Front Axle Repair - Rusty rusty U joints

[McDougal]

I have an 86 Jeep Comanche 4x4 with the 2.5 L motor. I have only owned it for a few months at this point, it has low KMs but lots of rust. I am currently replacing the floor pans and cleaning everything out, changing suspention and brakes etc but when I got to the front U-Joints they were rusted to the point where were going to have to torch everything out. The bolts behind the backing plate are pretty much rounded out because of the rust so if I get them out I'll need all new hardware.

 

Wondering if it makes sense to get a newer axle/upgraded parts or torch the sh*t out of it and just put in new ujoints.

 

Appreciate the help, I didn't take as many pictures as I should have so I'll get more next time I get the wheels off

 

[Tex06]

Do you have access to a newer axle with the proper gearset in it?  If so, I'd swap it as the CAD axle you have is a known weak spot.

[gogmorgo]

Precision heat. Before you start cutting, get the bolts hot and then try to spin them out. Doesn’t need to be glowing hot, but it does need to be hotter than propane will get it. If you can’t get a tool onto them, clean up the bolt heads really well and weld a nut onto them. The heat from welding may even be enough to help bust things loose.

[MiNi Beast]

[Pete M]

I spent most of my life in Michigan, and now that I'm in georgia a lot, I am all for swapping out the rusty parts for non-rusty.  my rusty Liberty now has rustfree suspension and axle parts and I couldn't be happier.  

[McDougal]

 

On 11/10/2020 at 11:48 PM, gogmorgo said:

Precision heat. Before you start cutting, get the bolts hot and then try to spin them out. Doesn’t need to be glowing hot, but it does need to be hotter than propane will get it. If you can’t get a tool onto them, clean up the bolt heads really well and weld a nut onto them. The heat from welding may even be enough to help bust things loose.

 

Thanks for the responses guys, I almost got a replacement front axle assembly for $250 on Kijiji but I missed, lady said it sold literally minutes before I messaged her. I am looking for a less rusty assembly because I was just thinking the other side will be just as bad but because I missed on the front axle and I can't find another yet in Ontario I think I'll start with Gogmorgo's suggestion and see if heat + welding will get it out. I should have some progress pics after this weekend.

 

Also here is a pic of McDougs on some new Jeep rims I found at the Junkyard, were gettin there!

 

[gogmorgo]

Car-part.com may be helpful in finding another axle. $250 seems pretty steep for an xj d30, although I guess I’m not familiar with the local market and if you need 4.10 gears that narrows the selection a lot.

You can also still buy the later style knuckles new (~$70CAD each +shipping on rockauto), of course you’ll also then need the later hubs and brakes (callipers, discs, pads) to go with, which are usually much easier to find replacements for when it comes time, although that’s really the only advantage  to the newer setup so far as I can tell.

[gogmorgo]

Progress on this?

Just changed out an axle ujoint on my ZJ. I did it at work and didn’t realize how worn out my 13mm 12-point socket was until today. Ended up rounding off two of the three hub bolts. Almost seemed like that was the first time anything in there had been apart.  
A 5/8UNC nut was a pretty good fit over the stripped bolt head, and once it was tacked on it gave a breaker bar enough grip to back them out.

 

If you’re struggling to get the hub out of the knuckle, try threading the hub bolts back in a ways, but not all the way snug. Then you can beat on the already buggered up bolt heads with a hammer to knock the hub out.

[McDougal]

That is how I will have to get most of my bolts out, they are pretty rusted. Not much progress on my end at the moment, I'm trying to get a good spot to work on it but it's getting a bit cold so I might be postponing the project until the spring and just focusing on welding the floor pans for now. 

 

Thanks again for the advice

 

On 11/24/2020 at 1:37 AM, gogmorgo said:

Progress on this?

Just changed out an axle ujoint on my ZJ. I did it at work and didn’t realize how worn out my 13mm 12-point socket was until today. Ended up rounding off two of the three hub bolts. Almost seemed like that was the first time anything in there had been apart.  
A 5/8UNC nut was a pretty good fit over the stripped bolt head, and once it was tacked on it gave a breaker bar enough grip to back them out.

