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On my MJ with an 87 XJ front D30 (first generation unit bearings) I swapped to the ZJ CV shafts. This is in my build thread too, but nobody reads those. Business end of a 260x shaft vs a CV shaft: Image Not Found I'd been told that the ZJ CV shafts were a bolt in swap. I'm guessing they might be for a later XJ, or an ABS equipped XJ. Using my early non-ABS unit bearings they are not. The tone ring, far left, had to be removed for the shaft to actually fit with the unit bearing. However, this left an issues, as there is a seal on the inner side of the unit bearing, which normally rides on the runner, far right, pictured as removed from the OEM 260x shaft. However, the machined surface that the tone ring is pressed onto on the ZJ shaft is a smaller diameter than the surface for the seal runner on the OEM shaft, so you can not just install the seal runner on the ZJ shaft. As it was I felt I needed to just get it put back together and installed it with the seal not running on anything, I packed the bearing face with grease to protect it for now. The debate (to me) is if the seal is actually needed, as IMHO it is a holdover from the original hub design which did not use sealed bearings. However, needed or not, it would help to protect the bearing from water/dirt. If I have to I believe I could center punch the mating surface on the CV shafts, then put the seal runner on with a little RTV or Loctite retaining compound, as it is maybe only 15 or 20 thou different in diameter (calibrated eyeball). I'm supposing this issue also could be that the CV shafts I bought are built goofy (they are A-1 Cardone), or perhaps the seal runner from a later 297x/760x shaft is the correct dimensions. Looking at unit bearings on Rockauto leads me to believe I am okay, as the major visual difference between the early (to 89) and later (90+) unit bearing is that they deleted the seal which would mate with the runner on the axleshaft. I did not check to see if later axleshafts even have a seal runner on them, or if it would be a different part number. Anyone able to shed any light on this? Would rather not tear it apart to bojang the wrong seal runners onto it, but I don't want to destroy an expensive set of brand new unit bearings.

I have good (wholesale) access to a local driveshaft builder; after speaking with him briefly today I am considering having them lengthen (re-tube) a stock front shaft and use it in my SOA/SYE project. The only objection he had to the idea was if the front Ujoints were a smaller series than what came in the rear, which I don't believe is the case in our trucks.... Can anyone confirm this is an un-stupid idea??