Do all 87's have...

Do all 87's have a rear Dana 44? i have a line on one but im trying to get the guy to take a picture of the rear axle to send me before i make a 2 hour trip to try and get it. he sayis it has a tow hitch but i do not know if its factory or what, so hopefully he sends me pics.

Also what tools do i need to remove a rear dana 44? and how heavy is it? Do i need someone with me?

my 87 had a 35 now it has an 8.8 and it came with a factory tow

Good luck! I have wrangled just about everyone on CL that post a 87-90 to take photos of the rear axle. Non have had the D44 and I do this weekly....

I would take a Sawz-All and just cut the U-bolts and brake lines/cable. Yea you will need someone to help you get it in the truck if you are aren't Lou Ferrigno.

Nova Wake said:

Do all 87's have a rear Dana 44? i have a line on one but im trying to get the guy to take a picture of the rear axle to send me before i make a 2 hour trip to try and get it. he sayis it has a tow hitch but i do not know if its factory or what, so hopefully he sends me pics.

Also what tools do i need to remove a rear dana 44? and how heavy is it? Do i need someone with me?

Click to expand...

If the vehicle has the factory tow package it probably will have a D44.
Yucca-mans article should help you.
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/gear1.html
Tools: basic sockets, breaker bar, PB blast, and allens or 3/8" ish socket for the drive shaft.
As for weight it's going to be fricken heavy. 2 people can lift it I'm sure I lifted my rockwells with 3.

Coastie said:

Good luck! I have wrangled just about everyone on CL that post a 87-90 to take photos of the rear axle. Non have had the D44 and I do this weekly....

I would take a Sawz-All and just cut the U-bolts and brake lines/cable. Yea you will need someone to help you get it in the truck if you are aren't Lou Ferrigno.

Click to expand...

Likewise. Be careful with the U-bolts though - those things go off like a gun when they finally snap, they are under a LOT of tension. I took an angle grinder to mine without incident, just keep yourself out of the line of fire and you'll be fine, though startled. Expect to be cutting on each side of the axle tube or just chop the nuts off above the spring plate.

You'll need an 8mm wrench to get the U-joint straps off, though you probably know that already... deep well sockets work great, cheap chinese box wrenches do not.

Most 87-89's do not have a D44. Many will have tow hitches which may be factory installed, dealer installed, or owner installed, it is hard to tell who did the install. The only way to be sure it's a D44 is to look.



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MpSlayer said:

If the vehicle has the factory tow package it probably will have a D44.
Yucca-mans article should help you.
http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/gear1.html
Tools: basic sockets, breaker bar, PB blast, and allens or 3/8" ish socket for the drive shaft.
As for weight it's going to be fricken heavy. 2 people can lift it I'm sure I lifted my rockwells with 3.

Click to expand...

5/16 works just fine for the small drive shaft bolts =]

I'm pretty sure they're actually 8mm. I pulled a driveshaft this morning at the junkyard and 8mm sockets fit perfectly. This is good, because the bolts at the CV joint end don't get covered in grease/diff lube so much and were dry and @!#%@#%ing tight, they are very easy to round off.

yeah x2 on the 8mm socket size. 5/16 is close, but when those things are on tight you're going to want a nice 8mm deep socket.

I said ish the last one I pulled was allen on my 96. Its been a few years since I pulled the 87's

quick update on the 8mm vs 5/16 for small driveshaft bolts... they are indeed 5/16, I was wrong. You want a good 6pt 5/16 socket for them, they will come off very easily that way. For everything except the CV joint end on the front driveshaft a deep socket works better because it gets you further back from the yoke ears for better clearance, but the oil spray shield on the CV joint end of the front DS will make you want a 5/16 wrench or preferably a good quality 5/16 ratchet wrench (like the Craftsman GearWrenches, that's what I used)

Not quite relevant to this thread, but useful to know - if your front DS is spinning and you need to get the CV shaft end bolts out, the easiest way to loosen the bolts is to put a wrench on the nuts facing toward the center of the TC crossmember, then spin the driveshaft with your hands until it's pressing on it, then really crank on it. It's way easier than trying to grab the DS with one hand and a tiny 5/16 wrench with the other hand, gives you a lot more leverage.