in the hunt for an HP D30 w/out disconnect and with the bigger u-joints too. They've been really hard to find and pretty expensive when I do.

I'm now thinking about converting my disconnect d30 to that Superior offering with the special ARB.

Am I wasting money converting a disconnect D30?

-Kevin
'89 XJ
San Jose, CA

Am I wasting money converting a disconnect D30?

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The rev dana 30 isn't a bad axle, but does have its limits as does the dana 44. The newest dana 30 offering is being able to install dana 44 (30 spline axles/597 u-joints) into your dana 30 with an ARB locker. The 96' and up tj, xj had 297 (dana 44 sized u-joints). I have seen lots of dana 44's front axles on ebay that are available from the factory for use in the Jeep Wrangler Rubicons. I have seen bare and fully loaded axles out there. These should be almost a complete bolt in to an xj because xj's and tj's are so similar up front. Then you can run a dana 44 from an 87' xj in the back or get a 95'-00' ford 8.8 and have a great off-roader. Just a thought. I was going to install a early Bronco (66'-77') dana 44 front/ford 9" rear into my xj, but don't have the cash to build and modify them. I have a ford 8.8 in my 94' yj with 10" lift and 4.88 gears and love it. The ford 8.8 is also very easy to get because there are millions of explorers out there.

One more thing to consider about the 8.8's:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=187609

Re: Disconnects okay?

SARgroundpounder said:

First, let me just say wow! -- Ed Stevens. It was good to see your name. I was on the old XJ-List in '97-'99 and you were burning up the board then too.


Hey I was on the XJ-List a around that time too. I was on as red_baron and I had this hunk-o-junk:

http://www.mike-g.net/jeep/merlot/~index.html

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Damn I forgot all about that.....

I knew there was another reason I did not want an 8.8 besides the c-clips. I remember the Ranger guys having this problem when I had my Ranger. It is fairly common actually, the tubes spinning in the housing.

So what are you running?

I welded the tubes to the diff, should solve that issue.

Re: Disconnects okay?

SARgroundpounder said:

Now for my question:
I'm in the hunt for an HP D30 w/out disconnect and with the bigger u-joints too. They've been really hard to find and pretty expensive when I do.

I'm now thinking about converting my disconnect d30 to that Superior offering with the special ARB.

Am I wasting money converting a disconnect D30?

-Kevin
'89 XJ
San Jose, CA

Click to expand...

I have what you need forsale!

one piece shafts to eliminate teh shift motor on your 89, I also have the special axle seal that goes in your shift motor chamber.

Costs me $320 new from drivetrain direct, with the 297X ujoints.

ill sell you those shafts, with low mile u-joints, and spare hubs

for $175 OBO.

let me know.

Im also selling the d35 non-clipped shaft for $50

Id run 35s on that front axle with these shafts, depending on transfercase and axle gearing it should hold up fine.

HTH

Re: Disconnects okay?

SARgroundpounder said:

First, let me just say wow! -- Ed Stevens. It was good to see your name. I was on the old XJ-List in '97-'99 and you were burning up the board then too.

Now for my question:
I'm in the hunt for an HP D30 w/out disconnect and with the bigger u-joints too. They've been really hard to find and pretty expensive when I do.

I'm now thinking about converting my disconnect d30 to that Superior offering with the special ARB.

Am I wasting money converting a disconnect D30?

-Kevin
'89 XJ
San Jose, CA

Click to expand...

Good to see old names, too.

Any 96 to 99 XJ D30 should be hi-pinion, non-disconnect, with the larger u-joints.

The Superior and Warn axles and stubs are worth the expense, if you run hard trails and 33's or taller tires. The addition of heavy duty bushing style u-joints make these axles very reliable with 35's (unless you are bent on distruction).

The stock Spicer axles seem to be fine for most people with 33's, as long as the larger factory 297X u-joints are retained with full circle 1 1/8-inch snap rings (requires minor cutting or grinding of the axle yoke ears). I read very few reports of u-joint failures, and resulting axle failures, after modifying the cap retention with snap rings (this is the preferred method with the Superior and Warn axle shafts).

I am also surprised how many XJ owners report good axle shaft reliability running 33's with the smaller 260X u-joints, after doing the same retention exercise with 1-inch snap rings (successful enough to motivate me snap ring my spare 260X axles and stubs).

I would not consider converting a disconnect housing a waste, unless you plan an upgrade in the near future, or find a great deal on a later axle. The disconnect passenger side UCA mount is cast, and stronger than the non-disconnect mount.

Be aware, if you do an axle swap, a later (91-02) axle will sport different knuckles and brakes (compared to the 84-90) so your spares will not fit (even as the axle shafts will).