Big ton axles

[Gubachoo]

15 hours ago, schardein said:

The service manuals I am familiar with say a case spreader is required.  That you have gotten by without one in the past doesn't mean they aren't a standard tool for diff work.

 

If you are putting in new gears, the old shims are only a starting point.  No guarantee they will be right.  Backlash & gear pattern must still be checked and shims adjusted to get them right.

I understand the sentiment behind what you are saying, in theory one should be used, and I would subscribe to that had I not done around a dozen or so in the past without one. I don't have the budget to buy that tool right now either. My next attempt will include heating the housing before install. Nothing crazy, a small space heater under it to reach 120 or so and see how it goes from there. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. 

[JustEmptyEveryPocket]

1 hour ago, Gubachoo said:

Nothing crazy, a small space heater under it to reach 120

Put the other piece in the freezer. Might as well get as much thermal expansion/ contraction as possible if you are doing it.

[Gubachoo]

5 hours ago, JustEmptyEveryPocket said:

Put the other piece in the freezer. Might as well get as much thermal expansion/ contraction as possible if you are doing it.

Haha, Thought about that, would take some serious food ninja skills to squeeze an entire dif in there... have to do it when no one is looking.

[thecodemonk]

Haha, Thought about that, would take some serious food ninja skills to squeeze an entire dif in there... have to do it when no one is looking.

It doesn't take long...an hour or so can be enough.

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[JustEmptyEveryPocket]

Or buy some dry ice and pack in around/ in. Plenty of options.

 

I guess I am alone in keeping several full sized freezers; one of which is almost always empty and awaiting either a hog or a cow?

[thecodemonk]

Or buy some dry ice and pack in around/ in. Plenty of options.
 
I guess I am alone in keeping several full sized freezers; one of which is almost always empty and awaiting either a hog or a cow?

You're not alone. I have two, apart from the fridge.

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[Gubachoo]

So the rebuild took back seat to home repairs for the summer and I just got it back in yesterday. The 3.73 gears make a nice difference in the lower gears and I see that the limited slip still has some life in it on the dirt roads which is a nice surprise. Now to make some runs to the dump and then pull out the front and get that one regeared and refreshed for the winter. And off to the metal recycler with the old 35. 

[DesertRat1991]

2 hours ago, Gubachoo said:

Now to make some runs to the dump and then pull out the front and get that one regeared and refreshed for the winter. 

 

A 1990 model likely has a CAD axle up front.  Your time & effort would be better spent looking for a non-CAD high pinion D30.

 

Nice score on the D44!

[Gubachoo]

2 hours ago, DesertRat1991 said:

 

A 1990 model likely has a CAD axle up front.  Your time & effort would be better spent looking for a non-CAD high pinion D30.

 

Nice score on the D44!

That's true, but being covid time and all, I'm a little stretched for extra money for another axle. I bought all the rebuild stuff before I lost my job. I have taken the CAD out of the system by binding the collar to the two ends. Not ideal, I know, but the best I can do at the moment. My hope is to get a solid shaft at some point for it, but sourcing a high pinion 30, as nice as it would be, just isn't financially feasable right now. And I'll need 4wd for the winter soon. Rock and a hard place...

[Pete M]

16 hours ago, Gubachoo said:

 And I'll need 4wd for the winter soon.

 

how much snow do you get?  generally speaking:  snow tires > 4wd    My old minivan dominated the white stuff. 

[Gubachoo]

5 hours ago, Pete M said:

 

how much snow do you get?  generally speaking:  snow tires > 4wd    My old minivan dominated the white stuff. 

Haha, I teach skiing in the winter in Vermont, so I have to deal with lots and lots of snow. When the tires are fresh, I rarely have to use 4wd which is great, but on the occasion when I do, I really do. But I agree for sure, the tires matter more than the 4wd. What do those d30 high pinions come in if I'm looking for one?

[Pete M]

Have you not yet experienced a true snow tire?  It's like having superpowers. 

[Gubachoo]

15 hours ago, Pete M said:

Have you not yet experienced a true snow tire?  It's like having superpowers. 

Nope, I have Duratracs, have used them for years and love them. I have driven them on customer cars (used to be a mechanic) and they are amazing for sure but nothing in real deep stuff like we get up here, you need some aggressive tread to plow through 2 feet of fresh stuff. 

[Pete M]

Snow tires will do well in the deep stuff too. :) 

[derf]

We can run studded snow tires here in Colorado.  I'm happy with how well Duratracs do in the snow and they will accept standard studs.  Studded Duratracs will make you unstoppable until you hit snow that's above your bumper or ruts that you high center on.

[Pete M]

I've not yet lived in an area that allows studded tires I bet they are fun

[derf]

59 minutes ago, Pete M said:

I've not yet lived in an area that allows studded tires I bet they are fun

You can hear the car coming when they have them on there.  A strange clicking noise of the studs on the pavement.  I mostly see people driving cars using them.  I've thought about getting a set for my Subaru but if the snow is really bad I take the XJ anyway.

[Gubachoo]

9 hours ago, derf said:

We can run studded snow tires here in Colorado.  I'm happy with how well Duratracs do in the snow and they will accept standard studs.  Studded Duratracs will make you unstoppable until you hit snow that's above your bumper or ruts that you high center on.

