Front hub assembly

[Akula69]

I am beginning some extensive work on the Daughter's XJ before she takes it off to college (groan!). I have been trying to shop for new front axle hubs but can't get some straight answers on fit (4WD vs 2WD) and I'm not willing to risk 200 clams on a mistake, so...

 

Is there a different front axle hub for the 4WD dana30 and the 2WD axle?

 

I have searched the forums and found several threads about replacing them, but none address the question.

 

Thanks

[Eagle]

Does the front hub have a dust cap (like on an older rear wheel drive car's front axles), or an open castle nut? If you remove the tire and rim, does the brake rotor come off and leave a hub/bearing unit, or is the rotor and hub one piece?

 

The early XJs (at least up through 1989) used a conventional front spindle and repackable front wheel bearings, just like a car. Chrysler then changed to using the same hub/bearing unit on the 2WD that ws used on the 4WD. The 2WD version uses a dummy outer stub axle to hold everything together. Assuming this is a 1994 XJ you're asking about (I guessed at that from the list in your signature), it should have a 4WD-type hub/bearing unit.

 

Be sure you get the correct one. There are three versions, depending on year, and they do NOT interchange.

[Geonovast]

Both my 91s had the spindle assemblies on the 2wd axles.

 

As for the list in your sig... the last year for the XJ was 01, and in 04 the Grands weren't using AW4s. Your 04 Grand Cherokee is a WJ and I believe it'll have a 42re.

[dakineJ]

Haha,I was just thinking about this.I've been hearing that the 2wd and 4wd knuckles are the same.What I'm wondering,on a 2wd beam,would the 4wd spindle be stronger.You could replace the rotor without messing with the wheel bearings to.Would this be considered a floating axle/spindle?

[Akula69]

Eagle: Yeah, it is the '94 I'm working on, and it has the castle nut and stub spindle. The rotor does not have bearings in it and will come off of the hub assembly after the tire (and caliper) is removed. Although you reference that Chryco started using the hub/bearing assembly from the 4WD on the 2WD you also state there are three different types...thanks for the heads up! edit: I'm coming up with a part number of 53007449, but that is also the part number Chryco uses for the 4WD assembly axle and the YJ. There must be a sub-part number that I don't have.

 

Genovast : didn't know that, researched, and you are correct. You're the first to notice after almost a year. Changed it.