• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Bent Axle. What would you save?

N

nomoneysonny

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Kentucky
New to XJs, I just picked one up for $350. 95/5spd/4.0L/130k and a bent Dana30 front. I got it cheap because of the axle. PO slid into an intersection in the winter and took a light hit to the driver's side. Pics:

CIMG0010-1.jpg

CIMG00092.jpg





You can see how the upper knuckle is bent. I plan on replacing the entire axle assembly(another D30, eventually going to an 8.8rear, and 4.10s for the front, 3"RC lift and 31s) but I'm wondering what I should save off the old axle?
 
Save some bucks, get a D30 out of a 4-cylinder with 4.10s, leave the front DS out until you can score the rear axle.
 
I have a cheapie 110v stick welder. Should be enough to handle tacking the mounts and then dragging the thing to be pro welded. All depends what i can find out there. I've been on car-part.com and there"s a couple 4.10LS 8.8s around for $150ish. Add the 8.8 install kit and they're probably around the same money as a 4.10open D35...just a few more weekends worth of work. I really wanted the thing up and running for Labor Day Up North Dickin Around. If i get the 3.07 d30 i can always upgrade carrier, ring, and pinion to 4.10 later. Probably should at least attempt one weekend of stock wheeling before i tear it all up.
​
 
Save anything that isn't bent/damaged, sell any of it that you won't be using as spares, sell the rest. Find a 4 banger front and swap it in w/o the drive shaft, or if you need it on the road asap just grab a front 30 from the jy and call it good till you can afford to gear it.
 
dont be dumb and get another d35 its a waste of money. i snapped a shaft on my d35 swapped in an 8.8 and called it good ever since. way better off just gettin an 8.8 for sure
 
Why would he need another 35? The bent axle is the d30... rear axles don't have steering knuckles.
 
I'm not sure why no one suggested this yet but why don't you just cut off the bent inner knuckle and weld on a new one? Since you already have a welder it shouldn't be a big deal at all. I would take some work but would probably be cheaper and easier than swapping out the whole axle.
 
That inner "C" could be bent back into shape. Weld on some gussets and you'd be just fine. I'd check with a larger body shop to see if they can straighten it out for you.
 
This thread reads a lot like the arguments I've been having with myself for the past few weeks. I wonder if a big body shop would assume the liability of straightening the knuckle out? I'll probably end up with another 3.07 D30 and just save for gears, 8.8, lift, etc...
 
If a shop would take liability (which is likely) and wouldn't want to do it, you can just heat it up and do it yourself.
 
nomoneysonny said:
This thread reads a lot like the arguments I've been having with myself for the past few weeks. I wonder if a big body shop would assume the liability of straightening the knuckle out? I'll probably end up with another 3.07 D30 and just save for gears, 8.8, lift, etc...
Click to expand...
Yeah, D30's are cheap and widely available.
 
jeeperjohn said:
That inner "C" could be bent back into shape. Weld on some gussets and you'd be just fine. I'd check with a larger body shop to see if they can straighten it out for you.
Click to expand...
X2.

Except don't bother bringing it to a shop, buy yourself a 4lb hand sledge, pull the axle, whack the crap out of it till it's straight again, throw it back in. Make sure you check the angles using an angle finder, aim for the proper amount of camber (believe you want 1.5 degrees per side, but that may be BS info, I could be remembering wrong.) Keep your eyes out for one with 4.10s.

If you gut it... yank the gears and carrier out and stick em on your desk, they look pretty cool once you get all the grease and crap off them. Used 3.07s aren't worth squat for resale value, nor is the 3.55-down carrier, so you aren't really losing any money there. The spiders are good to keep around as spares anyways, I know a couple people who have blown them up or needed to get a set after blowing up their lunchbox locker.
 
Shit, that's tempting...what's to lose? I foresee a visit from the Harbor Freight fairy; bearing sledges and angle finders. Any ideas on how to tightly secure the axle? I don't want to be smacking this thing around the garage.
 
Honestly I did mine with it sitting on the tailgate of my MJ. I'd get a better hammer than harbor freight though, mine is a 3 or 4lb stanley blacksmith's hammer from HD/lowes, cost like 20 bucks.

Hit the salvage yard and get spare bolts and such for the frontend before you pull it out.

EDIT: measure angle vs the axle tube, subtract. That way you don't have to keep the axle perfectly level while bashing the crap out of it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Bent axle housing
Replies
2
Views
1K
chrisser
C
C
1.25k mile road trip on newly purchased rig-- What tools would you bring?
Replies
4
Views
3K
maxbraketorque
M
R
What are rear axle shock stud repair options?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Anak
Anak
S
Very stubborn front axle nut
Replies
14
Views
879
IslanderOffRoad
IslanderOffRoad
High2by
Project: Timber
2 3
Replies
44
Views
3K
bosco01xj
B
Back
Top