Dana 30 "since im going this far" thread

So I ordered a spartan locker for my 99 xj and I guess since im taking the carrier out I will do the inner axle seals. Of course after this weekends offroad trip my front pinion seal is leaking as well.

So I have read about how to replace the seal the mark and count threads and pray method, but since Im going to have the carrier out is there a more approved method that a shadetree mechanic can do?
I found beam/inch torque wrenches on amazon for around 40 bucks. Could I get some numbers before and get a new crush sleeve and use the beam wrench and get it back to spec?
Well if I do go the mark and pray method should I do it first before the locker in the middle or does it matter?
What do people do when the yolk has a groove on it and they have to get a new one? Since their marks will be gone, just impact it and roll with it? Any advise on this subject?

The book has you measure the torque required to turn the yoke before diff disassembly. This after removing wheels and brakes. It's very low - like 20 in/lb. Not a normal torque wrench range.

If you replace the pinion seal then you turn the yoke nut so that the torque to turn the yoke is 5 in-lb greater than what you had before disassembly.
If you overshoot you are into a new crush sleeve.

If you replace the yoke because of a groove, all bets are off. (a shop wiped the rear diff in my '84 this way - didn't measure torque, replaced yoke, replaced seal, reassembled, disregarded my next day noise report, diff wiped out)

I'm very wary of messing with anything to do with the diff.

Well good news. Joe blow at the parts swore up and down my 99 had a low pinion with a crush sleeve, upon further inspection I have a high pinion with shims so I am going to go with the mark and count threads method and just go with it.

a high pinion with shims makes the whole procceses easire. inner axle seals can be tricky. i have a the factory tool to install them. but i work for a dealer. it looks like a spreader that pushes them in.

Let us know how the Spartan locker works out in your D30...it's on my "maybe" list. BTW I did my front pinion seal a few days ago and torqued the nut to 160 ft/lbs based on what I read. The rotational resistance feels the same. I know it's not the best way to do it but my in/lb torque wrench starts at 25. Maybe further research may be in order before you do it.