Going to rebuild my first rear Many ????

So after stripping my 96 i am going to rebuild the dana 30 and the 8.25. What do i need as far as tools and where can i get a rebuild kit and instructions? i will be putting them in my next xj as soon as i can find it. i may put gears for my 33's and was wondering about beefing up the axles? any input would be helpful.

Also i was going to use por15 how does that sound

someone answer this guy! I would like to know too! What tools and measuring devices are needed that is not found in John Doe's toolbox?

You can go to the Dana Expert site (start at www.dana.com) and download the D30 service manual - that will tell you much.

There isn't a comparable manual for the 8.25" that I've found (yet. Anyone got one?) but you can find it as a section in the FSM. Don't trust Chilton's or Haynes - they don't go into the sort of detail you'll need!

Special tools? You'll need a set of bearings with the inner races reamed out slightly (setup bearings) for the pinion and possibly the carrier, you'll need a quality dial indicator, and you'll need a "setup tools set" for the axle(s) you're working on (check at Randy's Ring & Pinion first. I don't recall their URL, but a quick Google should turn them up.) You will need a manuals, and if you can get someone with some recent experience to help you with the first one or two axles you set up, so much the better. You'll also need some variety of marking/layout compound (like Prussian Blue, or machinist's layout die) to help you evaluate the contact pattern.

There are plenty of pitfalls that you could fall into - probably the single best thing you could do it find someone local to you who will either let you watch him do it, or who will hover over your shoulder while you do it. Either way, you're going to pick things up that aren't in the manual - tips and tricks - that will make the job much easier for you.