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1998 D30HP swap into a 2000 XJ Need Help PLEASE

M

MoFo

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Memorial Lifetime Member
Location
Near Rochester NY
About 2 weeks ago I posted about swapping a HP D30 into my 2000 XJ. I was considering a 1990 axle. I got a couple of responses telling me to be careful of the vacuum disconnect but that the steering parts were interchangable.

I found a good price on a 1998 HP D30 complete axle and picked it up. I decided to have the body shop that was fixing the fender install it. After they installed the axle, they called me saying it needed a steering box because it went hard against the stops to the left and did not steer all the way to the right. I had them install a used box. They called yesterday and said the track bar was bent. They ordered a new one and compared the two. They told me the old one was .5 inches longer than the new one. They installed it. Now they tell me the 1998 axle is not interchangable into the 2000 because there are some "length issues". They told me their source of information was 2 local Jeep dealers and a local boneyard that has a lot of Jeeps. I thought the only difference was HP vs. LP.

They want to get a 2000 axle complete for another $1250.

QUESTIONS:
Are the track bars a different length from 1998 to 2000?

Based on your experience, can you tell me what steering parts are unique between the 1998 and the 2000?

What do you think the real problem could be?

I really appreciate any help you can give me. The bill is up to $2000 now and I don't know when I will get the car back.

MoFo
 
The only thing that should be (could be) different between the 98 and 2k is the length of the driveshaft, but if you're lifted it makes no difference. I know a guy that swapped in an earlier one to a 2K or 2001 in half a saturday so they are either really screwing something up or got no clue what they're doing.
Actually you said body shop? Do they know how to deal with an alignment and such? if no then they shouldn't even touch it!

The steering box issue (hard left and lack of movement in the other direction means they didn't center the steering prior to hooking up the steering components to the box. I would definately not let them do any more work as they might cause harm/damage to the vehicle and moreover I'd be afraid of driving a vehicle they worked on based on what you said so far.
MoFo said:
About 2 weeks ago I posted about swapping a HP D30 into my 2000 XJ. I was considering a 1990 axle. I got a couple of responses telling me to be careful of the vacuum disconnect but that the steering parts were interchangable.

I found a good price on a 1998 HP D30 complete axle and picked it up. I decided to have the body shop that was fixing the fender install it. After they installed the axle, they called me saying it needed a steering box because it went hard against the stops to the left and did not steer all the way to the right. I had them install a used box. They called yesterday and said the track bar was bent. They ordered a new one and compared the two. They told me the old one was .5 inches longer than the new one. They installed it. Now they tell me the 1998 axle is not interchangable into the 2000 because there are some "length issues". They told me their source of information was 2 local Jeep dealers and a local boneyard that has a lot of Jeeps. I thought the only difference was HP vs. LP.

They want to get a 2000 axle complete for another $1250.

QUESTIONS:
Are the track bars a different length from 1998 to 2000?

Based on your experience, can you tell me what steering parts are unique between the 1998 and the 2000?

What do you think the real problem could be?

I really appreciate any help you can give me. The bill is up to $2000 now and I don't know when I will get the car back.

MoFo
Click to expand...
 
Holy sh*t!!! What amazing incompetence. Don't ever take a Jeep to a shop that doesn't normally do this kind of work.

A front axle swap is maybe 3 hours of work for one guy who knows what he is doing. You've been screwed. $2,000??? You are well over halfway to a loaded up custom built Dana 44. Get your Jeep back ASAP!!!

Nay
 
Kejtar-
The Jeep is completly stock. No lift yet.
The driveshaft fit just fine.

What did you mean by center the steering before you hook up the components?

Nay-
My plan is to get this thing back as soon as possible. I need to be able to drive it to do that.

Any more ideas what could be wrong at this point?
MoFo
 
MoFo said:
What did you mean by center the steering before you hook up the components?
Click to expand...

OK... picture it this way: when your wheels are pointed straight your steering wheel and box are in a "middle" position. Now if you unhook the steering componets from the steering box and turn your steering wheel in one direction and then you install steering components back to the steering box your steering will be "offset" and you will be able to turn the steering wheel more in one direction then the other. This is one they must have done by accident and not knowing what they're doing they are doing they blamed the steering box...

And I just realized that you said $2k!!!!! Bring it over to me and I'll do it for half that including the axle and alignment!!! (And I'll still be overcharging you!)
 
