Rear Axles "Loose"

Replaced shocks all around. Other than a Crown Vic, the (newer) XJ's have the worst upper mounts of anything. That's a long story so here's the issue. with my wheels on and torqued I can grab the top of the tire and get a little movement and it sounds like the hub is hitting something. There's also a lot of play in the rear diff. Can anything been done to take up the play?

2001 XJ Sport
135k miles
AW4
NP232

Some in and out play of the axle shafts and clunking is normal and nothing needs to be "fixed".

Tim_MN said:

Some in and out play of the axle shafts and clunking is normal and nothing needs to be "fixed".

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Great! Thank you very much.

yeah, that is the nature of a C-clip axle. Something like a D44 you can set the endplay very tight (and I have done so - my "real" automotive experience is with old Studebakers that typically used D44 with the V-8/stick combos) but not so much with a D35, 8.5 etc.

I have the Chrysler 8-1/4 rear axle. I have rear disks/hubs to put on and figured if there was something I could do it would happen when I pull the axles for the swap.

I have an NP231, not a 232. duh...

Change the axle seals while you have your shafts out.

Johnnie Walker said:

Change the axle seals while you have your shafts out.

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Yup, planned on it. One is already leaking.

I would change the wheel bearings as well. You might as well youll already have it half done.

XJs have the worst upper rear mounts, for sure... but late models are easy to fix, you buy 4x 5/16-18 grade 8 bolts about 1.5 to 2 inches long, a handful of washers and nuts, and a long drift punch... drive the old weldnuts out (they're just spotwelded in place after '97 or so, my '96 was a horror show though) and fish new ones in. I like to use my welder to tack a 12" piece of welding wire to the tip of each bolt (strike weld on tip of bolt, don't pull back while stopping arc) and then just poke the wire up through the crossmember, down through the hole, and fish it in.