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Axle compatibility question???

kenny schmitt

NAXJA Forum User
Location
US
so for over a year now i have been driving around with a bent axle tube on my 1999 manual xj with a 4.0 and no ABS. I hit a wall on the highway on the driver side.

I got tired of wearing out tires so i just picked up a dana 30 from a guy with a 95 manual and has ABS. ($100) after getting it home i found that the passenger side u joint has a small amount of play.

i can just change the u joint. however i am hoping that if my passenger side axle is not bent and the u joint is still good, i can use my current one from the bent axle. will my axle fit? Also between the different years and the abs is there anything i should be worried about? i will be removing all i can from the abs on the new axle.
 
IIRC, your axle will fit without issue, but it coming from a '95 without ABS, it'll probably have a smaller u-joint in it. I'd use it 'til you can find a straight shaft with the larger u-joint.
 
the ABS shafts should have the larger u-joints.

99 shafts will fit just fine into 95 housings.

you *may* have to swap the unit bearing, but I don't remember.
 
i'm going out on a limb to say your 99 axle shaft is fine, it is pretty independent of the axle tube that is bent. to damage the shaft you would have had to hit hard enough to do heavier damage to the vehicle.
the 99 has larger joints that earlier non-ABS axles, but your donor is a 95 ABS so they are going to be the same u-joints.
swap your 99 shafts into the donor housing and keep the 95 shafts as spares or sell them if you dont take your rig out wheeling.
i "think" your hubs and rotors are the same as the 95 but i suggest measuring them yourself to make sure.
 
It depends on how early/late the 99 is.

I think by 99 all axles used larger U-joints, ABS or no, but don't quote me on that.

What I *am* sure of is that there was a break in the middle of the '99 model year which changed the unit bearings and the brake discs. For more reading

http://blackmagicbrakes.com/Measurement_of_Rotors.html

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/any-difference-hubs-360959/

If your '99 has cast rotors, you must either keep the rotors *and* unit bearings from your old axle, or use *both* the rotors and unit bearings from the '95 axle.

If your '99 has composite rotors, the rotors and unit bearings are all the same betwen the two axles, so just use the best of the parts whichever they may be. The '95, unless it's been changed, definitely should have composite rotors and the matching unit bearings.

If you mix and match rotors and unit bearings without being aware of the differences, everything will bolt up more or less but your brakes will bind because the rotor will be in the wrong position.

Probably the easiest thing to do, assuming that the brakes you are running now are good, is to swap both axles, unit bearings, and rotors from the axle on the vehicle now into the "new" '95 axle, that way you don't have to fight with any of those big nuts. This is assuming of course that the unit bearing on the side that was wrecked is still good.

As another poster said, the original axle is probably bent, but the axle *shaft* likely isn't.
 
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i am going to check what rotors i have in a couple hours.

the donor axle came with (what looks like) brand new pads and rotors and the calipers seem fine.

best case scenario is that i use the donor (1995) dana 30 with my current passenger side axle and both calipers (won't have to bleed anything) then use the donors pads and rotors as well. the is only if i have an early year 1999 with composite rotors
thank you guys huge help
 
Let me also be clear about the known damage to the front end. When I hit the wall I blew out my driver side front tire and badly bent the rim. The hit crushed the driver side LC mount up to the axle tube, tie rods bent and the springs don't appear straight anymore and after changing bent tierod parts I have been driving the car for over a year. I have noticeable off camber issues (axle tube or whatever) the hit caused a dent in the oil pan and exaust from the driveshaft. My truck does have a re 5.5" super flex short arm lift and trackbar. The front sits about 7" and I don't run any sway bars ( why things bent but I didn't flip I think) So as far as the bearings and or axles being good on my 99 is questionable. Will look further when I get back. Thanks again
 
Just swap the whole housing from the 95 and be done. Replace ujoints and bearings if they are worn out
 
well if the 95 axles has good looking rotors, and the unit bearings seem fine, then just fix that one U-joint, swap it in, and drive happy.

Still worth figuring out if your other parts are interchangeable though for spares.