 

If you’re struggling to get the hub out of the knuckle, try threading the hub bolts back in a ways, but not all the way snug. Then you can beat on the already buggered up bolt heads with a hammer to knock the hub out.

 

[75sv1]

'If you’re struggling to get the hub out of the knuckle, try threading the hub bolts back in a ways, but not all the way snug. Then you can beat on the already buggered up bolt heads with a hammer to knock the hub out.'

 

   A variation on this, is to put a socket on it. Then some pipe or other extension. See if you can get that to contact another part, and turn the wheel.  Maybe you get lucky. I have been working on a D30  out of an '00 XJ out of the vehicle. I feared getting those bolts out. They were all loose. I still have to take off the knuckles and the ball joints. 

[McDougal]

So I'm still slacking but no worries we are getting there! I cleaned out the barn today to get a nice clean dry spot to winter the beast. Here are some pics for the meantime

 

As you guys can see I have a terrible back bumper so if anyone in Ontario has a spare they wanna give me that would be a nice step in the right direction!

 

I found those Jeep rims at the Junkyard and I think they are doing the Jeep some Justice, if you know more about the rims let me know. I'm new to the Jeep game but I love it

[gogmorgo]

16” wheel? Looks like a colour variation on a KJ five-spoke. That or someone painted in the “shadows”.

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/jeepwheels/kjwheels.html

 

[89 MJ]

What is going on with the bed on that thing?

[Jesse J]

those rear flares look wack. you should keep the tagging as well it looks so cool

[gogmorgo]

Some people really hate square wheelwells. My guess is the original bedsides were a casualty to the excessive salting that happens in Ontario and when presented with a blank slate to repair them, someone took the opportunity to do whatever the heck they wanted. 

[Jesse J]

well it totally messes with the styling and I can't say I'm a fan

[McDougal]

On 12/14/2020 at 11:41 AM, gogmorgo said:

16” wheel? Looks like a colour variation on a KJ five-spoke. That or someone painted in the “shadows”.

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/jeepwheels/kjwheels.html

Yeah I think you're right about the wheels. I found them at a junkyard so I got the rims and tires for $250, the old steel wheels were really rusty so I thought these would be a good set at least temporaily while I plan it all out.

 

On 12/14/2020 at 2:55 PM, gogmorgo said:

Some people really hate square wheelwells. My guess is the original bedsides were a casualty to the excessive salting that happens in Ontario and when presented with a blank slate to repair them, someone took the opportunity to do whatever the heck they wanted. 

 

I think you're also right about the bed! That is what it looked like minus the graffiti when I bought it, the graffiti distracts you a bit from the fact that the previous owner got rid of all the body lines. 

 

On 12/14/2020 at 11:57 AM, 89 MJ said:

What is going on with the bed on that thing?

 

The plan is to replace the whole bed when it's on the road, the previous owner did a little bit of his own work and it looks like he painted the entire truck with a roller brush. In the meantime I am letting people have a bit of fun with the paint.

 

On 12/14/2020 at 12:02 PM, Jesse J said:

those rear flares look wack. you should keep the tagging as well it looks so cool

 

Thanks and hopefully it doesn't look like that for long! It kinda drives me crazy having flares on the front and not the back. It's either all or nothing if you ask me.

 

[McDougal]

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-parts-and-accessories/london/jeep-cherokee-comanche-lift-shackles/1541674410?undefined

 

Do you guys think this would be a good part for my Jeep?

 

I didn't really have plans to lift it but I stumbled on this. As long as it doesnt lift the back too hight and make the front look disproportionate I think I might go for it.

[BeaterComanche86]

I can’t speak for the quality as I’ve never used them but being 1.5-2 inch lift for xjs you may see a 1 inch of lift. Also you can buy them brand new for $60 usd so I don’t know why he’s saying there 1/2 priced.

