Replacing hp30 yoke

[xj5280]

So long story short...
Chasing down a highway speed vibe, and finally tracked it down to slip joint/spline contact blah blah blah.

Finally get my new custom shaft back :heart: and I am tightening down the last bolt to the yoke and it snaps just as I get it snug. Don't really want to screw around with trying to drill out or extract and just want to replace.

Now I have searched but wanted to run it by you guys to make sure you agree.
This on a hp30,4.88's, full case locker- less then 10k on parts

- mark nut and thread as it sits. I would use a small punch then mark with paint pen
- break nut free with impact, pull yoke, and inspect seal (not leaking so still tossing up replacement)
- install new yoke (snug up with dead blow hammer)
- torque nut back to the alignment marks. Start with a breaker bar til just next to the marks then tap it with the impact to get the final alignment.

First time doing this so please excuse my ignorance, and any suggestions or tips welcome.

:cheers:

 

[Fred]

I don't know if I did it right, but I replaced the yoke just by taking off the nut with an impact, and putting the new yoke on. No issues that I've seen, and that was a couple of years ago.

 

[xj-grin]

I think your procedure is right, but like Fred, I've done several just torquing it snug and never had any gear issues. I'd do it your way if I were you -- Fred and I may be mildly retarded.

 

[Fred]

Mildly??

 

[xj5280]

I think your procedure is right, but like Fred, I've done several just torquing it snug and never had any gear issues. I'd do it your way if I were you -- Fred and I may be mildly retarded.

Someone's gotta do the trail and error for the rest of us.

That's what I have been reading "just get it tight then another 1/4 turn". Then again that's what got me in this mess in the first place so I am a lil gun shy.

 

[eflores]

i zip mine down with the impact...not like youre gonna crush the shims lol
i mean dont go using a big boy 3/4 inch impact or a top fuel snapon gun but yano
grease the shit out of your seal too

 

[xj-grin]

See Fred, Pedro does it too - we must be retarded.

 

[Gunter]

the pivotal question should be is ---does your axle have crush sleeve or shims without crush sleeve? i have a disassembled hp d30 that was shims only. in that case just get it back to what it was and then a 1/4 to an 1/8th tighter and you should be good.
i did replace a lp d30 yoke and it did have a crush sleeve and i did the same thing. that was 5 years ago and it is still fine, and FYI on the seal.
d30's have a few variations of the pinion seal. the seal i took out and replaced was the same part number as the d44 front axle pinion seal. the other seals i got from Jeep dealerships (two different ones) were wrong and i finally hit up a dodge/jeep dealer and the parts monkey sorted this out for me. now i dont know for sure if the sealing was the same for each seal, but i wanted the same seal as i removed, i did not want to experiment and do this twice. if you skip the seal all of this doesnt yet matter. good luck.:music:

 

[DutchVDub]

you guys crack me up.

most Dana 30's use shims so now worries, just snug it down with the impact. Even if it does have a crush sleeve you're not likely to crush it down further. My SnapOn MG725 1/2" Impact is rated to over 800ft/lbs of working torque and it still takes everything its got to crush down a brand new crush sleeve when setting up axles.

Just zap it down with the impact and don't get crazy letting the thing hammer away at it.

 

[eflores]

what Dutch said and if I remember right only lp 30s have crush sleeves

 

[xj-grin]

Methinks that is correct on a xj forum, but I'm fairly sure my hp jk uses a crush sleeve... I just torqued it down too when I replaced the seal though. No issues.

 

[Fred]

I just roll up my sleeves when needed.

 

[xj-grin]

Very utilitarian of you.

 

[xj5280]

That has been unanimous across what I have read, tighten her up and your good to go. Thanks for the replies.

 

[xj5280]

Just order the Yukon yoke. Keep telling my self "hey it's cheaper then spending the weekend on my back drilling out a hardened bolt, most likely to end up snapping an easy out and having to buy it anyways." So I'm ahead of the bell curve... that is if I am done chasing the vibe.

Just Empty Every Pocket for the eXtra enJoyment

 

[adrenalinepirate]

Did you think about taking the yoke off then drillling afterwards on a work bench, to have a spare?

 

[xj5280]

Yea, have some spicer u joint-u straps coming also. Never hurts just throwing under the back seat just in case something did end up happening.

 

[Gunter]

what Dutch said and if I remember right only lp 30s have crush sleeves

i did not know there was a difference with sleeve vs shims. i did suspect this tho was unsure.

 

[DutchVDub]

The difference is that a crush sleeve gets crushed to set the pinion bearing pre-load and can't be un-crushed if you went too far. The shims don't get crushed, and you can swap them around with different thicknesses to set the pre-load. Personally I actually prefer the crush sleeve because as long as you pay attention to can install everything 1 time and be done.

 

[kastein]

The proper procedure is to pull the old one off, CLEAN THE PINION THREADS WITH A WIRE BRUSH AND BRAKLEEN, slide the new one on (no need to tap it down really, it'll snug itself up) then use a brand new pinion nut and tighten to spec. New pinion nuts are like 53 cents on rockauto.

cleaning the threads is REALLY important. I have friends who have ruined a gearset because dirt got into the threads and galled them up/the nut went a little sideways/everything went to shit in a hurry.

That being said, I have usually gone with gudentight with a 20"+ breaker bar and not had any issues. I have 3.55s though so my give a damn is pretty low, the axle was free, if I blow this one up I will get another for like 50-100 bucks and it will come with a set of spare axleshafts in it. It takes maybe a minute and a half to use a torque wrench on it instead, if I had aftermarket upgraded gears I'd be using one just for my own sanity.

edit: this goes for high pinion shim-preloaded 30s only, the low pinion ones technically you are supposed to replace the crush sleeve and reset your pinion preload I believe. But I've never worked on one or looked in the FSM so take that with a grain of salt.

Oh, and put some lube on the sealing surface of the new yoke before installing it, and if using a new pinion seal, give its lip a little lube too. No sense screwing up the seal by jamming the two together dry, or letting it spin dry till it gets lube itself.