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Direct Front Axle Swap

PoSxJ

PoSxJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland, Or
I searched and didn't find much

My brakes went out today on my cherokee, sliced a brake line some how. So I took it to Les Scwab, happen to be right around the corner from where I ended up finally stopping. The brake lines aren't the only problem now. They told me that my front wheel bearing are gone, need to be replace. Which mean replacing the hub assembly aswell. I've been shopping around on pricing and most everywhere wanted 200 bucks a piece for the hub assembly. Which would come to $400 not including any tools I would need to get the job done. Les Schwab wanted $750 to do new lines and hub assembly.
SO my thinking was to find a new front end for $400 that would bolt right up and be some kind of up grade. So I'm looking for any help you guys can give me. Any ideas or suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks James
 
You could get one from a bone yard but make sure you inspect it , you could have the same or other problems with the bone yard one. You could probably get one for around $100 or so, but dont quote me on that. Make sure you get on with the same gear ratio or you will have more problems. You can also check out the for sale section here. Or you could put full width axles on it but that would involve a little more work and time. Good luck!
 
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Well I was hoping to put in an axles that if the wheel bearing do go out on I wont have to change the whole assembly like on the D30. I would rather not get another D30, cause I would eventually run into the same problem. I guess I well have to find a d44 or other axle that some one has already modified to fit a XJ. If anyone else has any suggestion, I'm open to anything.
 
bearing can be had from $89-130 each, you dont need any crazy tools to do it, i did one this weekend, took me an hour....do it yourself for under $300
 
A brake line is about 20 bucks, a hub assembly is maybe 100 at a yard. You'll need basic tools to get it done, but it's definately not worth $750 worth in repairs.
 
Make sure you actually NEED them before you do them. David Early used to do stuff like that all the time. I think it's the tire shops that do everything that tend to have mechanics that con customers or managers that need to get the shop making more money. Always get a second opinion.


You could do a Hub conversion....
 
passxj said:
Make sure you actually NEED them before you do them. David Early used to do stuff like that all the time. I think it's the tire shops that do everything that tend to have mechanics that con customers or managers that need to get the shop making more money. Always get a second opinion. QUOTE]

I agree. Hub conversions not worth it for the d30. I maybe able to find a friend to help me with the fabbing for new axles. I don't want to spend $300 for new wheel bearings when I've found a ton of axles that I could get a pair of for $300. They well just take some messing with to get them under my XJ.
Click to expand...
 
So you can't do hub bearings, but you can do an axle swap?
PoSxJ said:
passxj said:
Make sure you actually NEED them before you do them. David Early used to do stuff like that all the time. I think it's the tire shops that do everything that tend to have mechanics that con customers or managers that need to get the shop making more money. Always get a second opinion. QUOTE]

I agree. Hub conversions not worth it for the d30. I maybe able to find a friend to help me with the fabbing for new axles. I don't want to spend $300 for new wheel bearings when I've found a ton of axles that I could get a pair of for $300. They well just take some messing with to get them under my XJ.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
no upgrade is gonna bolt up for 400$ be best to just buy some new hubs to keep it on the road, but do it yourself. its very very easy.
 
I bought a pair of hubs at Advance Auto last november... IIRC approx $65 each.

You will need a 36mm 6-point socket, an E16 Torx socket, and a 13mm 12-point socket (for an 88 anyway, newer ones used hex allen vs torx?) Also need a torque wrench that lets ya pull like 180 ft lbs for the hub nuts

Too bad your not closer, I'd replace 2 hubs and brake lines for $750... shoot, I'd throw in new brake pads too :D
 
PoSxJ said:
Well I was hoping to put in an axles that if the wheel bearing do go out on I wont have to change the whole assembly like on the D30. I would rather not get another D30, cause I would eventually run into the same problem. I guess I well have to find a d44 or other axle that some one has already modified to fit a XJ. If anyone else has any suggestion, I'm open to anything.
Click to expand...
44 can't be done for anywhere near $400.
Think twice that on the cheap.
3-4 times that to do right.(If doing work yourself)
 
advance has a Dynapak wheel hub for $64.88. P/N WH513107
Probably not the best bearing, but it's probably better than anything you'll pull from a yard that's been sitting for who knows how long.
 
87manche said:
advance has a Dynapak wheel hub for $64.88. P/N WH513107
Probably not the best bearing, but it's probably better than anything you'll pull from a yard that's been sitting for who knows how long.
Click to expand...
That's just a hub.
How does he mount that on a D30 without a hub conversion kit?
Add about $600 to that price.
 
DO NOT have les schwab do this type of work.

first off, they have given you a WAY overblown estimate, as they always do.

i took my junk in to have the tires rotated and balanced, and have a stud replaced that was broken when i bought it. my first mistake was getting my tires there to begin with. the "service manager" came and got me 10 minutes later to show me why he felt my hub needed replacement. my right front brake rotor was slightly wallowed out at the stud holes, which was allowing it to move front to back less than 1/8", a movement he called a "shot hub". he told me that my vehicle was "unsafe for the road" and that i "was lucky he was gonna let me drive it out of there". when i showed him that it was the rotor moving on the brake studs, not the unit bearing of the hub exhibiting undue play, he basically called me a liar and told me to go back to the waiting room while he finished rotating and balancing my tires. when he came back, he reiterated how lucky i was to have such a nice service manager that was willing to let an obviously unsafe vehicle back on the road because i didn't want to pay them ~$500 to replace the hub assembly.

the first place i stopped on my way home was schucks, where i bought 2 new brake rotors and a stud to replace the broken one. upon arriving at my house, i took 20 minutes and installed all the aforementioned parts and saved myself approximately $440 and 4 hours of time.

screw les schwab forever.
 
if your lifted, just go pick up some yj lines for replacements. dont know how much but they're cheap, there wont be arguments on that. as for the hub, i also did one last weekend. at advanced auto parts i payed $79, the only other option being $130 something. so yeah, do it yourself in an evening for $200-300 and you dont need any special tools. i would suggest doing shaft u-joints while you have them out if there is any play at all.
 
kid4lyf said:
That's just a hub.
How does he mount that on a D30 without a hub conversion kit?
Add about $600 to that price.
Click to expand...
No, that's the whole assembly. I was just lazy and didn't type out the whole description.
Dynapak BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY



Part Number: WH513107
and no, I didn't capitalize that to be a dick, that's cut and paste
 
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Well the cheapest I could find in my area, (Autozone, Baxters, etc.) Quoted be all around $200 a piece. I have a '94 which you have to change the entire hub assembly, not just the bearing. (This is what I am being told, and not by just les schwab either) If I end up changing the hub assembly, which seems like the best option at this point, is there any good upgrades or things I should do while I'm at it.

a_hiatt said:
i would suggest doing shaft u-joints while you have them out if there is any play at all.
Click to expand...
 
87manche said:
No, that's the whole assembly. I was just lazy and didn't type out the whole description.
Dynapak BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY



Part Number: WH513107
and no, I didn't capitalize that to be a dick, that's cut and paste
Click to expand...
When you say "hub" I assume you mean a real hub, as in D44 style lockout hubs.
A D30 uses unit bearings, not hubs. For a D30 to use hubs, you first have to buy a hub conversion kit (about $600). It includes everything to change from a unit bearing setup to a hub style setup.
Is that part a unit bearing assy or an actual hub assy?
 
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if you decide to try and get an axle, check out www.car-parts.com I found an 8.8 rear axle from a 2000 explorer for $250, and it was local.
 
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