Wanted: idiot's guide to rebuilding axles

Not sure if this quite qualifies as mod tech, but I am planning on making some additions and changes in the process, so...

I'm looking for a dirt-simple guide to tearing down and rebuilding an axle. It'd need to cover regearing as well as locker installation in addition to typical maintenance such as replacing bearings and seals. Never done this before, so something akin to the picture menu at McDonald's would be good. Run across a lot of stuff describing the process, but not actually documenting it.

FWIW, I'm planning on doing this on an HP D30 and XJ D44, if that helps in narrowing down the choices.

need that too

I started and never finished this -
http://www.opiebennett.com/rearaxle.htm

here is a pretty good overall synopsis of an 8.8 - complete from junkyard to in the rig...
http://www.jedi.com/obiwan/jeep/ford88.html

casm said:

Not sure if this quite qualifies as mod tech, but I am planning on making some additions and changes in the process, so...

I'm looking for a dirt-simple guide to tearing down and rebuilding an axle. It'd need to cover regearing as well as locker installation in addition to typical maintenance such as replacing bearings and seals. Never done this before, so something akin to the picture menu at McDonald's would be good. Run across a lot of stuff describing the process, but not actually documenting it.

FWIW, I'm planning on doing this on an HP D30 and XJ D44, if that helps in narrowing down the choices.

Click to expand...

Funny how this works. I too have a set of XJ non disconnect HP D30 front and D44 rear in the back yard that I want to rebuild. I have never built up axles before, but I am not stupid. I can do it with the proper guidance I have already taken the two axles down to tubes and diffs, nothing else on them. Now it is time to put on new ball joints bearings/seals, lockers with gears (456's), super 30 in front and super 44 in the rear, rear ZJ disks, Xover high mount steering system and new control arm bushings and wheel bearings. By the time they get bolted on the XJ, they will be practically brand new.

thanks for the help

Start here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/articles/tech/billavista/Gear_Setup

As for the rest of it it's not hard to figure out. The locker stuff goes with the gear so no worries there. Seals are all done at the time of gearing so again no worries. That pretty much leaves the bushings and axle shafts.

GSequoia said:

Start here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/articles/tech/billavista/Gear_Setup

As for the rest of it it's not hard to figure out. The locker stuff goes with the gear so no worries there. Seals are all done at the time of gearing so again no worries. That pretty much leaves the bushings and axle shafts.

Click to expand...

Nice, thank you.

thats a pretty darn good write-up I'm bookmarking this one

Thanks for the pointers, folks. I've got some decent food for thought from them, so here's hoping I won't completely F*** up my axles

Wow, that was just a 2 hour long information dump...my head hurts...

Definately going into the information stockpile for when I hit the lottery!