kayakbrian
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Oregon
Recently decided to open the wallet and pay for a 3.5" lift, 4:10 gears and lockers on both axles of my 99XJ. Today I got a call from the shop doing the work that I should come in so we could "talk". * I get there and the first thing I see is the front diff open on a lift with destroyed brand new Eaton E-locker inside. *Deep strike marks all the way around the circumference of the locker where the pinion had been driven into it. *So yeah, not good. *Obviously they are going to redo the whole thing at their expense, but what worries me is that the explanation for the failure doesn't make sense to me so I thought I would run the scenario by y'all to see if you have any ideas about what happened?
Background: *I brought the jeep in with a dana 30 front axle, a 1" transfer case drop, and new a stock height crossmember they were supposed to replace but didn't for reasons nobody can explain to me. *It had a cheap a 2" rusty lift and adjustable LCA's from a previous owner. *Wasn't planning on replacing the uppers because I thought I didn't need to.
So, I get there today and they tell me that because the transfer case was dropped, and the lift pulled the front axle back, there wasn't enough room for the stock drive shaft which they said they struggled to install and then when the put it on the ground and test drove it, the flex of the suspension drove the front drive shaft and the pinion into the locker and ring gear. *Setting aside the fact that they just said they installed a fully compressed front drive shaft (I'm a bolt on monkey and even I wouldn't do that) does this explanation make any sense?
I've called the most respected custom jeep shop in our area and they told me there is no way that would happen with a 3.5" lift and a 1" t-case drop. * Also, even if they did install a fully compressed front drive shaft when they set it on the floor wouldn't the LCAs extend the driveshaft?, not shorten it? *Could they have just not fully seated the input yoke? *But if that was the case, there would have been no preload on the pinion bearing right? *I can't image even the worst gear guy not checking pinion preload. *I'm trying to figure out how this happened so it doesn't happen again when they finish the 2nd rebuild. * Any ideas what could have happened here? *Should I trust these guys to do another gear job? *They already did the back axle so I feel like I'm stuck with that install.
Background: *I brought the jeep in with a dana 30 front axle, a 1" transfer case drop, and new a stock height crossmember they were supposed to replace but didn't for reasons nobody can explain to me. *It had a cheap a 2" rusty lift and adjustable LCA's from a previous owner. *Wasn't planning on replacing the uppers because I thought I didn't need to.
So, I get there today and they tell me that because the transfer case was dropped, and the lift pulled the front axle back, there wasn't enough room for the stock drive shaft which they said they struggled to install and then when the put it on the ground and test drove it, the flex of the suspension drove the front drive shaft and the pinion into the locker and ring gear. *Setting aside the fact that they just said they installed a fully compressed front drive shaft (I'm a bolt on monkey and even I wouldn't do that) does this explanation make any sense?
I've called the most respected custom jeep shop in our area and they told me there is no way that would happen with a 3.5" lift and a 1" t-case drop. * Also, even if they did install a fully compressed front drive shaft when they set it on the floor wouldn't the LCAs extend the driveshaft?, not shorten it? *Could they have just not fully seated the input yoke? *But if that was the case, there would have been no preload on the pinion bearing right? *I can't image even the worst gear guy not checking pinion preload. *I'm trying to figure out how this happened so it doesn't happen again when they finish the 2nd rebuild. * Any ideas what could have happened here? *Should I trust these guys to do another gear job? *They already did the back axle so I feel like I'm stuck with that install.