How did you mess your ride up that bad and still drive it? I'm bone stock and am always fighting little noises, vibrations, etc.
 
well i measured 2 3/4" on my 99 rotor so it is a late year model and the axles are not compatible. i will just fix the donor u joint and take the new rotors and pads (my 99 rotors are done) i believe i can also keep my 99 calipers because they should both be the same Chrysler calipers.

Another question is the current ball joints seem good on the donor and the threads on the tie rod connection (passenger side to pitman) are are thicker and seem stronger. any reason i shouldn't use these and just get a new ball joint at the pitman arm? (this one has been cut) the connecting tie rod and ball joints seem good. I should be able to order the ball joint and u joint for from the specs i know from the donor and bolt it up, drive away with a great deal for $100

i only use my truck to drive on the beach, haul my canoe and fishing or hunting trips, and trips upstate to wheel. the truck swerved a little and wore out tired but it held me over until now. i got it to drive better than you would think!!!
 
It's the right axle,here's some facts on the different axles front and rear
Front axles
1984-2000 had high pinion dana 30 or for the non 4wd xj had a axle tube with no diff.
Rear axles. The 2001 xj had a low pinion dana 30
1984-2001 had c-clipped dana 35,Chrysler axle I believe it's a 8.25 and the xj also had a dana 44 which is considered rare because it only came on the xj's with tow package option.
 
so now i am having a little confusion with what u joint to use on the 1995 dana 30 with abs. i know the u joint should be 5-297x

my part store says it is the moog u joint 377 (picked one up this morning at the part in the box says 371) good job part store

i had a 371 laying around anyway (now i have 2) and it does look like the right size. in fact when you search 5-297x on moog's website 371 comes up and not 377 see why i am confused???

when i look at the specks on both moog parts 377 and 371 they seem very much the same. the 377 may have a grease port. i am going to install the dana 30n on my truck and change the u joint when i know the right one for sure. The one i want to replace only has a small amount of play any help deciding the right one would be great?

377 link- http://www.fme-cat.com/overlays/part-detail.aspx?pNum=377&partType=U-joint&brandId=MU#.UrXHHftdy8E

371 link- http://www.fme-cat.com/overlays/part-detail.aspx?pNum=371&partType=U-joint&brandId=MU#.UrXYT_tdy8E

thanks again
 
Axle shafts will fit. 95 and up are all big joint, 94 and down only the ABS ones are big joint.

Unit bearings won't, as you noted, UNLESS you keep the unit bearing/rotor from the donor paired, use the pads too because otherwise they won't be bedded in properly to the profile of the rotors.

I personally would put a good set of spicer 5-760x ujoints (parts store ujoints tend to be pretty crummy and break easily) in the shafts that are in the housing now, run the donor housing/shafts/unit bearings/rotors/pads with your calipers. 5-760x ujoints are pretty cheap on northerndrivetrain.com.

As for tie rod stuff I would need to see pics of what the donor axle has, it might be a V8 ZJ tie rod if someone swapped one onto it. They are stronger.



It's the right axle,here's some facts on the different axles front and rear
Front axles
1984-2000 had high pinion dana 30 or for the non 4wd xj had a axle tube with no diff.
Rear axles. The 2001 xj had a low pinion dana 30
1984-2001 had c-clipped dana 35,Chrysler axle I believe it's a 8.25 and the xj also had a dana 44 which is considered rare because it only came on the xj's with tow package option.
this is pretty much all wrong or inaccurate.
 
It's the right axle,here's some facts on the different axles front and rear
Front axles
1984-2000 had high pinion dana 30 or for the non 4wd xj had a axle tube with no diff.
Rear axles. The 2001 xj had a low pinion dana 30
1984-2001 had c-clipped dana 35,Chrysler axle I believe it's a 8.25 and the xj also had a dana 44 which is considered rare because it only came on the xj's with tow package option.

yeah, pretty much all wrong....
 
If the year model is unknown, how can you tell whether you have the big joint or little joint? (Geeze, a stand-up comic would pay for a straight line like that)

Measure the bearing cap diameter.

Big: 1.188"
Small 1.062"
 
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