 

https://www.quadratec.com/p/rough-country/adjustable-lift-shackles-jeep-cherokee-xj-comanche-mj-1077

[gogmorgo]

18 hours ago, BeaterComanche86 said:

I can’t speak for the quality as I’ve never used them but being 1.5-2 inch lift for xjs you may see a 1 inch of lift. Also you can buy them brand new for $60 usd so I don’t know why he’s saying there 1/2 priced.

 

https://www.quadratec.com/p/rough-country/adjustable-lift-shackles-jeep-cherokee-xj-comanche-mj-1077

Welcome to buying parts online in Canada.

 

A lift shackle will affect the rear pinion angle, because it only changes geometry at one end of the leaf spring. 1” isn’t going to be a huge deal but much beyond that and you’ll start encountering driveshaft vibrations. This is corrected easily enough with leaf spring perch shims, but given where this thread started it’s safe to assume pulling your rear suspension apart to install is going to be a very destructive process.

[McDougal]

On 12/19/2020 at 11:44 AM, gogmorgo said:

Welcome to buying parts online in Canada.

 

A lift shackle will affect the rear pinion angle, because it only changes geometry at one end of the leaf spring. 1” isn’t going to be a huge deal but much beyond that and you’ll start encountering driveshaft vibrations. This is corrected easily enough with leaf spring perch shims, but given where this thread started it’s safe to assume pulling your rear suspension apart to install is going to be a very destructive process.

Yeah thats a good call, Maybe I'll just start with the front end axle and worry about these types of things down the road. Also, I was looking into it and it looks like my style front axle is likely the older model with the Vaccum piece on the passenger side. I am getting my buddy at the farm to send my a photo to confirm but would all the 86's have the smaller weaker front axle?

 

I may have found another 4x4 axle in Ontario, Just have to make sure its the right part. I'll try and get photos up later

[Pete M]

11 minutes ago, McDougal said:

 but would all the 86's have the smaller weaker front axle?

 

all 4x4 MJ/XJ/ZJ/YJ/TJ/WJ have versions of the dana 30 (some high pinion, some low, some with leafs, some with the CAD, some with CV shafts).  what's weaker in the pre-95 axles is the ujoints are of the smaller variety.  but that can be fixed with the shafts from a later axle (XJ/TJ).     if you want to buy one that already has the joints, look for 95-99 XJ.  TJ/ZJ will also go in but are low pinion if that matters to your build.

[BeatCJ]

Will the shafts Grand Cherokee 30 fit in the XJ housing? And, would they also have the larger US joints?

[gogmorgo]

I’ve got a non-cad D30 that ostensibly was original to an ‘86 MJ, although the only evidence I have to that fact is the seller’s word, and I suppose the fact it came as a matched set with the AMC20 rear axle from the same truck. But that’s not the first evidence I’ve seen that the CAD was only introduced for ‘87.

The only real weakness of the CAD axle is that plastic vacuum lines operating it aren’t the most reliable if you like driving through stuff that could catch them and rip them out. The smaller ujoints are fine to run so long as you’re not a ton larger than stock diameter and don’t have a destructive driving style. And if you do blow one apart, it’s just an excuse to upgrade to the later shafts. The driver’s side is a direct replacement, but you’ll need to put an axle seal into the diff to run the passenger side, otherwise it slides right in... provided you can get everything apart.

5 minutes ago, BeatCJ said:

Will the shafts Grand Cherokee 30 fit in the XJ housing? And, would they also have the larger US joints?

The ZJ shafts for sure will. I’m not 100% on WJ shafts.  Most will have CV axles, which will still go in just the same as any other d30 shaft. One of my ‘91 MJs is running parts-store ZJ CV’s because it was what I could get in a hurry when I needed them. They’ve got the ABS tone rings on them still, although I’ve seen people say you need to knock off the tone rings off to fit a -‘90 hub. My base ‘93 ZJ does ujoint shafts with the bigger ujoints, but even though they look it I can’t know for sure if they’re original to it or not.

[BeatCJ]

Thanks.

 

I thought that was the case.