What would you do to a junk yard 8.25 before you put it on your jeep?

Sunday I found a 99 Cherokee just like mine with an 8.25 axle, pulled it by myself, that was fun!

My build sheet says my 99 Cherokee is geared 3.55 and this Cherokee was identical to mine so I am hoping they are geared the same.

My question is what all would you do before you install it? I plan to make it a winter project. Paint, new wheel bearings, new brake hose and lines, pull the cover, clean the inside and make sure everything looks good, check the gearing and a paint job.

Two questions, how do you get it prepped for paint? Grinding wheel or wire brush on a drill and is there anything else you would do?

I prep them with an angle grinder and a wire wheel. It really cuts through the loose stuff fast. Unless you are making a show truck, don't worry about taking it down to bare metal, just knock all the loose stuff off. The wipe it down multiple times with solvent, you want it really grease and oil free. I paint them with a coat of flat black Hammerite, then a coat of gloss Hammerite. Hammerite dries quick, especially the flat paint.

I've also painted them with a coat of Rustolium rusty metal primer and then a coat of gloss black Rustolium. I put the Gloss on thick and then use a can of Rustolium spray (sparingly) to smooth the brush marks out. Brush some on, let it tack a little then spray, you don't want it to run, but then again you don't want it to dry with the brush marks. The Rustolium lasted well, it just took forever for the Primer, then the Gloss to dry, days to dry, then months for it to really cure.

The only two pieces I've ever had go bad on a 8.25 is the collapsible bearing sleeve, the pinon gets loose. Shake the pinion yoke side to side hard. And secondly is the carrier bearings. Try to pry up on the bottom of the carrier assembly with a pry bar and see if it moves.

I recently did this in anticipation of new found power... i re-geared, new wheel bearings, and a new ubolt style yoke. It also got new breather line, and new brake lines, because it had a hokey hand bent hardline and a stock (too short) soft line. It was also checked for straightness.

If i had a little more budget for this, i'd throw a diff cover, aftermarket axle shafts in it, and convert the brakes to discs, but i dont.

First, you should be able to read the axle tag on the new one you got to confirm the gear ratio.

Second, what was wrong with the one that you already had in the Jeep? Is this Jeep going to see duty as a DD or are you going to build it for off roading? What was the motivation for putting in an equal axle versus upgrading to a Ford 8.8?

Cottontail said:

First, you should be able to read the axle tag on the new one you got to confirm the gear ratio.

Second, what was wrong with the one that you already had in the Jeep? Is this Jeep going to see duty as a DD or are you going to build it for off roading? What was the motivation for putting in an equal axle versus upgrading to a Ford 8.8?

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I'm sure he got rid of a Dana 35.

When I swapped mine, I:

Disc brake conversion
New longer main soft line and outer soft lines
New hard lines
RuffStuff cover
Lube Locker
Outer bearings
Outer Seals
Drill yoke for u-bolts instead of straps
Primer
Paint

I installed it at the same time that I did my lift. I should have cut off the shock mounts and welded on the new ones while I was doing everything instead of having the new shock mounts on my bench for almost 2 years and destroying the bushings in the shocks.

jhc7399 said:

Sunday I found a 99 Cherokee just like mine with an 8.25 axle, pulled it by myself, that was fun!

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iluv83vettes said:

I'm sure he got rid of a Dana 35.

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That is quite possible. I may have interpreted his first sentence wrong.

I do have a D-35 right now. Sorry Cottontale, I could have been more clear.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.