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Axle Broken?

J

Jeep-Thing

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Coos Bay, Oregon
I was playing around in a little muddy rut today, nothing to big. Driving back, I feel something a lot like the wheel getting ready to fall off. The rig was violently trying to shake its front left wheel off. I check the lugs, and the wheel is on tight. Freaked out, I find that driving (limping) home under 30 mph keeps the death wobble down. So I figure I either A) Bent the spindle OR B) messed up my axle shaft. When I put my XJ up on jack stands, I could still feel the wierd vibration and an odd kind of grinding sound. The grinding sound was a deep one, so I'm attributing that to the internals on the axle (or maybe my front ds?). Needless to say, this is really bumming me out. My DD is now forced to gimp around with its hazards....
BTW I'm running the 30/35 with 33x12.5's and 4.5"

Help?
 
If you broke an axle you would know it. There is a loud pop sound, and the 30 usually breaks at the u-joints. I also vote for the hub bearing.
 
I sure hope its the hub bearing, that sounds like an easier fix than what I have been imagining. Have any of you gone through this fix?
Thanks for all your help!
 
before i dove into that, i'd also check my wheel weights and alignment. I had moderate death wobble from an unbalanced tire.
 
You were playing in the mud, is there a lot of mud on the wheel still? Its easy for it to through it out of balance.
 
Nope, no mud on the wheel =/. The tires came pre-balanced on the rim from the place that I bought them. Just to make sure, I think I'll run it by Les Schwab and have them run it through the ringer.
 
RyanM said:
:twak: you have to take the hub off to get the axle shaft out :twak:
Click to expand...

I have always pulled both the inner and outer. Just pull the wheel, brake caliber, brake rotor, and the three 12 point bolts on the backing plate. Than the whole axle comes out.

Jeep-Thing, this is what a broken axle normally looks like.

 
Last edited:
opracer315 said:
and the three 12 point bolts on the backing plate. Than the whole axle comes out.
Click to expand...

that proves my point. I would assume your not talking about manually pressing the bearings out of the hub unit???
 
RyanM said:
that proves my point. I would assume your not talking about manually pressing the bearings out of the hub unit???
Click to expand...

I have never had to replace a hub. I seem to break them before the hub goes bad. I just carry complete axle shafts for spares. Makes trail repairs fairly quick. Plus I get complete used axles shafts for $12.00 each. A little cheaper than replacing the hubs.
 
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