Lockright 8.25 29spl - no room for C-clip

Alright, finally got enough parts to start working on my 99 XJ, made great progress getting everything tore apart. I have an Aussie for the D30 and a brand new Lockright for the 29-spline 8.25. I've installed front lockers several times but have never had the pleasure of dealing with a rear C-clip axle.

Per the instructions, I put the both the left and right gear in. I installed the left (ring gear side) axle shaft and C-clip, and put in the left drive gear and thrust block. I installed the right drive gear and thrust block and pushed them to the left, and rotated the right drive gear to expose the window for sliding the C-clip in. I don't have enough of a gap to get the C-clip to slide in. I made sure everything is tight, and did some light prying to make sure I had as much room as possible.

I'm using the thrust washers that were originally on the side gears as stated in the manual. Are my thrust washers too thick? Is it possible that I got wrong parts? I know the side gears are correct since the axle shafts slide into them without any issue. Perhaps the drive gears are too thick? Is there a trick here that I'm missing? The gap I've got is about 2/3rd the thickness of the C-clip, so it's close but not quite there.

Thanks for any help/tips, really hoping I can get this wrapped up this weekend without resorting to putting the original side/spider gears back in!

Daym. I thought I was the only one... I few times though. Push hard on the axle in. And push it in hard. Don't plan on ever removing it.

My 8.25 No-slip didnt use the thrust washers?

RWKHausSupply said:

Daym. I thought I was the only one... I few times though. Push hard on the axle in. And push it in hard. Don't plan on ever removing it.

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I'm reluctant to do anything drastic. They're stock axle shafts so I'm guessing I'll have to remove them at some point. I just don't see how anything is going to give me the extra space I need, short of removing the thrust washers altogether or finding someone to turn down the locker. I'm not sure if I'm doing it wrong, if this particular locker wasn't made right, or if all of the 29-spline 8.25 lockers have this problem.

RCP Phx said:

My 8.25 No-slip didnt use the thrust washers?

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I haven't seen the installation manual for a no-slip. I'm not sure if that is an area where the two products are different. In my installation manual they are very clear that I need to re-use the thrust washers, and if I don't have them or they are worn, I need to buy new ones. Of course my problem might be the opposite, it looks like the locker assembly is just slightly too thick for the inside of the differential case, and that's why I don't have a large enough gap to install the C-clip.

Well, I'm headed into town to see if I can get a package of thrust washers from the dealer (worth a shot), and a battery for my digital calipers so I can figure out what's not adding up here.

RCP Phx said:

My 8.25 No-slip didnt use the thrust washers?

Click to expand...

I agree with this... i have installed and removed my no slip half a dozen times, and the no-slip does not use thrust washers. i think lock-rights use them, but not the no-slip.

Bringing this one back... some things came up and progress on the XJ stopped, but I've got all my parts and I'm continuing with the build now. Among other things, I ordered the thrust washer kit from a Chrysler dealer. Turns out the existing thrust washers I have are 0.032", the same thickness as the thinnest washers in the kit. So that doesn't do me a whole lot of good.

So question #1, what's the harm in just running without thrust washers?

I've found that if I install the locker without thrust washers, then (surprise!) I have enough of a gap to install the passenger side C-clip. This is because a C-clip is 0.150", and my existing gap was about 0.100". So freeing up 0.032" x 2 = 0.064" is enough to give me the necessary gap for the C-clip. Great.

But, as it turns out, the driver in the locker doesn't have enough gap between the teeth to fit the C-clip in. I'm referring to the width of the C-clip here, not the depth of it. Example:



To say I'm disappointed in how this locker was designed/manufactured would be an understatement. But with this locker being the only real option for a 29 spline 8.25", I'm going to forge ahead. Now, I see two options here... I can cut out an extra tooth on the driver to give me extra gap for the C-clip, or I can cut down the C-clip. I'm working with an angle grinder and a bench grinder, so it won't be real precise but at this point I'd just like to get it together.

Question #2, any potential issue with trimming down the C-clip?

I'm not real thrilled about running this with no thrust washers and a cut down C-clip, but truthfully it will spend most of its life on a trailer, so it's not like I'll be putting thousands upon thousands of miles on it without those thrust washers. My XJ has 120k on it now and the existing thrust washers aren't noticeably worn at all (as measured with calipers).

Edit: I misspoke about the C-clip. Apparently I just wasn't trying hard enough. Locker and cross shaft are installed now, but I'm still not running any thrust washers.

As long as the gap between the drive plates is within spec I would be comfortable running without thrust washers. I would trim enough off the c-clip that it slides in. I am not a fan of lockrites because I had a 27 spline lockrite fail dramatically on me. Having too much of a gap between the drive plates will cause excessive wear on the crosspin and drive plates and may cause it to slip much easier than with the proper gap.

Id say it would be fine, try not to create any stress risers from sharp grinding marks, try to make the resulting face as smooth as possible. Dont hack it, or grind too much.

I'd bet theres some variances on c-clip manufacturing.... there are a lot of c-clips made every year... and the car makers dont care about that dimension as much as someone who might install a locker.

Thanks for the input guys. I got it all installed and the driver gap looks OK. It seems like it ratchets easier than my Aussie does in my D30, even in a turn under slight throttle I can hear it ratchet, but a little more go pedal and it locks up pretty predictably. I'm happy with it for now, I'll just have to get out on the trail here soon and make sure it won't ratchet under load or anything like that.

Hopefully this thread helps the next person trying to figure out how to install one of these, because it sure confused me for a while.