Yeah, thats a problem no matter what. I was in a storm that dumped almost 3 feet a few years ago and even with the lift and the good tires I had to make a run at some drifts a couple of times just to get through them. When that axle hits it's a drag but that bumper man... It's tough 

[derf]

11 minutes ago, Gubachoo said:

Yeah, thats a problem no matter what. I was in a storm that dumped almost 3 feet a few years ago and even with the lift and the good tires I had to make a run at some drifts a couple of times just to get through them. When that axle hits it's a drag but that bumper man... It's tough 

A few years back I was living in Oklahoma.  We got a snow storm and they were out plowing the main streets.  I was in mt J10 at a light sitting next to a minivan when a plow crossed the intersection, leaving a 2 foot berm across our path.

 

The guy in the minivan looked over at me with an "I can't get through that" look.  I flashed him a "watch this" smile just as the light turned green.  I gunned it and bashed right through the berm.  Looking back through my mirror I saw everyone else funnelling through the hole I made. 

[BeatCJ]

3 hours ago, Pete M said:

I've not yet lived in an area that allows studded tires I bet they are fun

Well, yes and no. Studs actually decrease your traction on wet or dry pavement. For ice, there is nothing better.

[Gubachoo]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:37 PM, derf said:

A few years back I was living in Oklahoma.  We got a snow storm and they were out plowing the main streets.  I was in mt J10 at a light sitting next to a minivan when a plow crossed the intersection, leaving a 2 foot berm across our path.

 

The guy in the minivan looked over at me with an "I can't get through that" look.  I flashed him a "watch this" smile just as the light turned green.  I gunned it and bashed right through the berm.  Looking back through my mirror I saw everyone else funnelling through the hole I made. 

Bahaha, hero of the day

[gogmorgo]

On 11/19/2020 at 6:07 PM, BeatCJ said:

Well, yes and no. Studs actually decrease your traction on wet or dry pavement. For ice, there is nothing better.

The newer factory studded tires claim this is less of an issue now. Something about pockets of softer rubber or even air under the studs means they push back up into the tire more, keeping rubber in contact with the road surface. I just ordered a set of Hakka 9’s for my ZJ. They’re supposed to have two different shapes of studs in them as well, one down the middle of the tire for acceleration and braking, and a different shape on the outside for cornering. Fancy stuff.

 

On 11/19/2020 at 5:37 PM, derf said:

A few years back I was living in Oklahoma.  We got a snow storm and they were out plowing the main streets.  I was in mt J10 at a light sitting next to a minivan when a plow crossed the intersection, leaving a 2 foot berm across our path.

 

The guy in the minivan looked over at me with an "I can't get through that" look.  I flashed him a "watch this" smile just as the light turned green.  I gunned it and bashed right through the berm.  Looking back through my mirror I saw everyone else funnelling through the hole I made. 

Gotta watch this though. Last winter we had a cold front come in and dump about 18” of snow. The municipality plows it all to the centre, then comes by the next day and hauls it all away. So in my infinite wisdom on my commute that morning, instead of turning right out of my driveway and going the “long” way to work (might’ve added 30 seconds) I decided to turn left and smash through the berm. Except when I say cold front, I mean cold. It was -45°C that morning, so that berm may as well have been concrete. I hit it hard enough to push the front wheels up and over, and landed hard high-centred on top of it, with the rear axle dangling in the air. Fortunately a buddy drove past a couple minutes later while I was trying to jack up the back end to chisel out the berm, and was able to drag me back off of it.

[Eagle]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:50 PM, Gubachoo said:

But I agree for sure, the tires matter more than the 4wd. What do those d30 high pinions come in if I'm looking for one?

 

MJs, and XJs until 1999. In 2000 Jeep switched the XJ to a low-pinion Dana 30 in the front.

 

TJ Wrangler front axles are all (I believe) low pinion). ZJ front axles are all low pinion.

[Gubachoo]

So,  a final update to any of those looking to change gears. The carrier break for the dana 44 is 3.73 so I chose that in hopes of saving some money and keeping the factory LSD until funds allowed an upgrade. Turns out, the dana 30 front end has a carrier break is at 3.54 so I had to order a new carrier for that. not crazy as a standard open is around $80, but for those hoping to get away with just an R&P swap, it will require a carrier. Just thought I'd attempt to warn others going down that road. I got lucky that the factory shims were relatively close and so only required three or four disassemble/reassemble sessions to get it right. 

[ghetdjc320]

58 minutes ago, Gubachoo said:

So,  a final update to any of those looking to change gears. The carrier break for the dana 44 is 3.73 so I chose that in hopes of saving some money and keeping the factory LSD until funds allowed an upgrade. Turns out, the dana 30 front end has a carrier break is at 3.54 so I had to order a new carrier for that. not crazy as a standard open is around $80, but for those hoping to get away with just an R&P swap, it will require a carrier. Just thought I'd attempt to warn others going down that road. I got lucky that the factory shims were relatively close and so only required three or four disassemble/reassemble sessions to get it right. 

I always run thick cut gears in my D44’s so carrier break isn’t an issue. The TJR air lockers all ran the 3.73 and numerically lower carrier size with thick cut 4.10 gears. Same goes for all the rodeo D44 axles. They’re thick cut gearsets with 4.10, 4.56, 4.88 etc.