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Manually Disengaging Front Axle

uvaldetxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Uvalde, Texas
1987 XJ AW4 242 D30 D44 - Anyone ever tried/done disengaging a Dana 30 HP front axle? Right now the front driveshaft is disconnected, but I think the front axle is the culprit. The planetary gear on the T-case that goes to the front axle is loose, so to speak. I plan on swapping T-cases soon, 242 to 231. Would this alleviate the problem? I'm getting real bad clunks when i'm in any drive gear, reverse included. The Jeep will be in drive and it will clunk and clunk, then the front end seems to lock up. All it will do is rev it while it's locked up. It almost feels like the brakes are locking up all of a sudden. It sounds like metal tapping metal. I'm thinking the gears inside the diff are grinding or the front driveshaft was disconnected while it was in 4wd. Is it possible to disengage the axle? I have a spare 87 XJ on stand by in case I need to swap the front axle, but i'm saving that as my last resort.

++ The engine on this XJ sounds beautiful. It purrs even better than my daily driver.
 
So lessee here.

"The planetary gear on the T-case that goes to the front axle is loose, so to speak. "

Please explain further...

The front driveshaft is removed now, and the problem persists?

Is the front output flange (where the DS bolts up) on the t-case loose?

Can you wiggle the pinion yoke in/out or side/side?

Have you jacked the front axle up and spun the wheels to see if that's what is binding?

Pulled the diff cover off to look at the housing & gears?

By yanking the front driveshaft, you have disengaged the axle from the XJ but not from the road... the hubs are still spinning the front ax shafts...
 
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