D44 and D30 questions

I have a chance to get a D44 from an 87 XJ. And the best part is it is free, yes a freebie!!! The only thing I have to do is take the D30 from my 93 XJ and swap axles.

So my first question is about gears. How can I identify what gears are in the D44? And the same for my 93 XJ, D30?

How hard is it to take apart a u-joint and put back together? I have neve done this so there will be a steep learning curve. And are the u-joints from the D30 the same as the D44?

Anything I should do while I am in the process of switching axles. Before? during? after?

How long will it take someone with decent mechanics skills to do this with a good set of tools?

Thanks Did I mention I can get a FREEBIE D44!!!

I'm a little confused :huh: "The only thing I have to do is take the D30 from my 93 XJ and swap axles."

do you mean the D35 rear axle? If so, the u-joint at the rear pinion 'should be' the same.

To check the gear ratios 'quickly', spin the pinion one revolution and count how many revolutions the wheel does. A 'little' over 3 turns means it's a 3.07 (Std 4.0 5spd ratio) 3 1/2 turns=3.55 (std 4.0 Auto ratio) etc... Do this a couple times to be sure: Some XJs with an auto & tow pkg or police pkg 'might' have 3.73:1 or maybe even 4.10.

The super accurate way is to pull the cover (you wanted fresh oil in there anyway right?) and count teeth: divide the pinion # into the ring # and there ya go. IIRC Dana/Spicer gears have the tooth count stamped on the rim of the ring gear.

If the inbound axle has good brakes, and the handbrake cables are OK, it ought to be a 2-3 hr direct swap. You'll want a tube of loctite blue for the u-joint retainer u-bolts (or if your new 44 pinion yoke has straps like most do, ya can skip the loctite and get new straps/bolts, which normally have the threadlock already on there.

After the new one is in, and rode a bit (after 1st wheeling trip)
retighten the big u-bolts that hold the ax to the springs,

HTH

Gear ID - there should be a build tag retained by one or two of the cover bolts, there will be a BoM number and a ratio stamped on it, with a few other numbers besides. It's pretty easy to figure out which is the ratio, once you see the tag. If you have reason to suspect the gears have been changed, make a witness mark on the yoke (marker will be fine) and watch it while you turn a wheel one compleat revolution. This will give you a pretty good idea - without having to pull everything to bits.

Get the driveshaft, or plan on a new one. The D44 and D30 use different lengths - IIRC, the D44 pinion is longer. Someone here can probably confirm this...

U-joints generally require a press to be removed from the yokes, unless it's an end yoke (where you can unbolt two caps, and only need to press from one axis) or the yoke is damaged. There are two types - Hydraulic and Mechanical. The mechanical press is cheaper, simpler, and can be stowed under a seat in a pinch - and it's what I have. With minimal practise, a manual press will have a cross changed in 5-10 minutes, depending on how stuck the thing really it. Try to find one used - they don't have much go wrong with them, and are a bit spendy new (I bought one use from the local for $40.)

5-90

Thanks Woody. I meant D35. Slap me upside the head when I see you at Uwharrie on 19 Apr.

I haven't looked at the D44 yet. I now the fluids were just replaced but nothing about the brakes yet. The guy who has it is takes good care of his stuff. I am going to help him replace his 4.0 out of his '89 XJ sometime in the next month.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can do the swap before the 19th.

If you're going to open up the diff, you should also check it for Trac-Loc, and buy a rebuild kit. It's cheap and I don't think you even have to take the gears out.