ugh

well ive still got my axle noise (posted a week ago thinking it was the carrier bearing) will checked it and it wasnt. So we were going to replace my rear breaks while we were at it, so we took off the drum and there was diff fluid comeing out of the axle. So our assumption is that the bearing is bad in the axle, so we look in the hanes manuel and it said that we need to take it to the stealership to get them to replace the bearing, so my question is do we have to do that or can we do it ourselfs?

Nitro: You should be able to do most of it yourself. I have an 88 with D35 rear axle. Mine does not have the C-clips holding axle in, so I didn't have to pull the differential cover. I used a slide hammer, after taking out the nuts holding the outside cover on, and took the axle to the parts store to have a new bearing and seal pressed on. There is also an inner seal which should be replaced,"you should be able to see it in the axle tube after you remove axle". Not too hard of a job. Most parts houses should have a press to remove and install bearing and seal. You have to determine if yours use the c-clip or not. Also a Chiltons manual would be very useful if you have one handy. Factory service manual would be even better. Reinstalling it is simple. Don

Rear Axle Seals

If you have a c-clip Dana 35C, then replacing the seals is easy. You have to drain the dif, remove the bolt holding the cross-pin in the carrier, slide out the cross-pin. Don't let the side gears fall out. With wheels and brake drums off, push in slightly on the axles, then lift out the c-clips at the centre of the carrier. Now pull the axles out of the tubes. Pry out the old seals in the ends of the axle tubes, and gently seat new seals by tapping them in with a block of wood between them and the hammer. Use a good quality seal- the dealer ones look better than the cheap ones from the chain store (I've used both). Clean the axles before reinstalling, to protect the seals. Use a little bit of grease (wheel bearing grease works) on the bearing seal surface on the axles. If the seal surface is rough, polish it with very fine emery cloth. If it has a worn groove, then you need a double lip seal (to seal on a different piece of the axle) or a sleeve that fits over the groove (haven't used this) or new axles. Put it back together, clean out the dif, and refill (with synthetic gear oil if you want it to run a whole bunch cooler). I use RTV silicone sealant and no gasket on the dif cover- some prefer a gasket. Either works. Brakes: spray with brake cleaner to get all the gear oil out of the brake workings, put in new shoes if thay have any gear oil on them (not salvageable).

Rear Axle Shaft Removal

How-to, with pictures:
http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/d35-1.htm

Also, getting the lock bolt out of the carrier cross-pin takes a combination wrench (box end), there isn't room for a socket....at least not room for my socket!

thanks for all the advice
how do i tell if i have a c-clip?

on the 89 there is an access hole in the rear axle shaft between the rear lug nut studs. all you need to do is stick a 9/16th socket through the hole and remove the 4 nuts inside and then yank the axle shaft out.

1990 on are c-clip Dana 35c (up to the switch to Chrysler 8.25 axles). 1989 down are non-c-clip, held together by the plate bolted to the end of the axle tube. There may be some weirdness about the switch-over date- possibly part way through 1989 or early 1990. My mid-1990 has the c-clip axle.

4xBob said:

1990 on are c-clip Dana 35c (up to the switch to Chrysler 8.25 axles). 1989 down are non-c-clip, held together by the plate bolted to the end of the axle tube. There may be some weirdness about the switch-over date- possibly part way through 1989 or early 1990. My mid-1990 has the c-clip axle.

Click to expand...

There never was a complete switchover to Chrysler 8.25; the D35 remained in use as the ABS axle until the end of XJ production.

'90 is supposed to be the changeover year to c-clips, but like all other good Cherokees there's probably some variance in exact start dates.