That really sucks... I went the wrong way and put a 2001 in my 1999 and had no problems doing it myself in a few hours on the ground. I think I did front and rear swap in an afternoon after work, probably 4pm - midnight. I have had it that way for a year and no problems until last weekend when I broke the ring gear which is hopefully unrelated. Now I get to go back to my high pinion which should have been there in the first place.
 
Kejtar:
In your description, do you mean making sure the pitman arm is installed correctly on the box? Anything else to check?

I would have much rather had this thing at my house to do the axle work myself. However I took it to the body shop because I crunched the fender and the axle was damaged enough It would have to be towed about 60 miles home to do the axle first, then take it to the shop. In retrospect, that would have been a good plan. A flatbed tow was $1.50 a mile.

To clarify, $600 of the bill is for fender and paint work.

MoFo
 
JasonXJ said:
That really sucks... I went the wrong way and put a 2001 in my 1999 and had no problems doing it myself in a few hours on the ground. I think I did front and rear swap in an afternoon after work, probably 4pm - midnight. I have had it that way for a year and no problems until last weekend when I broke the ring gear which is hopefully unrelated. Now I get to go back to my high pinion which should have been there in the first place.
Click to expand...

Yup... all in all it's a short process. In one day (about 14 hours) with 4 people I had 2 axles pulled out of the jeep (F&R) gears installed in a different set I brought with me and axles reinstalled. Also one axle had shock mounts cut and rewelded while the other one had miniskids welded on. I also had time to fill both of them with gear fluid and redo ujoints in front axle shafts.
 
MoFo said:
Kejtar:
In your description, do you mean making sure the pitman arm is installed correctly on the box? Anything else to check?
Click to expand...

Yup, you disconnect it then rotate all the way to one side. When you reach the end you start rotating the other way and while doing so you count full rotations. Then you come back to the middle (number you had divide by 2).

Anything else? well I'd go and get an alignment and while doing so I'd drive VERY slowly.

Oh.. and pay them with a credit card (don't argue when picking it up.. and yeah.. check cards don't count and AMEX is best in this situation if you got it and they take it if not.. use buigger banks CC for example I'd rather use my Citibank MC instead of WellsFargo MC) then dispute it with the credit card companies help. Also make sure to get your old steering box back along with ANY OTHER PARTS THEY TOOK OF! If they don't have them, have them give it to you in writing what they did with them and why.
 
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Re: 1998 D30HP swap intc a 2000 XJ Need Help PLEASE

MoFo said:
Any more ideas what could be wrong at this point?
MoFo
Click to expand...

I don't know how else to say this: the axle swap is bolt-on. Unless the collision damaged these parts, you are getting ripped off by incompetence at best. If the collision damaged the parts, then insurance should be paying for them (unless of course you are flying under the radar at this point).

The only thing that can prevent a straight swap of these axles is damaged parts (except possibly the driveshaft length issue). I'd get the insurance company involved right away if they are already paying for the $600 fronD end damage. A bent trackbar may also mean bent steering...but you DO NOT need a replacement low pinion Dana 30 axle.

Any of this work will require an alignment to set toe and center the steering wheel.

Nay
 
All Aussie XJ's came with the HPD30 from 1994 to 2001, we never got the low pinion here only on the TJ's, so I'd say there must be very little if no difference at all.

Cheers
Steve
 
Yea.....all that and then you flip the Jeep!!!! I cant believe you! I guess I should have charged for my labor maybe you would have had more respect for the work! :doh: :lecture: :repair: :twak: :wstupid: :soapbox:

Kejtar said:
Yup... all in all it's a short process. In one day (about 14 hours) with 4 people I had 2 axles pulled out of the jeep (F&R) gears installed in a different set I brought with me and axles reinstalled. Also one axle had shock mounts cut and rewelded while the other one had miniskids welded on. I also had time to fill both of them with gear fluid and redo ujoints in front axle shafts.
Click to expand...
 
ryurabbit said:
Yea.....all that and then you flip the Jeep!!!! I cant believe you! I guess I should have charged for my labor maybe you would have had more respect for the work! :doh: :lecture: :repair: :twak: :wstupid: :soapbox:
Click to expand...

Oh I have respected it!! The axles are intact and they are going to go into the next one!!
 
