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D30 Axle Ujoint Replacement

A

afjeep2082

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland, Or
Hey I am very new to working with axles and my front (D30) axles needs new ujoints bad!! I really want to do this myself, I have done some searching and it seems I need to remove my shafts? if so how difficult is this and what is the process?...will I need and special tools? any tricks or tips?

1993 jeep cherokee sport
4.0L Auto.
 
Thanks I saw that link, but I am more needing help on taking out the axle shafts. I have never done this nor have I helped anyone with it so I just wanted to see if I could get a step-by-step maby from someone on the process. This is my front axle so I have my steering stuff up there and I'm just not sure enough if I can just remove it with typical tools or if I have to have anything special.
 
here is general step by step
Remove wheel
remove caliper bolts (13mm)
pull off rotor
remove axle nut(36mm)? Impact gun would help, if not huge breaker bar will do.
remove unit bearing. Maybe a PITA give it a couple good smacks should loosen it up.
pull out shaft carefully so you dont damage the seals.

Yes it could be done at home with basic tools....
 
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arn't the shafts held in with c-clips in the carrier? and I don't have to take off the knuckle?


.......sorry if it sounds dumb :-(
 
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front dana 30 is semi-floated

pull off the bearing unit and slide out the shaft

ive found if you dont have an impact take the wheel off then put it in 4low/ have someone stand on the brakes and take the axle nut off then take the brakes off
 
so I don't have to take apart the carrier at all? wow, I might anyways to change the fluids but this seems alot easyier then I though it was going to be
 
Having just done my axle u-joints last week..............

1. remove wheel 19mm (100 ft lbs)
2. remove caliper 12 or 13 mm (11ft lbs)
3. remove rotor
4. remove 3 hub assembly bolts 13mm 12point (75 ft lbs)
(no need to remove the axle nut at all)
5. remove hub (might need some massagging with a hamer etc.......this took me about four hours to convince the hubs to come off)
6.slide out the axleshafts
7. pressout old ujoints
8 press in new ujoints
9. use lots of anit-seize on the hub assembly when reinstalling (makes it wasier next time

then work your way back down from #5 to #1

if it comes apart easy, you can change both of them in about an hour.......if the hub is rusted on...........get ready for some fun!
 
You dont need to pull the hub bearing off, just take it out as one assembly. Just undo the 3 bolts that hold it on with a 13mm 12 point socket. The axles will come out with the hub all as one. It may take a little effort to get the hub out of the knuckle. Tip is to loosen the bolts say 1/16" and put a socket on the bolt head and rap it with a hammer then loosen again another 1/16' then repeat till it pops out. Not a hard job, hard part is the joints themselves but they arent difficult. No you dont need to remove the carrier (even to change the oil). If you are sitting level and pull the shafts, the gear oil will leak out so you may want to pull the cover and drain (if you plan on replacing the oil). I have jacked up one side and lowered the other side b4 so I didnt have to replace the gear oil when pulling the shafts but you can only do one side a time. You can do this, you need to learn sometime!
Brett
 
Loosening the shaft nut can be a pain if you remove the brakes and you don't have an impact gun.
I have somebody step on the brakes, loosen up the nut and then take the rest apart.
 
heeperman said:
Having just done my axle u-joints last week..............

1. remove wheel 19mm (100 ft lbs)
2. remove caliper 12 or 13 mm (11ft lbs)
3. remove rotor
4. remove 3 hub assembly bolts 13mm 12point (75 ft lbs)
(no need to remove the axle nut at all)
5. remove hub (might need some massagging with a hamer etc.......this took me about four hours to convince the hubs to come off)
6.slide out the axleshafts
7. pressout old ujoints
8 press in new ujoints
9. use lots of anit-seize on the hub assembly when reinstalling (makes it wasier next time

then work your way back down from #5 to #1

if it comes apart easy, you can change both of them in about an hour.......if the hub is rusted on...........get ready for some fun!
Click to expand...

This is basically how I did mine, and I highly recommend a hydraulic press for pushing the old ones out. The only other thing mine might have yielded to is a flame wrench.
 
There is no reason or need to remove the axle nut!!
 
RCP Phx said:
There is no reason or need to remove the axle nut!!
Click to expand...

The hub is hard to come off the first time. Once you remove it and grease the splines and remove the corrosion off the hub, next time you work there it will slip right off.
Whether you are replacing the u joints or something else it is only a matter of time before you get back there again for seals, hubs, ball joints, gear or bearings, or even more Ujoints.
No sense leaving the hub and shaft together so they can rust even more.
By stepping on the brake and using a pipe on the breaker bar, the nut will come off, no big deal.
BTW a 1 7/16" socket works as well as the metric equivalent.
 
falcon556 said:
The hub is hard to come off the first time. Once you remove it and grease the splines and remove the corrosion off the hub, next time you work there it will slip right off.
Whether you are replacing the u joints or something else it is only a matter of time before you get back there again for seals, hubs, ball joints, gear or bearings, or even more Ujoints.
No sense leaving the hub and shaft together so they can rust even more.
By stepping on the brake and using a pipe on the breaker bar, the nut will come off, no big deal.
BTW a 1 7/16" socket works as well as the metric equivalent.
Click to expand...

x2 better to do it in you garage the first time, than out on the trail
 
The best way I have found to get the bearing off is to use an ( http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=32940 is the link to Harbor Freight. Trust me, once you use one of these you won't be without. Best $12 you will ever spend.) Air Impact Hammer. Put a socket on the bolt so the punch will stay on the the bolt head and let the impact do the work. Works about a ooh, a million times better than a hammer.

There is also a bit for the tool that looks like a chisel with a tooth that sticks down. You would not beleive how easy it makes cutting sheet metal. Cuts it like butter, not sparks or burnt paint.
 
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