Sanity check: LP30 to HP30 swap

Posting this in mod tech since I'm looking at going from a not-completely-stock LP30 to an HP30. 2000 XJ, 4.0, AW4, NP242.

It looks like the pinion bearing on my LP30 is starting to go, and I need to do hubs and ball joints anyway. I've got a few '98 and '99 XJs to pick from in the junkyards around here, so it seems like a reasonable time to swap to an HP30 and pretty much just completely renew the front end.

Here's my question: I've got 4.10 gears in the front, along with an ECTED locker. My understanding is that I'll have to get replacement gears, but I don't know if the locker will swap over as well. Everything else should be fine; it's just those two I'm not 100% clear on.

Can someone give me a quick sanity check on this? As much as I really don't want to have to buy gears, if I can get the LP30 out of there at the same time I'm more inclined to go for it.

Locker will go over fine.

Um your gonna want to rebuild the junkyard axle anyways. look for a early 4 cyl Cherokee and you wont need to buy new gears!

jonzer12 said:

Locker will go over fine.

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Cool, thanks. Pretty sure that was the case; just needed the confirmation. Appreciate it!

austinaubinoe said:

Um your gonna want to rebuild the junkyard axle anyways.

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Yes, that's the plan - R&R the HP30 on the bench, swap over the gears, locker, and shafts to it from the LP30, plug in the HP30, junk the LP30.

look for a early 4 cyl Cherokee and you wont need to buy new gears!

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Local junkyard crushed the one '85 (IIRC; may have been an '86) 4-cylinder with an AX-4 and 4.10s a few weeks ago. Murphy strikes again.

casm said:

Yes, that's the plan - R&R the HP30 on the bench, swap over the gears, locker, and shafts to it from the LP30, plug in the HP30, junk the LP30.

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The gears will not swap from LP to HP, the carrier will.

On the bright side that 86 would have a CAD axle.... But are you sure they crush the axles? A local yard I went to had a large pile of axles.