Steve F said:
All Aussie XJ's came with the HPD30 from 1994 to 2001, we never got the low pinion here only on the TJ's, so I'd say there must be very little if no difference at all.

Cheers
Steve
Click to expand...

The Aussie 2000-2001 XJ 4.0 came with the HP D30? I thought the reason they went to a LP D30 is because of the redesigned exhaust after manifold pipe. I thought a HP D30 would hit that pipe at stock heigth on a 00-01 XJ..

-Chris
 
Last edited:
Talyn said:
The 4.0 came with the HP D30? I thought the reason they went to a LP D30 is because of teh redesigned exhaust after manifold pipe. i thuoght a HP D30 would hit that pipe at stock heigth.
Click to expand...
Ummmm...yeah? Both my 89 4.0L and 96 4.0L had/have HP D30s. All US XJs through the 1999 model year had high pinion D30; the LP D30 started in 2000.
 
I have a 98 HP30 swapped into my 2000.

As the others have said it should work, especially the steering. I agree with Kejtar that they probably don't have the steering wheel centered which means the pitman arm would also be turned to one side.

The only "length issues" I could think of would only be an issue because you are at stock height. One is driveshaft length. Check for yourself how much compression travel is available. The other issue might be with the exhaust as previously mentioned. Check to see how close the driveshaft is to hitting the exhaust.

If you do have either of these issues, why not install a 2" budget boost for $100 or so? That should relieve the issues and you can keep the HP axle and get 2" lift.
 
Yucca-Man said:
Ummmm...yeah? Both my 89 4.0L and 96 4.0L had/have HP D30s. All US XJs through the 1999 model year had high pinion D30; the LP D30 started in 2000.
Click to expand...

yes, I know that. I should have specified the Ausi 4.0 XJ 00-01.
 
I think you need to contact whatever agency in NY State licenses repair facilities. These guys clearly don't know what they are doing and they are spending your money on parts that don't need to be replaced, then installing those parts incorrectly.

As already stated, the axle swap should have been a bolt in. All the steering mates up, and there is no difference in the length of the track bar.
 
I just spoke to the body shop. They took it to the place where they have their alignments done. They sent my old axle along with the XJ, so that shop could make some comparisons. The conclusion from the alignment shop was that the 1998 axle is too short, causing the steering to pull harder to one side. When they installed the used steering box, the pitman arm was on it. Since they never changed the arm, they say it is not off a couple of teeth and refuse to "center" it.

When I asked, they warned me about driving it the way it is. They said it is "dog tracking" to one side and it is "really squirley" when you hit a bump.

I was wondering if the axle is possibly offset to one side, possibly by a bent control arm. I already replaced the driver's side LCA. Would one or more of the other CAs being bent cause the axle to shift to one side?

Is there anything else that could cause the axle to be out of position to one side?

For those offering financial advice, this place does not take credit cards or personal checks.
 
MoFo said:
I just spoke to the body shop. They took it to the place where they have their alignments done. They sent my old axle along with the XJ, so that shop could make some comparisons. The conclusion from the alignment shop was that the 1998 axle is too short, causing the steering to pull harder to one side. When they installed the used steering box, the pitman arm was on it. Since they never changed the arm, they say it is not off a couple of teeth and refuse to "center" it.
Click to expand...
BUUUUUUUULLLLLLLL and that's all I'm going to say about it with the exception that the FSM recommends centering the box whenever you disconnect and reconnect to it and since it's really easy to do (15 minutes tops) I wonder why are they refusing to do it.

MoFo said:
When I asked, they warned me about driving it the way it is. They said it is "dog tracking" to one side and it is "really squirley" when you hit a bump.

I was wondering if the axle is possibly offset to one side, possibly by a bent control arm. I already replaced the driver's side LCA. Would one or more of the other CAs being bent cause the axle to shift to one side?

Is there anything else that could cause the axle to be out of position to one side?

For those offering financial advice, this place does not take credit cards or personal checks.
Click to expand...
It's very possible that another control arm is messed up. It's possible that the trackbar is off. It's possible that the frame rails are messed up thus causing this condition (unlikely but possible). Also keep in mind that the vehicle got taken to a shop "friendly" to them so they are going to be more then willing to cover up any incompetance. If I was you I'd tow it out of there and have it taken to some other place and then fight them for the money spent as they might have messed up a lot of things!
 
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